Oh So Clever!!!

Thank you NetGallary for an early review copy of My Daughters Revenge!

I absolutely Loved this book! Full of twists and turns and hold your breath and edge of your seat moments!

This book is well written and oh so clever! Great thriller with dark elements and steam!

I must admit I didn’t see the twists coming. This was an amazing read that I could not put down.

This is a great thriller!

No spoilers with my review.

Overall I give this book 4 golden stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

WHOA! This book was SO good! I loved every second of this wild ride. Simmonds is a new to me author, and this book definitely did not disappoint. This book blew my mind! This story is told from dual POVs - Jules and her 16 year old daughter Leah.

Simmonds writing style had me immersed in this one as the plot developed in such a suspenseful way. The sense of foreboding was so prevalent. There are multiple characters that play roles in this story, but the important ones were very well developed. Secrets, lies, deceit, and manipulation are the key themes in this intense thriller. I didn’t expect any of the things that happened in this book. I was shocked. The ending was AMAZING!

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for introducing me to this author and for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this twisty read that was full of horrible characters. The story primarily focuses on mother Jules and teenage daughter Leah, both who are struggling. Jules is feeling impotent at work and is worried her husband is cheating on her. Leah is just a spoiled brat who is used to getting her own way and tends to be obsessive over boys.

It is hard to root for either one of these characters but somehow the author has managed to make me do just that by introducing even more horrible characters that we can all hate together! I found Jules to be super annoying, constantly whining about her age and her weight and any number of things that were all in her own head, not to mention the horrible invasion of Leah’s privacy when she starts trying to figure out what Leah is actually involved in. I am hopeful that Leah just needs to grow up, and perhaps the sobering experience from what happens in the book will help her do so. Despite my disconnection with the characters, I did really enjoy the story itself, as it was fast paced and included a surprise twist. I really liked the way it all wrapped up after everything was said and done.

Overall, this was a fast paced and twisty read that you’ll like unless you are put off by unlikable main characters. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Jules feels old and past it. Her husband shows no interest in her and her children are ready to fly the nest. She is particularly worried about her daughter Leah who is emotionally vulnerable after a bad break up. Leah is on the look out for a new boyfriend...
My Daughter’s Revenge is a family drama and psychological thriller set in the UK.
Jules joins an app to get some positive interactions as she feels low and unloved. A few flirty comments to bolster her ego is all she wants but she feels guilty that she can't reach her husband emotionally. Leah is also looking for validation from a man but her latest brief relationship with Dylan is destroyed when he discovers she has lied about her age.
The book is written from the first person perspectives of both Jules and Leah. Both characters are vivdly depicted and their voices are unique and distinct from each other. Jules is sad as she feels her love is not reciprocated by her husband. Leah's voice is very immature and selfish. She is slightly reckless and her behaviour becomes obsessive when Dylan rejects her.
As a woman in my 40s, I could identify with Jules' preoccupation with negative comparisons and the feeling of lost youth. Meanwhile as a mother of a daughter, it felt very powerful to be reminded of the teenage years and the danger of hormones going haywire (although I also think Leah has significant mental health needs) although I could understand Leah's desire for independence.
Both women's characters inspire pity because they are so unhappy. Initially I also felt really sorry for Dylan. Leah lied to him and then becomes obsessed, putting his job in danger. My sympathy waned at the way he behaves later in the book. There is a lot of build up in the book which slows the pace but allows us to fully understand Jules and Leah. There were twists until the very last page.
My Daughter’s Revenge is an emotionally charged psychological thriller with strong narration.

This book really suprised me. Loved it, but then again I do love a dysfunctional family story. This book has a strong theme of obsession. Hope you like it as much as I did.

An ok read , told from the POV Of Jules ( the mother) and Leah ( her daughter) . I found the first 2/3 of the book really slow and was getting irritated with Jules as she just seemed to be having a pity party up until near the end of the book. The ending was good but just found it very slow paced in places.

First time reading anything by this author and I am hooked! Love the easy writing style and it all flows so smoothly. The amount of suspense is next level in the best way possible. Love the ending - did not predict it at all! Can not wait to read more by this author.

A disturbing domestic thriller, My Daughter's Revenge starts with news of a dead body. The story then goes back four weeks to lead the reader up to the discovery. Just who is guilty of the crime?

Packed full of unlikeable characters, from mum Jules who is questioning her job and family life, to daughter Leah who is obsessed with losing her virginity, the book is fast flowing and easy to read. Lots of twists and turns leave the reader guessing - with a revelations at the end that left me open mouthed!

A great read, I look forward to the next book by this author.

To say I enjoyed this book would be an understatement. I loved it. I think I was wrong on every single guess I made. And I don't think that has ever happened before. Barely getting one right, maybe. I could easily relate to Jules and even Leah at times, though there was an underlying crazy there that kept me at arm's length. I love how much Simmonds's personality shows through in her writing as well. Sometimes in small quips. But there are also some good insights into being a parent and handling your kids growing up. Some of which I hope to remember in the future. I can not put into words well enough how much I loved this book. Same with Good Girls Die Last, I just really really enjoyed it and I can't wait for her next book. I think I heard a rumor sometime next year, but that is unconfirmed. I may be mixing Simmonds up with someone else.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Netgalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review.

"My Daughter's Revenge" captivated me with its abundance of secrets and lies, culminating in an unforeseen and startling conclusion that I did not see coming.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

Jules’ family is a mess, a dysfunctional mess. Jules is a mess. Jules’ life is a mess and it’s going to get much worse before it gets better!!! She’s doing what she can to hold her life together but external factors are not helping!!!
I had real mixed emotions for daughter Leah. She’s desperate to be an adult and have a grown up relationship but her maturity isn’t quite there and she’s an obsessive teen. Borderline psychotic with it! She’s so wrapped up in her obsession she doesn’t see what she’s doing to those around her. I wanted to slap her, shake her and then hug her and convince her she had to much time to get serious with a boy. Oh to be a mixed up 17 year old!! Thank you but no!!

I loved the way Simmonds switched perspectives on me but without pattern. I’d get a couple of chapters from Jules and then Leah would tell her story before Jules would briefly return – you get the idea. I was kept on my toes looking one way before being distracted elsewhere. It made for a tense path to follow and bejeezus the final few chapters, just when I thought it would end one way, the narrative twisted and then twisted again with a 💥 to finish!!!

My Daughter’s Revenge is a cracking thriller. Simmonds gave me shocker after shocker throughout the book which led me a right merry dance. I read Good Girls Die Last which was brilliant but this is a very different read. Different in a good way. Blooming loved it!!

This was wild! I was hooked from the very first few pages and blown away. This book had very relatable characters makes a person ask " How far would you go for your Daughter or Son " This had , lots of twists and turns, and an ending that had me shocked Can't wait to read more from this Author.

Thank you Netgalley, Bookouture Audio and Natali Simmonds for the Audio Arc of My Daughter's Revenge
Narrated by Izzy Meikle-Small, Claire Storey.

My Daughter's Revenge is a medium/fast psychological domestic thriller from 2 female POV. Mother Jules and Daughter, Leah. What drew me through this book was the dynamics between the family members and the obvious indignation of the daughter and how she is treated. Even though I wasn't keen on these two characters, I hugely empathised with them both. The Mother who was overprotective but felt invisible and the daughter who felt suffocated. The plot line and the direction this book took was compelling and some nice twists occurred, with a great satisfying payoff at the end.

Narrated by Izzy Meikle-Small, Claire Storey, these two ladies did a great job with both the POV of the Mother and Daughter, but also the male voices of the other characters,

4.5 stars for Storygraph, rounded to 5 for Amazon, Goodreads and Netgalley

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

Jules is trapped in her marriage, feeling unloved by her husband. She downloads an app and confesses all her feelings to a stranger.
Leah is 17, and desperate to be loved. At a festival she meets the man of her dreams. A white lie about her age comes back to haunt her a week later.

I enjoyed this. If you are uncomfortable with sex scenes I’d avoid. They were appropriate to the storyline and not just for effect. The characters and family dynamic was all very real in this. The emotion was raw and I empathised with Jules. Most of the story chugged along with alternating Jules and Leah chapters. While entertaining, nothing too dramatic happened. That is until the final shocking twist (or two!). Wow. These truly took the book from a good story to an OMG must read!

Really enjoyed this book. The story was told from the perspectives of the mother and the daughter.

I found myself relating so much to the mother. As a mother myself, I have experienced that whole sense of losing my identity and not knowing who I am or who I want to be anymore.

The twists and turns in this story was just pure genius. The story panned out well, building up a good story and development of characters. But toward the end was when I felt like my head was being spun around continuously with twists. Really enjoyed.

This was an addicting read about obsession, betrayal, and the inner turmoil of aging. While each character was unlikable, it made the story more intriguing and made the reader question what poor decision they would make next. The main protagonist was a little too "poor me" to the point that I started losing sympathy for her. I felt a little thrown by the twist and felt it was there for mere shock factor, which I am not the biggest fan of. Overall, I did enjoy most of this one and found it highly addicting and hard to put down. Three and half stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

Wow what an amazing read! Thrilling and absolutely addictive. Loved this one SO much. Brilliant. Just wow!

The news has reported a man’s suicide, but both Jules and Leah no better. 
But Jules is feeling unappreciated in her personal and professional life, while Leah is feeling like her family does not listen, but a set of events will lead to a catastrophic outcome. 

This novel is written from a dual point of view between Jules and Leah. I liked how we had both sides to this novel and how both characters were completely flawed and not very likeable. 

Several themes run through this novel, such as lies, trust, and secrets, giving this novel a fast pace, you can’t help but read on. 

This was a great read with explosive twists I didn’t see coming.

Simmonds first book Good Girls Die Last was an instant hit with me, so I knew I was going to enjoy My Daughter's Revenge just as much.

It didn't disappoint. Simmonds delights with another brilliantly crafted thriller, this time centred around mother and daughter duo Julie and Leah.

Chuck in some secrets, lies, the need for revenge and there you have it...a fast paced, unputdownable twistfest that will keep you wanting 'just one more chapter'. And the ending? Let's just say it left me mouth agape.

Every so often, someone produces something that is rightly regarded as a work of genius. Sir Alec Issigonis designed the original Mini (Google it, if you’re not old enough to remember). James Dyson revolutionised the vacuum cleaner. The band Queen recorded Bohemian Rhapsody. And Natali Simmonds wrote Good Girls Die Last.

My local book club recently discussed this novel and, with the possible exception of the classic Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, I don’t think I can remember a time that we found so much to talk about. But one thing that did happen is that any members who didn’t immediately love the book – yes, much as I found it hard to believe, there were a few – had raised their opinion by the end of the evening. And that, with hindsight, is understandable. On the face of it, the book tells the story of one woman facing a walk across London during a heatwave. But actually, it’s about so much more than that. It has so many layers, and so much depth, that on a first read it could be easy to miss something. But give it some thought and you realise that everything fits together beautifully in what is a wonderful piece of writing. If you haven’t read it, you must do so. And if you don’t quite ‘get’ it first time round, read it again.

I hasten to add that I loved it first time round, and there’s no way I’m changing my opinion. It remains one of my favourite books of last year.

But if you’re ever fortunate enough to have such a genius moment, the time will come when you’re faced with a problem. Which is when you need to follow it up with something else. That’s OK if you’re part of Queen, who went on to release classics such as Radio Gaga, Somebody to Love, We Are The Champions, Don’t Stop Me Now and One Vision, amongst countless others. But it’s a bit more of an issue if you’re Dyson, whose next invention, the twin-drum washing machine, was axed less than 5 years after its launch without having made a profit. Or BMC/British Leyland/Austin/Rover (and whatever else they were also called over the years), who continued to sell the Mini into the 21st century – usually at a loss – because they simply didn’t know how to replace it.

And now it’s Natali’s turn to have written what is for me, her difficult second book. (Yes, I know she’s also written several fantasy novels as N J Simmonds, which I haven’t read and which aren’t really my genre.) But this time, she’s done something right because I loved the portrayal of the main character, Jules. She’s in the position that’s familiar to mothers up and down the land, having suddenly realised that both of her children have grown into young adults and that somehow, at some point during this process, she and her husband seem to have grown apart. Some of the details we’re told are very intimate – perhaps a bit too intimate – but they sure as hell make her, and her situation relatable.

The portrayal of daughter Leah is very, very good too. She’s 17 and so grown-up in some ways, yet still so juvenile in others. I didn’t like her, but I don’t think I was meant to. I think the reader is supposed to feel more and more frustrated with her as the book progresses and if that’s the case, I have to say that Natali has nailed it. And, wow, it’s worked. Because from about half-distance in I was absolutely glued to my kindle and unable to read fast enough. If I attempt to give any details of the storyline I’ll be bound to give away a spoiler, but suffice to say that secrets, lies and deception abound. Also, sitting a little more quietly in the background, is an issue that Natali also explores so beautifully in Good Girls Die Last and does so extremely well again here: how far will someone go if pushed?

And yet, for all that, I had a few problems. And the most fundamental one was this: has Natali Simmonds managed to write a new book that lives up to the stratospheric standard of her last one?

There’s no easy way to say this so I’ll just give the answer quickly and succinctly: no.

For me, there were two main issues. Firstly, I missed the essence of the storyline in Good Girls Die Last, which is told from the point of view of just one character over a very short space of time, and which manages to really ramp up the tension in a way that this book doesn’t quite manage. There’s really nothing wrong with the multiple narratives or the events taking place over a longer period. But ultimately, they’re similar to quite a lot of other good psychological thrillers and thus, not as memorable.

Secondly, the ending. I really didn’t know how I was meant to feel about it. If the intention was to make me glad, or relieved that – not a spoiler if you’ve read the blurb – a man has died, then that didn’t happen. Not by a long way. What I really wanted was for the person or persons responsible to get what they deserved, but you’ve probably guessed by now that that doesn’t happen either. Ultimately, I found it a bit dissatisfying. I couldn’t really see where Natali was trying to go with it. Other than, perhaps, give book clubs quite a lot to talk about.

The book still gets four stars, because I couldn’t possibly give anything less to something that had me so utterly absorbed. But my conclusion is perhaps best illustrated by bringing Queen back into the discussion, and specifically their 1975 album A Night at the Opera. Think of Good Girls Die Last as the massive hit single, Bohemian Rhapsody. A super-engaging and yet multi-layered piece of work that should, quite rightly, continue to be discussed for years to come. But My Daughter’s Revenge is more like Good Company. A pleasant enough track that tells a very good story. But I don’t see it troubling any Greatest Hits compilations any time soon.

My thanks to Bookouture for my inclusion on the blog tour for this book, which was published in the UK on 14th August 2024. Thanks also to Netgalley for the digital ARC. I will post my review on Goodreads, Amazon and my social media pages.