4.75 stars

This was a very fast read! At no time throughout the story did I know who to believe! The ending was crazy and I was shocked. Definitely a great read if you are looking for a short fun thriller similar to Freida McFadden!

Highly recommend.

Don't Believe Her is an addictive popcorn thriller that kept me hooked and entertained from start to finish. This book is filled with so much guessing, frustration and so much confusion. I kept being thrown back and forth wondering what was true and what wasn't. I thought the author did that in a way that kept me on the edge of my seat guessing what would unravel next. The plot is fast paced, the secrets and twists revealed at the right times to keep you hooked.

The characters were not my favorite, Ellie was truly annoying and Nick was insufferable. I didn't think there was that much character development, but honestly I wasn't here for the characters, I was here for the secrets and lies, I was served with that exactly.

This was truly a fun ride, highly entertaining with an ending that took me by surprise. The author truly had me in her grasps the entire way through.

🎧 The narration by Jodie Harris was great. Even with her british accent she was truly easy to comprehend and a joy to listen to. I loved her tone, how she played Ellie and made me feel her emotions. Great audiobook.

𝕽𝖊𝖑𝖊𝖆𝖘𝖊 𝕯𝖆𝖙𝖊 : October 15th 2024 - OUT NOW

✨️Thank you to @netgalley, @dreamscapemedia & @nicolasanders for my gifted ALC in exchange for an honest review.

It started off slow but absolutely redeemed itself!

Ellie is living her best life with her fiancée and daughter. Until her fiancée's sister and Ellie's best friend reappears after having disappeared many years ago. Everyone is ecstatic. Except Ellie, who can't shake the feeling that this woman is not Carla.

It was a slow start for me and I wasn't sure I wanted to continue. But once it picked up, I couldn't put it down. First, I had to see if my predictions were right (spoiler: they were). There was one twist that I did not see coming and once that hit, I read straight through to the end. It had my full attention and I had to know how it would end.

This was a great popcorn thriller filled with tons of drama!
4/5 stars

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Writing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narrator(s): ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tropes, etc: Missing Person Reappearance, Unreliable Narrator
POV: Dual, 1st Person
Cliffhanger?: No

The Praise: I really enjoyed this! I even literally told my husband at one point that I was riveted! Ellie was such an interesting character and I loved that even I wasn’t sure who to believe at times. It was frustrating in the best way.

The Critique: None!

Final Thoughts: This was so twisty and interesting! It kept me guessing all the way through.

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media!

I like discovering new authors, and I feel audiobooks are great for that.

I have never read anything by Nicola Sanders before so I didn't know what to expect. Throughout the story, my feelings towards Ellie changed a couple of times...there're a couple really good twists! While driving I found myself yelling at the characters...I realy enjoyed it! Good thriller!

Thanks NetGalley, Nicola Sanders, and Dreamscape Media for this ARC.

That was an incredibly engaging story, full of unexpected twists that caught me completely off guard. The author has done an outstanding job of crafting a narrative that subtly hints at deeper layers, making the unfolding events even more surprising.

If you're a fan of domestic thrillers, this will not disappoint. There are some far-fetched themes within, but overall it was still a fun ride. All the gaslighting will have you shaking your head in frustration but you'll be on the edge of your seat to find out what happens next. The narrator did a great job with the different characters as well. It did seem a little predictable at first but the ending twist was definitely a surprise. This is my first Nicola Sanders, but won't be my last.
Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Publishing for this ARL. All opinions are mine.

I'll be honest. I found the middle of this book to be a little bit dull. I felt like there should have been more action earlier on, but I'm still rating it highly because that was a super fun ending! I finished this one in one day, so I certainly found something engaging! Thanks to NetGalley, I received a free advance audiobook. The narrator wasn't my favorite that I've heard, but I liked the voice she gave her characters more as the story went along.

Overall, it was a quick & twisty read! Thanks to NetGalley, Nicola Sanders, and Dreamscape Media for the chance to read and review. My opinions are my own.

This was my introduction to this author and I am so glad we’ve met. She has crafted a dark, twisted tale with people who are icebergs. On the surface, most of them seem normal, but the reality of who they are is beneath the surface and it is beyond wildly insane. Ellie has suffered so much loss in her life. The people she loved most are all gone. When mourning the death of her father, she becomes reacquainted with her missing best friend's brother Nick. They connect in a way she had always wanted and the love is seemingly real. They move in with Nick's mother to take care of her. Life is good and to make things better, Nick finds Carla after 12 long years. Their reunion leaves Ellie with more questions than answers. It’s an interesting and well written story that leads to an equally twisted ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Ellie and her fiance decide to move back to Nick's family home along with Ellie's young daughter to take care of his mother Marjorie who recently took a fall down the stairs. This arrangement will help them save money and brings them all closer together and things are going great until Nick announces that his long lost sister, Carla his coming home. Carla was Ellie's best friend and ran away 12 years ago and was feared dead. The very first meeting with long lost Carla has Ellie sceptical as she seems more concerned about convincing Marjorie to sell the family property and share the money with Nick and Carla. Ellie starts to quiz Carla on their childhood memories and when Carla can't provide the right answers, Ellis is convinced she is an intruder but no one will believe her. They are convinced that Ellie is going crazy and may need some professional help. I really liked this thriller and the outcome was a great twist as well. Enjoy!!!

I was excited to dive into this audiobook, especially after loving the author’s previous work. The narration was solid, and the suspenseful tone kept me engaged, but overall, this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The plot had a lot of potential, but I found myself guessing the twists too early, which took away from the excitement. While I can appreciate why so many people are calling it a fun 'popcorn thriller,' I just couldn’t fully believe the direction the story took. There were moments that felt a bit too far-fetched for my taste, and I struggled to connect with the characters as much as I had in her earlier books.

That being said, if you’re looking for an entertaining listen with a fast-paced, twisty plot, this could still be a fun pick. It’s just not my favorite from this author.

This is a great, fast-paced tale of deception, identity, and surprisingly provoking insight into how quickly people believe facades, and the lengths that they will go to in order to maintain those facades. A book club could discuss the meaning of gender roles in the book -- what a “good girl” is expected to do, and women’s roles within a nuclear family structure. If the protagonist seems a bit credulous or naive, be fair -- she is a hairdresser and busy parent, not a detective, and is realistically written as such. The novel is the kind of absorbing and satisfying read that one can expect from Nicola Sanders. As a Reference Librarian, I would recommend this book to readers seeking working class female protagonists, characterization that purchase readers to ask questions about their own roles in social structures, and those seeking a thriller with the theme of female friendship.

This was a good one, I was wondering how they were going to end it. I was surprised at the twists at the ending.

I was completely blown away by this book and I’ve already recommended it to anyone who will listen! Expect twist after mind-blowing twist. My head was spinning by the end (in the best possible way).

There’s a small section in the middle of the book that moves a little too slowly — but the final chapters MORE than make up for it!

This was my first Nicola Sanders book and needless to say, it did NOT disappoint! Even though the story was quite dark, I was sad when it ended.

I can’t wait to dive in to Sanders’ other titles…starting with Don’t Let Her Stay, which I’ve heard great things about.

4.4 rounded down to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Audio and Nicola Sanders for the audio ARC of Don’t Believe Her in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed listening to narrator Jodi Harris through this psychological thriller. I enjoyed the plot and continued to guess how it was going to turn out (which I got all wrong!).

Ellie’s best friend, Carla, disappeared 12 years ago. Ellie is now engaged to Carla’s brother, Nick, and has a lovely daughter. When Ellie learns that Carla is coming home, she is ecstatic. But when Carla arrives, she is not how Ellie remembers. Ellie suspects that this woman is not really Carla and she is challenged with convincing her family and proving that this woman isn’t her long-lost friend.

I was hooked on this book from the beginning. It is addicting, fast-paced, and absolutely full of head-spinning twists and turns. Each time you think you know the answer, another twist happens. This is truly a fun psychological thriller that throws you right in with the characters. I devoured this in a day. Nicola Sanders does a wonderful job of making you feel the frustration of Ellie in her quest for answers. I laughed and cried with her and I loved the character development. Freida McFadden fans will love this one!

Thank you Dreamscape Media for providing this audiobook for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Nicola Sanders for writing such a compelling thriller!

4.5/5
My first Nicola Sanders book. So good! This reminded me of a Freida McFadden book! Very fast paced and crazy plot twist!
I felt for Ellie when everyone was trying to gaslight her into thinking she was crazy. This book was filled with gaslighting and manipulation the whole way through.

HOLY SNIKES!!!! I was just going to listen to a few minutes and I DEVOURED this book! When the one twist happened I was in car line I literally SHOUTED NOOOOOO! Needless to say the other parents were startled.

I will be recommending this book to everyone!!!!!

I received a digital audiobook of this title through NetGalley. The book does a good job of building suspense and making you doubt the main character's narration. Lots of twists and reveals, with varying degrees of believability.

WoW.......Don't Believe Her by Nicola Sanders and narrated by Jodie Harris was an addictive psychological thriller with a shocking brilliant twist. This audiobook was excellent from start to finish and I loved it. Especially as I ended up listening to it throughout the day. Superb.

The Narrator Jodie Harris was excellent bought the book alive. You became apart of the story which made it excellent!