Entertaining and intriguing. I enjoyed the different plot twists throughout the book and the feeling that each character was keeping their own secret. I had a theory about a quarter of the way in and I was pleasantly surprised that I was wrong. There’s something delightful about a book that can fool you!

While the pacing was a bit slower than I typically prefer, and I wished for a bit more depth in some areas, these aspects didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment. The book still managed to deliver some fantastic surprises and keep me engaged. If you’re looking for a fun, twisty read, this one is definitely worth checking out!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange of my honest review.

Cath and Gary's marriage is going along well until Lisa shows up at their door, claiming to be Gary's sister. Lisa moves in and things between Cath and Gary change. Gary becomes distant and is rude to Lisa. Lisa and Cath already worked together at the school, so the two become closer. Lisa raises questions about Gary to Cath, telling her she shouldn't trust Gary. Things take a turn when someone begins bringing up Cath's past secrets. Is Lisa right that she shouldn't trust Gary? Or is it Lisa with something to hide?

I did really enjoy this book but it was very predictable; There were not many options to choose from in terms of who was behind things, so it was pretty easy to guess; It is a quick and easy read but I think it could have been a bit more fulfilling - we really don't get much depth here. Probably a good one for those new to thrillers. For those thriller-obsessed readers like myself, you will find this one falls flat. However, it is still a fun read and I enjoyed it.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Very nice and easy domestic thriller to read. It had great plot twists I did not see coming! I loved the ending most because Wendy Clarke left noose ends.

Great storyline. I was so sure Lisa was the other women - what a surprise and great twist at the end.

Make Yourself at Home is a gripping psychological thriller that delves into the tension and secrets within a seemingly perfect marriage. The story follows a woman who begins to notice the cracks in her relationship with her husband, Gary, after his sister, Lisa, moves in. At first, everything seems normal—until Gary starts acting distant, and the dynamics between the siblings become increasingly strange. Lisa’s arrival in their home brings more than just family drama—it forces hidden secrets to the surface, leaving the protagonist questioning everything she once believed about her husband. The atmosphere of suspense is palpable, and the twists and turns in the narrative kept the reader engaged. The tension between the characters was well-crafted, though some parts of the story could have used a bit more development. Still, the book excels in its ability to keep the reader on edge, and the final reveal adds a satisfying punch. Overall, it’s a solid four-star read for those who enjoy family thrillers filled with mystery and intrigue.

Make Yourself at Home by Wendy Clarke is a gripping mystery/thriller that keeps readers on edge from start to finish. The story unfolds with an air of suspense, gradually building tension until the shocking revelation of who is behind everything. Clarke masterfully constructs an intricate plot, drawing readers into a web of secrets, deception, and unexpected twists that leave them speechless.

One of the strongest aspects of this novel is Clarke’s ability to build suspense and mislead the reader, only to deliver a surprising and satisfying payoff. The pacing is well-executed, ensuring that every chapter contributes to the overarching mystery while keeping the reader engaged. Her writing style is immersive, with well-developed characters and a setting that enhances the eerie and unsettling tone of the story.

The novel excels in its unpredictability, making it a standout in the genre. Just when you think you have it figured out, Clarke throws in another twist that turns everything upside down. Fans of psychological thrillers and intricate mysteries will appreciate the way the narrative unfolds. If you enjoy a thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end, Make Yourself at Home is a must-read. Wendy Clarke has proven herself as a master of suspense, and this book leaves readers eager to explore more of her work.

ARC from NetGalley
Make Yourself at Home is a fast-paced thriller centered on domestic secrets, unreliable relationships, family drama, hidden pasts, and marital distrust.

when Cathrine's estranged sister in law Lisa moves in strange things start happing to Cath , her husband is keeping secrets from her and something doesn't seem right with Lisa

this book started out slow but picked up a couple chapters in , i thought i had figured out the twist but i was wrong. overall an enjoyable read

I Couldn't put this book down at all. I was hooked from the first pages.

I was literally on a rollercoaster all the way long, with all the twists in this book.

Big thanks to Bookouture for a copy on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Make Yourself At Home is the latest chilling psychological thriller from popular UK author Wendy Clarke.
A spine tingling, addictive and fast paced read.
Catherine and her husband Gary, lead a blissful life.
She is very happy in her job and the couple have no children.
In Catherine’s work space as a teacher, she is a mentor to Lisa.
Then Lisa becomes homeless and is sleeping at the school.
When Catherine finds out, she offers her spare room until Lisa gets on her feet.
But as they arrive at the couples house, a shock awaits.
Lisa is actually Gary’s half sister.
And Gary doesn’t want her around.
Strange happenings begin and who is to blame?
Then things take a sinister turn…..
Trust no one….
Fans of domestic dramas and clever thrillers, will gobble this up.
I was fully invested and rushed through as I had to find out the truth.
A secret filled, engaging and sneaky book.

It’s not often you pick up a book that feels heavy and oppressive but Make Yourself at Home by Wendy Clarke did that to me. The prologue written to raise tension and heartbeat that for me didn’t drop for most of the book.

The prologue at odds with the first chapter where we meet Catherine and she describes her relationship with husband Gary - pretty damn perfect in her eyes by all accounts but the words on the pages hint at this possibly being a veneer, how hard to crack would be found out soon enough!

This book moved at a terrific pace, that made me feel a little bit anxious, finding myself reading faster to get past the multiple plot twist - some that didn’t even appear relevant until the end. So many hints and clues dropped like confetti but impossible to catch. Imagine finding out after ten years of marriage that your husband had a sister, a person you’d tucked under your wing - supporting her in her new teaching role and offering her somewhere to stay whilst she found a place for herself when you discovered she was homeless.

This is a book that won’t fail to touch your heart, it will make you gasp and bite hard on your back teeth with the tension, the sheer emotion leaps from the pages with Catherine and Gary’s lives teetering on the edge, when past meets present. When actions are driven by emotion and that emotion is fear and with revenge anything is possible. I'm sure I stopped breathing several times as I read Make Yourself at Home - a title that speaks comfort, happiness and welcoming that proves to be anything but, it is gritty and unexpectedly perfect for the emotions and feelings evoked for both the characters and readers alike.

I highly recommend this adrenalin filled book

I really enjoyed Make Yourself at Home! It’s a fast-paced psychological thriller that kept me entertained from start to finish. I also loved the short chapters—they made it so easy to keep saying, “just one more.”

This was my first book by Wendy Clarke, but it definitely won’t be my last—I’m excited to read more from her!

Catherine Ashworth thought she had the perfect marriage. She and Gary had been so happy. Then, everything changed. His sister, Lisa, moved in with them and Gary has been doing his best to stay away from their house. He had problems with his parents and, apparently, doesn’t get along with his sister either.

Lisa is acting strange and even puts doubts in Catherine’s mind about her husband. The brother and sister obviously do not get along. There are family secrets that Catherine knows nothing about, but she has a few of her own secrets that can blow the family apart.

The author takes the reader on a crazy ride of betrayal, secrets and danger. The characters are well-developed and jump right off the page. They each feel very real.

It took me a little time to get fully engrossed in the book, but when I did, I couldn't put it down. I had a few ideas of who the guilty party was, but this story took so many twists and turns. It was hard to tell the good guys from the bad. Each chapter was a piece of the puzzle I tried to put together. The story is intricately weaved into one captivating tale. I don’t want to give anything away, but this is a book that you won’t know how it will all end until the last page. Even then, it’s an eye opener.

I never read this author before, but I’m already looking through her backlist.




FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Reading in Between the Wines book review #22/125 for 2025:
Rating: 4🍷🍷🍷🍷
Book: Make Yourself At Home
Author: Wendy Clarke
AVAILABLE NOW!!!
BOOK TOUR

Sipping thoughts: Keep your friends close and your enemies (family) closer? This is something Catherine has to come to grips with. I figured out the final twist and just could not wait for it to be revealed. If you are looking for a domestic thriller filled with lies, deceit, and family secrets then this is the one for you.

Cheers and thank you to @Netgalley, @BookoutureAudio, and @Bookouture for an advanced copy of @MakeYourselfAtHome.

#MakeYourselfAtHome #WendyClarke #BookoutureAudio #Bookouture #NetGalley #ARC #advancedreader #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bokreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult
#BookTour

My seventh book by Wendy Clarke and she never lets me down, another really good read.

Catherine is hiding a big secret from her past. Her husband, Gary, doesn’t know, her colleague and close friend, Ross, doesn’t know and the Secondary School she teaches at, Greenfield Comprehensive, certainly doesn’t know. She is seen as the calm, in control and extremely capable English Teacher able to keep even the rowdiest pupils under control, and she pulls off this façade really well. However, the past always has a way of catching up to you and then secrets get discovered. When Catherines’ car catches fire in the school staff car park, she fears it isn’t a coincidence and nor do the police when they officially declare it an arson incident and then discover that a fire occurred at the previous school she worked at, although that time it was her classroom, not her car, that was victim to the vicious blaze. At about the same time as the car fire, Lisa, Catherine’s young Early Career Teacher, who she is mentoring, confides in her that she has been sleeping in her classroom after being kicked out of her home by her parents. Catherine offers her a place to stay until she gets back on her feet but is shocked when Gary and Lisa meet that Lisa is Gary’s half sister. Keen to know more about Gary’s past that he never talks about, Catherine is pleased to have Lisa around but just like Catherine, Gary has some secrets of his own that he doesn’t want to see the light of day, so he doesn’t want Lisa around. Life becomes even more complicated when a new boy, Jake, starts at Greenfield Comprehensive, he reminds Catherine of her younger brother, Aled, who died when he was just 15 years old. Catherine feels she failed Aled but is determined she won’t fail Jake at any cost, but as she ploughs all her energy and time into helping Jake, this starts to cause friction with her colleagues and even with Gary. Then Catherine begins to receive threatening text messages relating to her past and she doesn’t know who to trust! Will Catherine regret pouring all her energy into Jake and will everyone’s secrets, including hers, begin to emerge with the added pressure Catherine tutoring Jake is having on everyone?!

Another great psychological thriller from Wendy Clarke! I didn’t like Gary from page one and honestly couldn’t see what Catherine saw in him. For the author to invoke such strong feelings from me about a character is a true mark of good writing. I had mixed feelings about Catherine, sometimes I liked her but other times she frustrated me, but I did feel sorry for her having to carry the weight of such a big secret around day in, day out. I was constantly questioning each and every character as to try and figure out who the “baddie” was once the threats towards Catherine begun, and I was toing and froing about two of the characters and then the author threw in a few red herrings, and I chose the wrong character as the “baddie”. However, because of this I didn’t see the end twist coming which was fantastic! The creepy end scenes at the school were superbly written and I was really feeling the atmosphere despite not being there, so again brilliant writing by the author.

Another great read from Wendy Clarke, she never disappoints me. I highly recommend this for any fans of psychological thrillers, and I look forward to seeing what she writes next. Extremely well deserved 4 star rating!

Thank you to NetGalley, Wendy Clarke and Bookouture for my advanced reading copy. Out now.

It's been a while since I've read one of Clarke's books - I'd forgotten how good they are!

If my partner brought a woman home professing she was his 'sister', would I buy it? Ummm, no! Catherine was waaay to gullible and quite the doormat...she irked me on so many levels! Questions woman, ask questions!

Frantic, fast, and fueled by secrets and lies, Make Yourself At Home is an addictive and thoroughly enjoyable twisty thriller.

In this fast paced thriller, Clarke skillfully keeps your attention dropping nuggets of information and leaving crumbs making you want to read more and more. Clarke did such a great job of making you think that this book was going to go one way and then have it go another way. It was thrilling and surprising in the best of ways.

I don’t want to say that Cath was naive because it sounds bad; but it really wasn’t a bad trait for her. I was naive right along with her. I had some suspicions of what was actually happening. I did suspect who it was but then I tossed my suspicions out the door – so then I wound up being wrong! It’s the best when the author really keeps you guessing!

Clarke also created a great atmosphere here. It was tense and suspenseful. There were times I got the creeps or I was scared/nervous. There were times I was shocked at what was going on in the book. All around, this is just a great book. It’s out now, so check it out!

In-laws, right? Catherine is beginning to learn that maybe she shouldn’t have welcomed her sister-in-law, Lisa, to stay with them. Catherine and Gary have a happy and seemingly perfect marriage – love letters, never fighting, and always supporting each other. Even though Gary has always been guarded about his parents and his less than ideal childhood and upbringing, there aren’t any secrets kept between them. Or so Catherine thought. When Lisa, Gary’s sister, approaches Katherine at work asking for her help and a place to stay, how could she say no?

Once Lisa moves in, Catherine notices a change in Gary. Longer nights at work, avoiding conversation with Lisa and spending time together, and just a complete 180 in his demeanor. This isn’t the man that she married and she can’t get Lisa’s warnings to not trust him out of her mind. His secrets are threatening to be uncovered and her own past has secrets – what is Lisa doing to her husband to cause such a shift?

This got really tense at times and the pacing is exactly what you want from a thriller. I’d say this falls under the popcorn thriller umbrella – it’s a quick and easy read that will keep you glued. I did enjoy the book and while some might be able to predict parts of the ending, I don’t think that will ruin the experience!

This is a well written page tuner that takes you on quite a wild ride! I did not see the ending coming which made this book even better!

Oh Wendy Clarke, you could write the phonebook and I'd be on the edge of my seat!
Cath comes to the rescue of a newly graduated, first job teaching, Lisa. She doesn't realize Lisa is her husband's sister. Actually Cath doesn't realize a lot.
Who is obsessed with tearing her life apart?
Great twists and suspense - I couldn't put it down!

Here is another book by Wendy Clarke that you want to know what is going to happen next. The tension built up in an unbelievable roller coaster way.

The relationship between Gary, his wife Catherine and his half sister Lisa is complicated. Before Lisa stepping in their house, Gary and Catherine were living peacefully and happily. Once Lisa asked Catherine for help to stay at their house, things did change enormously. The loving husband became hiding more secrets. Lisa told Catherine that she should not trust her husband.

Who should Catherine trust?

The secrets, family relationship and their past were addictive. It kept me reading chapter after chapter. I enjoyed the twisty ending and the ending was something that a surprise. The characters played very well in this thriller which I could imagine their faces when I was reading the book!

Many thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and the author for my copy.