** spoiler alert ** Spoiler alert--I don't know if I can write this review without spoilers so be warned.

I loved the twisty tale and I couldn't figure it out for a long time, loved the idea of the twist at the ending.

What I didn't like--reliance on a paranormal plot point (astral projection) for the twists and to make the story work. I want my psychological thrillers to be plausible. I could believe mental illness, but I can't believe what actually happened. It was way too convenient, way too lazy. It was like the author wanted to make the book twisty so she came up with a way to make it work without any semblance of real life possibility.

I gave 3 stars originally because, as I said, it had some great twists using the woo woo devices, but it would have been more had I been grounded in reality. I have since downgraded it to 2 stars because I just felt the whole thing was way too implausible.

I finally got to read this book. I absolutely loved it! The plot sucked me in from the very beginning and I was hooked and could not get unhooked until I finished. In fact as soon as I finished I went out and bought a physical copy of the book so that I could keep it on my shelf as a favorite re-read. The ending!! I cannot review without spoilers, but I will say that I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

I loved the twists and turns of this book. 5 stars all the way. Just when you think you have it figured out it completely throws you in the middle of the water. Wow.

‘Questions, question, question. It seems that ever since David and Adele came into my life I’ve been filled with questions. They’re like weeds in water. Every time I think I can swim away another one tangles around my legs to drag me back down.’

Everything about this story and its summary scream “typical suburban drama” but Behind Her Eyes is far from anything you’ve ever read, I can assure you. Sure, Louise is a single mom who meets a man in a bar. They share a kiss, but nothing more. When she gets to work on Monday to meet her new boss, David, it ends up being the man from the bar… who is married. Desperate to make everything less awkward, they both admit to it being a vast mistake in an attempt to make sure it’s never brought up again. But when Louise makes a new friend named Adele who ends up being David’s wife, Louise’s life becomes vastly complicated.

The present-day story progresses as David and Adele’s past unfolds which further complicates matters. It’s constantly alluded to that David is overly protective of Adele, that he keeps her literally locked inside their house, that he limits her access to her own personal finances, and that their relationship is far from anything healthy. Adele involves Louise in her personal drama but leaves vital pieces of the puzzle out in a desperate attempt to earn Louise’s empathy. But to what end?

Here’s where things get dicey and where I understand the negative opinions of many even though mine differ. The whole initial setup of this story appears very formulaic, establishing some preconceived notions of where the plot could possibly go. The massive emphasis by Flatiron Books Marketing team on the twist at the end is worthy because it’s one that absolutely no one could have seen coming. It didn’t come out of left field, so to speak, it wasn’t even playing on the same field. No, this twist is practically conjured out of thin air and while this would normally leave me feeling cheated (again, based on all those established preconceived notions) it was such an extremely bizarre and outlandish approach to transforming the a-typical suburban drama into something different that I really couldn’t help but love it. Pinborough never fails to surprise me.

4+ Stars

When you read an entire book in one sitting -- skipping lunch and abandoning household chores because you just cannot put the book down, then you certainly can't rate it any lower than 4 stars, no matter how far-fetched it may be.

Early on this book's plot had more holes than a slice of Swiss cheese, but I kept reading because I was just trying to figure out where it was all going. Some of those holes close by the end of the book (assuming one seriously suspends disbelief) while others linger. Sometimes I find books like this to be annoying, but there was something so utterly addictive about this one I have to admit I enjoyed it. Perhaps I was just in the mood for something completely distracting and this one fit the bill perfectly.

Thank you to Flatiron Books and Netgally for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review

Louise is a divorced single mom. She finally gets to go out one night and meets the man of her dreams in a bar. Yet after they share a kiss he is in a rush to leave.
A couple days later at work, Louise meets her new boss and his beautiful wife, and it turns out he is the same guy she had met at the bar. Louise runs to the bathroom to hide until they're gone, but the next day she confronts him and things get to as normal as they can be. But not for long, as David starts to come after her and they're quickly engaged in an affair.
After dropping her son off at school one morning, Louise literally bumps into David's wife Adele, but is so taken aback by her beauty that she doesn't tell her about the affair, and against her better judgment actually becomes friends with this woman who is new to the town. The two become fascinated with each other, not sexually, but as what seems to be honest-to-goodness friends.
What follows is a wickedly addictive thriller as Louise begins to look into Adele's strange lifestyle, and things with David begin to nosedive. Pinborough's prose here is irresitible, the pace absoultely perfect, and at just over 300 pages, the story is a tight as can be. If not for my disrupting day job I would've finished this in a single sitting (it took me two!).
But the highlight here is the ending. OH MY GOD the ending. I know endings aren't the most important thing to a lot of readers, but they are to me, and this is one of the finest to come down the pike in years. It's to-die-for good. This is like GONE GIRL on speed, with a slight supernatural leaning to push it more into the horror realm, keeping it a creepy arm's distance from your standard "thriller."
Needless to say this is highly, highly recommended, and if you're a fan of killer finales, get this before some Internet troll ruins it for you.

(SPOILER ALERT) I was initially disappointed in this book because I don't particularly like when supernatural/paranormal elements are used to frame thrillers. But, I do feel Pinborough did an adequate job letting the reader know that was an element early on. I also thought it could have been shorter. However, personal preferences aside, I can definitely see why this book got so much buzz and why many readers would enjoy it.

Woah. Talk about mind-bending! A great thriller with a couple of whiplash inducing twists. Original and captivating.

Wow!! That book was insane. I really enjoy a good thriller and especially one that is able to offer some element of surprise. The characters in this book were somewhat likeable, but the one I liked best was Louise. While I didn't always agree with her choices, she was the most relatable. One thing I would offer as a criticism would be that I would have appreciated the author withholding some details about the characters motivations. I think the author revealed too early on who they each really were. It would have been better to really have time to question if Adele, David or Louise were crazy and what their motivations were. We wouldn't know who to root for so early on which would lead to more intrigue and "edge of your seat" curiosity. All in all, I think readers will really enjoy this. The title is already trending online with hashtags #WTFThatEnding so I predict that this book will do great things.

https://bookitforward.blog/2017/02/21/book-review-behind-her-eyes-by-sarah-pinborough/

This novel was a slow read with characters whom I found to be unbelievable. The dream factor was ridiculous and the 'twist' at the end felt like a last ditch effort by the author to make the book some type of paranormal thriller. Not a fan.

Captivating from the very first page, Behind Her Eyes is a story that I just could not put down. I *had* to know what happened next, and puzzle together the mysteries that were unfolding. I was addicted in the best possible way to the characters and stories, craving answers with each turn of the page.

A large part of the beauty of this story is the mysteriousness of everything, so I won’t go into too much plot detail. I will briefly mention the Louise (the main POV) is a single mom, who may not be perfect, but I found to be very likable. She works hard to give her son everything he needs and her world pretty much consists of him and her work. But, when she meets a man and feels a connection, she is excited. It feels good to have someone look at her that way again, and make her feel that excitement of a first kiss with someone new.

Little did she know, that encounter would impact her life in major ways, and not necessarily in the picturesque way one might fantasize about. When she gets to work the next day and meets her new boss, she is shocked to see it is the same man that she had met. She was even more surprised to see his stunningly beautiful wife, Adele. Then later, a seemingly chance encounter with Adele is at first uncomfortable, but somehow, the two become friends.

Louise’s life quickly becomes entangled with both David and Adele. They each bring her happiness and have their own ways of filling the voids in her life. She is stuck in this position of knowing she should not secretly be spending time with each of them, but giving up one or both of them feels like a sacrifice. She genuinely enjoys spending time with both, even is she knows it is wrong.

Adele becomes a second POV, giving us two different perspectives from women who both have David as a major figure in their lives. We see his marriage from the inside, through Adele’s eyes and thoughts. We see him at work and with Louise.

But as she gets glimpses of their marriage from both parties, she starts to see something is very off. And this is where I will stop with details. The mystery of these people and their relationships is what makes this book so intriguing.

There are also some flashback chapters that help give weight to the story. I found these very easy to follow and distinguish from the current timeline. They gave interesting tidbits of information that helped to understand the current story line, as well as add to the mystery of the overall story. They told a very intriguing story of their own and were a great addition to the present day chapters.

Overall, this was a fresh, suspenseful and mysterious tale with intriguing characters. It’s one of those books that has some amazing surprises for the reader, but ones that after revealed make perfect sense. Incredibly well written and paced. Highly recommend this one.

Adele and Louise are two different women with one thing in common - Adele's husband, David. Louise is a single mum in North London when she goes to the pub one night and encounters the very handsome David. It isn't until she arrives at work the next day that she discovers that David is her new boss. David's wife Adele befriends Louise and Louise reluctantly settles into their new friendship. But then Adele helps her lose weight and quit smoking, and when Adele starts sharing intimate secrets with Louise about her marriage Louise isn't so sure that David is the perfect man that she thought. The closer the two women become the more Louise becomes concerned about her friend's safety. Especially after Adele tells her about her friend, Rob, and his questionable demise. As relations escalate between Louise and Adele and Louise and David, Louise knows that something is just not right with this couple, but who is truly the unbalanced one in this couple - David or Adele?

Behind Her Eyes is such a thrilling mind-bending novel, but you won't be able to put it down. At first, I thought the premise was too similar to a popular Thursday night soap-opera. Adele and Louise take turns telling the story from their own viewpoint. Louise is the easy one to like, even though she is sleeping with her married boss. She is a hard worker and completely devoted to her son, but being with Adele and even David has given her a new lease on life. She feels better about herself and her life. Adele, on the other hand, she is constantly disappointing her husband and she knows that their relationship is broken. It was hard for me to figure out whether it was Adele who was the crazy spouse or David. My opinion was constantly changing. There are some seriously dark twists that happen throughout, but it is the end that just leaves you speechless. - CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS

Bottom line - Behind Her Eyes was a true psychological thriller. It has been a long time since I have read a book that had me always guessing - it was intense! I even saw Stephen King talking about Behind Her Eyes this morning on social media and that is high praise from the master.

Details:
Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough
On Twitter
Pages: 320
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Publication Date: 1/31/2017
Buy it Here!

Wow!!! This book is INSANE!!! Hooks you from the start, lots of mystery, and just when you think you have figured it out...BAM! New twist!!!!

BEHIND HER EYES
Sarah Pinborough
Flatiron Books
ISBN 978-1250111173
Hardcover
Thriller

BEHIND HER EYES is different. You might think that this deceptive simple debut novel by Sarah Pinborough is a romance novel --- a very interesting one, but still a romance novel (nothing wrong with that) --- until it makes a number of slow twists and turns and becomes something else. It will require, for some, a suspension of disbelief due to a supernatural element which might be too much for some readers to swallow without warning. My recommendation is to open wide and take the medicine. You will be glad you did.

BEHIND HER EYES is told by Louise and Adele, who provide alternating first person narratives throughout the “now” of the book. Louise works as a secretary at a psychiatric practice. She has an adorable four year old boy named Adam whom she dearly loves, but also has some impulse issues which are fueled by some fairly heavy alcohol consumption. Louise, while Adam is visiting his dad for a weekend, hits the pubs and runs into a good looking gentleman who seems genuinely interested in her. They have a round or two of kissyface before going their separate ways, leaving Louise just a little enchanted from the chance, brief encounter. She doesn’t have to wait long to see the dashing stranger again, however. It develops that he is Dr. David Martin and he has just joined the practice where Louise works. David is getting a tour of the practice offices --- accompanied by his wife, Adele --- when Louise spots the pair. She manages to avoid them during their visit, but must confront David the following day --- his first real day of practice --- given that she has been assigned to be his secretary. They both agree that their actions of the previous weekend were a mistake and that they will both move on. Shortly thereafter, however, Louise and Adele run into each other --- literally --- and Louise introduces herself as David’s secretary. The two have coffee and quickly become fast friends. Adele attaches one caveat to their relationship, however: she insists that David not know that Louise has been spending time with her. Meanwhile, Louise, giving in to impulse and desire, fueled by proximity and yes, alcohol, has picked up with David where they left off, and then some. Secrets abound within this very sharp-edged love triangle. Adele, as she reveals in her portions of the narrative, knows what Louise and David are up to. She not only continues to cultivate her relationship with Louise, however, but also tacitly enables David to continue his own. The question, of course, is why, but a bigger one is how she knows what she knows. Both questions are slowly answered in the intermittent “Then” sections of BEHIND HER EYES, which documents David’s stormy history with Adele. There is much more to both of these people than Louise could ever think to guess, and one of them is hiding a secret, revealed near the end of the book, which will leave you, and another of the characters, gasping.

BEHIND HER EYES asks its readers who are on the fence or outright doubters of the supernatural or new age advocacy to suspend their disbelief and yes, it’s a bit of struggle to do so. I again urge those who find the concept hard to swallow to roll with it. It shouldn’t be that difficult at this point, considering what we are expected to believe in the name of entertainment --- I mean, did you watch The Avengers movie? Or more than five minutes of The Matrix?--- and I will tell you that your patience and indulgence will be rewarded in spades when you get to the ending(s), which will have you simultaneously swallowing your tongue and screaming. Seriously. You’ll be stuck in that nanosecond between seeing a car’s bumper slide up to you and the moment of impact for a long time to come after reading BEHIND YOUR EYES. Did I say this book was about a love triangle? That’s not quite accurate. BEHIND YOUR EYES is about a lot more than that. You may still trust people in your relationships after you read this book, but you’ll also verify at least to the extent that you are able. Strongly recommended.

Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
© Copyright 2017, The Book Report, Inc. All rights reserved.

I'm passing on this one. I liked it until around the half way point and then it just became silly. I don't like to review negatively; so I'll pass.

I do not usually get impressed by the marketing of a book. Only because my opinions can differ from the big names promoting the book. However, this time I have to agree that the ending is the best part of this whole book. Even with all of the different ideas I had in my head, the one that I got never crossed my mind.

When I was first reading this book, I thought it was going to be just another book like ones I have read in the past. Yet, the more I became familiar with Adele and David's life, the more intrigued I became. To be honest, if it was not for Adele and David; Louise would not have been as present in the story as she ended up becoming.

Everything about this book was spot on perfect. I could not stop reading it. I am only sadden that I finished this book so fast. Behind Her Eyes will haunt you long after you have put this book down! One of the best books of 2017.

My review is here: http://www.bethfishreads.com/2017/01/todays-read-behind-her-eyes-by-sarah.html

I also wrote about this on Litsy.

Great pacing and thrilling read that keeps you guessing through the last page!

Oh dear, well........ let me just say this is very inventive, very imaginative, but just couldn't go there. A little too much for me, too twisty, too much back and forth. Who is telling the truth? Nothing ever certain, even if you think you know. Dislikable characters to boot, well except for little Adam, who is actually a minor character. Loved her last book, but this one, can't say I enjoyed. Though I know many loved it and many more will.

ARC from Netgalley.

Behind Her Eyes is a book that you think you have it all figured out and then the ending throws you for a loop. This story is about Louise, a single mom who works part-time. She goes out to a bar one night and meets a man and has a one night stand. Louise has never done anything like this before but she believes she can have a great relationship with this man. .
She goes to work and realizes her new boss is actually the man she had met at the bar. Not long after she finds out he is married.
She drops her son off at school and as she is walking away from the school a lady bumps into her. Instantly she realizes this is the wife of her new interest/boss. The lady, Adele, asks Louise to go have coffee and they become fast friends. Louise doesn't tell Adele that she knows who she is and she doesn't tell David, the new man that she is becoming fast friends with his wife while still sleeping with him.
This book is so interesting. The mind games and how the author put it all together is amazingly crazy.
The ending made me have to stop and think. Totally did not see it coming!