This book was trying to tick all the boxes of an of-the-moment thriller: the word 'girl' in the title? Check. Potentially unreliable narrators? Check. Going back and forth between two characters' perspectives? Check!

It is suspenseful at times which makes for a quick read, but especially towards the end I thought it veered off track so that as a whole, it's just didn't work. I generally like having a character to root for (even if it's a villain) but eventually everyone in this book was so irritating that I wouldn't have minded if they all went down the stairs of that obsessively clean house.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book, giving me the chance to post this unbiased review.

It's ok. Men are probably not the target audience. (3-star review on Amazon)

Loved this book it was amazing I couldn't put it down

I was a tiny bit confused at first when I started reading this book, but over time it got a lot better and the characters got much easier to really relate to.

I received a copy of The Girl Before through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Ballantine Books and to J.P. Delaney for the opportunity..

The story is told in alternating chapters between Emma, the girl before, and Jane, the current tenant of a very unique home. What follows is a convoluted, twisty, psychological thriller that truly had me guessing "who-done-it" right up until the end. And, even after you find out who the killer is there are more shocking things in store. I loved the pace, character development, and storyline...although I could have done without the rough sexual encounters. I'm not really sure they were necessary to the overall plot, and the story certainly wouldn't have suffered without them.

Overall, a very enjoyable, and fairly quick, read.

Would you move in somewhere when it comes with so many rules and stipulations? Even if the home was beautiful and inexpensive? And the landlord is is definitely not bad too look at, even if he is not quite "normal". Especially when it comes at just the right time in your life?

Told in before (Emma) and present (Jane) point of views, you slowly experience what these two woman went through and/or are going through. When Jane discovers what happened to Emma in her home, she begins to asks questions. First and foremost, the similarities between herself, Emma and Edward's wife. Coincidence?

Then there is the house itself. The vibes it gives. A character all in itself.

I found The Girl Before to be so intensely creepy, I could not put it down. I wanted to find out where it all leads. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for the chance to read an advance copy.

Edward Monkford's houses are extraordinary. Based on traditional techniques but revolutionary with top-notch technology and out-of-this-world features. Monkford is an architect whose primary purpose is to affect the way the tenant feels. His houses may seem simple but under the blank canvas is an experience that users will never forget.

A young woman gets the opportunity to rent a unique house. When she falls in love with the architect, Edward Monkford, she has no idea she is repeating history. The girl who rented the house before also fell in love with him. In a matter of chapters, the eerie parallel lives of the two girls turn this story into a psychological thriller.

This is my first book read by author J.P. Delaney and I am pleased. Title aside, I enjoyed The Girl Before. The alternating points of view and time periods helped move the story along and paint a thriller picture. This could easily be made into a movie that I would love to see on the big screen especially around Halloween.

Is The Girl Before like all the other "The Girl..." books? No, not as notorious. But yes, just as captivating. It still had me wondering where the story was going and why. At times it was a bit far-fetched but still scarily realistic. However, I would have preferred if it had a less expecting title. Can we leave "The Girl..." books in 2016 please?

LiteraryMarie

This book had so many elements from other books that I like. There was the ever looming smart house aspect that seemed to foreshadow some sort of impending doom. The architect's relationship with the women had a 50 Shades of Grey quality to it and then there was the whole organization of the book which was very Gone Girl. It was a very entertaining read. I think that Emma had a certain quality that made her slightly reminiscent of Joe's love in You, by Caroline Kepnes. It had its twists and turns to keep me guessing, so although I was able to predict the ending, it kept me engaged until I got there. Looking forward to more from this author.

Fantastic book! Don't want to call this the next Gone Girl as it easily stands on its own as a great thriller.

One house (One Folgate Street, London) rented by two different women, at two different times. But this rental property is different: clean, minimalist and technologically advanced. And it comes with oddly severe restrictions: no furniture of your own, no clutter or personal affects. It also includes a list of questions that the applicants must answer and answer correctly in order to be considered and accepted. Oddly enough, the owner of the property is the architect, Edward Monkford, and he tends to only rent to women who look like his ex-wife.

The Girl Before, by J.P. Delaney is told in alternating chapters by the two women who rent the property at different times: Emma and Jane. Both have suffered hardship and both are looking for a lifestyle change. And One Folgate Street, with it’s strange restrictions offers exactly that. And handsome Edward Monkford’s presence is a welcome distraction for both women, who can’t help but fall for him. Yet tragedy surrounds this property and for one or both girls, harm awaits. Only time will tell who is to blame and whether or not Emma and Jane are safe: with Edward and at One Folgate Street.

The Girl Before is a mystery novel that was fast-paced and kept my attention throughout. However, in truth, I found its premise to be quite odd and felt that book never really made complete sense and unraveled towards the end.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group and J.P. Delaney for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Published on NetGalley, Goodreads and Amazon on 2/1/17.

Much like a book that has to balance two woman's perspectives, I find that my perspective on the book is balanced as well. I'd give this 3.5 stars, if I had the ability.

~What I Liked~
I definitely enjoyed reading it from the perspective of each woman (though I would have appreciated it if one of them had a name that wasn't four letters long - I definitely got them mixed up for about the first 25% of the book!). I thought the plot was pretty well-developed and moved at a good pace, and there was definitely a twist or two that I didn't anticipate. I looked forward to my nightly reading so I could find out what would happen next, and I liked how the book ended (for a variety of reasons).

~Undetermined~
What I'm torn on is the level of suspense. I felt like it was moderate, but if the story had gone a little darker with one of the woman's stories, I think that would have increased the level of suspense. I understand not wanting to go TOO dark, but this was far from it. I also thought there could have been more description of the scenes, as it was a little heavy on the narrative. There were also a couple of plot points that, at the end of the book, I wasn't 100% positive whether questions I had were answered. I also want to give a SLIGHT trigger warning on domestic violence.

All in all, I thought this was an interesting book, with an interesting concept, and for that I would recommend it - and I will probably read the author's next work.

Yet another 'domestic thriller' born out of the success of 'Gone Girl' and 'The Girl On The Train'. It's nowhere near as good as either BUT... 'The Girl Before' reads well, reads fast and keeps you turning pages because everything about the far fetched plot is somehow intriguing. Until it isn't. The romance element quickly overshadows thrill and terror and adds an unnecessary 50 Shades of fluff. It's a quick airplane read but nothing about the book stays with you. Here's to hoping the movie version is more memorable. I am grateful for early access via advanced reading copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. If you're searching for a page turner that delivers, wait until July when 'Final Girls' by Riley Sager comes out.

Woman (Jane) rents a house that requires minimalist living only to discover that the previous tenant (Emma) met a suspicious death. How and why did THE GIRL BEFORE die?

Does a house filled with lots of tech-gadgets really provide more safety than a traditional home? Would you be willing to live a truly minimalist life with only the essentials? And what qualifies as essential? Does it vary per person? What if the landlord set all the house rules?

The story alternates between then (Emma and Simon) and now (Jane). After their apartment was broken into, Emma is left feeling unsafe (Simon was not home at the time of the break-in) and searches for a new, more secure home. After the trauma of giving birth to a stillborn baby, Jane is looking for a fresh start. Both are drawn to the very unique and minimalist approach to living at One Folgate Street. The architect/owner of the home makes all the rules, which include no extraneous possessions, such as books (I would be out right there haha), pets, trinkets, personal items, messes, etc. Soon after moving into the home, Jane discovers that Emma, the previous occupant, is deceased. How and why did THE GIRL BEFORE die?

The premise of this book was extremely intriguing, and I found myself flying through the first third of the book. At some point, however, I found my interest in the characters and story waning. In my opinion, the story was good, but not great. This book is being made into a movie directed by Ron Howard, and I can definitely that version being much more suspenseful than the book. I am very much looking forward to seeing the house itself.

Side Note: I was left wondering why there are currently so many books with the word "girl" in the title. Why wasn't this book instead titled THE WOMAN BEFORE? I find these latest book titles extremely degrading to women. Stop referring to them as girls; they are women.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Unbelievable read. Couldn't put it down. Kind of "The Girl On The Train"-esque. If you enjoyed that book, you'll enjoy this psychological thriller...with an ending I didn't suspect.

I flew through this book. The suspense and thrill of it was so intriguing, but at the end, I was left a little unsatisfied. It reads similar to The Girl on the Train: unreliable narrators, mysterious men, a posh London setting, suspicious cops as supporting characters. Basically, if you really liked The Girl on the Train, I would certainly give this one a shot! Overall, too adult for my students.

This was an interesting read. It tells the tale of two women that have had traumas recently in their lives which make them want to live in a "safe place", namely the house at One Folgate Place. The owner and architect is a recluse that has specific conditions for the renter to follow in order to reside in the house. The story shifts back and forth between the 'Then'(Emma) and 'Now' (Jane) which takes a little getting used to. It is a page turner that is hard to put down until you find out what really happened to Emma and what will happen to Jane? This was a good book and I look forward to the movie.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of the book.

This is the story of two women, Emma and Jane, each of whom have suffered a traumatic event in their lives. Emma is still reeling from a robbery in her home while Jane has given birth to a still born child, Isabel. The events occurred about 3 years apart, and each of them is seeking a new start with a new place to live. Each of them comes upon One Folgate Street, a minimalist yet highly technological flat whose landlord requires the completion of a lengthy questionnaire and a personal interview. The owner/landlord is Edward Monkford, a fairly well-known architect. As the story bounces back and forth from one lady to the other, we learn of their past and their present - their fears, their insecurities, and their life at One Folgate and their relationship with its owner. It is one of the better psychological thrillers I have read (it is being compared to Gone Girl, the Silent Wife, and Girl on the Train), full of twists that you don’t see coming.

This is an exciting and unusual romantic and exciting story. The psychological story line leaves the reader guessing until the surprise conclusion. Each major character is fascinating and their relationships are different but interesting and compelling.

Engrossing read from the start. Gets a bit confusing from time to time but overall a good psychological thriller. A good Read-Alike for fans of The Girl on the Train.