The first book I have read by this Author and I will definitely read more.
This story was well written with lots of suspense, twists and turns, you truly don’t know who to trust although the ending was very satisfying for me and I was glad how things turned out.
The book zooms along at a fast pace and has some good characters with strong personalities and I was sucked right into the book alongside them.

Hooked from the start on this fantastic page turner and gave me a surprise twist which I didn't see coming - loved it!

A really good idea for a story and some amazing characters, but a little dragging in places unfortunately.

I really wanted to like this book and overall thought it was a good story, however I really didn’t like or believe in Francine, the main protagonist. A person who, despite a non privileged background, has risen to a high place in her career, so much so she is encouraged and supported to apply for silk but then unbelievably she embarks on an affair with a married client and seems to make bad and weak decisions one after the other. This was incredibly irritating.

Thanks to Net Galley and Harper Collins UK for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
A fast paced psychological thriller, the reader is drawn in to the story from page one.
Fran is a divorce lawyer, her career is everything to her, she is one step away from making silk, but suddenly she is willing to put her career and her sanity at risk when she becomes involved with her client Martin. Martin is a banker, extremely rich, handsome and Fran is unable to resist the instant pull towards him.
When Martin’s wife goes missing he is the main suspect, Fran is not sure she can trust him, after all she had seen him having dinner with his wife the night she went missing, watched him flirting and going back to his wife’s home.
There are twists and turns to this story and Fran puts her self at risk to discover the truth.
Great read - could envisage it being told on screen as a drama or movie.

Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practise to deceive!
Excellent read, lots of twists & turns along the way to a great conclusion
Be careful what you wish for and who you trust!

It's not often that I stop to read a promotion for a new novel, normally preferring the comfort of a tried and tested, known author, but an advert for Mine, by JL Butler caught my eye and as I began page 1 I was hooked! I am not a prolific reader but as Francine Day's story unravelled I read for longer periods and this book kept me intrigued until the last page. I enjoyed this psychological thriller, I give it 5 stars and would definitely recommend it.

A pretty good premise for a story. But for me it just dragged on in way too many places unfortunately. Really enjoyed getting to know the characters.

I was very disappointed by this book on many levels. It is described as a psychological thriller but the author fails to build any real sense of terror apart from a couple of brief paragraphs at the star and towards the end of the book. The storyline is simply implausible to my mind. Here we have a supposedly talented, upcoming barrister ready to apply for silk who then takes up a frankly ridiculous relationship with a client seeking divorce. On top of this she is completely incapable of telling a sleazy neighbour to leave her alone or to seek help in getting someone else to do it. The characterisation was such that i felt nothing for any of the chartcers. I did finish the book but through perseverance rather than desire

Three and a half star rating.
Francine falls for her client Martin whilst handling his divorce from his wife Donna. He is handsome, rich and charismatic. Donna then disappears. Did Martin have anything to do with it? This was almost a DNF and just as I was on the verge of giving up (25%) it all suddenly clicked into place and I really got into the story. So after a very slow start with too much legal stuff, the book sprang into life. But Francine? She was irritating, unprofessional and acted like a stroppy teenager and I loathed her - cringeworthy doesn’t even come close! Once the pace picked up it was actually very entertaining and enjoyable.

The book started well . Francine came across as a strong woman who was on her way to the top. Enter Martin and everything goes downhill from there... it’s an interesting story but I found I lost interest during some parts of the book. Francine had suddenly lost the plot and wasn’t the strong character anymore.. I loved the ending as the pace definitely picked up.

Mine by J.L.Butler (Tasmina Perry) was my 16th book of 2018.

I instantly felt comfortable with the style of the author’s writing, easy and free flowing story which made the pages fly by.

The story is narrated by Francine Day, a divorce barrister in London. A northern girl moved down south to make her career and bury her troubled past of mental health issues. Francine takes on the divorce case of Martin Joy, a successful banker, who is divorcing his wife the beautiful Donna Joy, who wants to stake a claim for his £100m + worth. Almost immediately Francine falls for the charm and good looks of Martin Joy and before she knows it her client becomes her lover.

Donna fails to turn up to one of the hearings and soon it is discovered she has gone missing and Martin was the last person to see her alive so instantly becomes the prime suspect for her abduction or possible murder.

Francine’s world is a mess, her client who she has fallen head over heels for is prime suspect for his wife’s disappearance, her career is now caving in with her application for silk now looking highly dubious and top all of this, throw in a creepy sex pest of a neighbour in the mix, to say life is challenging for Francine would be an understatement. But for me this was an area that shows that we all make bad decisions in life.

The pace of the story works really well. You get to know Francine well and I couldn’t help but like her or at the very least relate to her in some way. I was drawn in to the story and actually spotted how the story was probably going to end, or at least the twist / reveal. I find it a lot with books that you arrive at the ending before you feel you are quite ready and I did feel that with this book.

I received this free copy from Net Galley and Harper Collins in exchange for a honest review, thank you. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it, there was something just stopping me from giving this a 5 star review, but I can’t quite say what. I give this 4.5/5.

Plot: Francine is a divorce lawyer working on high level cases in London. When a new wealthy client comes in, she begins an affair with him under the noses of their superiors and his soon to be ex-wife. He insists the relationship between him and his wife is over, however Francine follows them to a restaurant then back to their home. The next morning, she awakes with blood on her clothes in her neighbour’s flat, with no recollection after seeing them together. Then that ex-wife doesn’t show at court, and it soon becomes apparent that she hasn’t been seen for a few days.

My thoughts: Unfortunately the slow start to this book got me started off on a bad foot with it – I wasn’t enthralled and was worried I’d picked up something that was going to bore me. For the first couple of chapters, I was skimming past legal talk that didn’t interest me, then worried it was going to go a bit “50 Shades” on me when she picked up an illicit relationship with a wealthy client. Luckily the story soon started to move on, but I still found that I hadn’t quite connected with Francine meaning the rest of the story still didn’t quite grip me.
In the end, I enjoyed trying to find out where the missing wife was, who could be trusted and the obsessions that were building throughout the plot. Occasionally I felt like a couple too many aspects were thrown into the story just to add a bit more to it, such as the creepy neighbour and annoying friends, but eventually it did add to the plot in a way that made sense. I can’t say it was an amazing read, but I did enjoy it when I got into the story.

Mine is a 5* read that will keep you gripped. Francine, an up and coming lawyer, is representing Martin Joy in divorce proceedings against Donna, his wife. From their first meeting they are attracted to each other and embark on an affair. Francine becomes totally obsessed with Martin and follows him as he meets up with Donna. The following day Donna has disappeared and Martin becomes the prime suspect. We then watch Francine’s perfect life begin to fall apart. This book deals with love, jealousy, deceit and lies. It is a structured and enthralling story with many twists and turns and an ending that you will not have anticipated. A highly recommended read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

A really well written psychological thriller and highly addictive page turner. Definitely a must read this summer.

I'll be looking out for more by Butler.

4 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins and JL Butler for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I would firstly like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows Francine Day, a high-flying lawyer about to apply for silk, ambitious and brilliant. She just needs one headline-grabbing client to seal her place as Queen's Counsel ..... Martin Joy. The attraction is instant. Obsessive. They embark on a secret affair and Francine thinks she can hold it together. But then Martin's wife goes missing. And Martin is the prime suspect. Francine is now his lawyer, lover and the last person to see Donna Joy alive. As the case unravels. So does Francine.

Honestly I have mixed opinions about this one. The opening chapter so gripping, dark and it drew me in immediately, so I was very disappointed to discover that the rest of the book didn't follow the same tone. In fact the story started quite dull and took me ages to get into. While the story did finally pick up the pace a bit so it was enjoyable, it still never became the story that I was excited about from reading that first chapter. I did however like how the story concluded.

I also didn't really like the main character. Her decisions were all of the place and she seemed to change her mind about what she thought about everything constantly. I couldn't really get a grasp of her character at all and I just ended up disliking her.

Overall, a enjoyable read but don't get too excited. Not really worth the hype.

A psychological page turner. Francine is the narrator of the story. She is a young divorce lawyer who starts a passionate affair with Martin, a handsome, rich, financial business man. Up until this time Francine has not put a foot wrong in her career but she soon becomes consumed by the affair she has with Martin and jealousy rears its head. She follows Martin and his wife Donna one night and realises that their marriage is not completely over....Donna goes missing and the story unfolds from there. All the characters are well written by the author and are very believable - not perfect - Francine herself has a bi-polar diagnosis. The plot has lots of twists and turns and the conclusion is not what you may think.

I really enjoyed this fab thriller, it really kept me on the edge of my seat.
I give it a very well earned 8/10

Good read, I enjoyed trying to figure out if it was who I thought it was and the author was just trying to throw me off but in the end, it was quite an obvious character. Also enjoyed reading about the little snippets of life as a barrister...

Full of suspense, this fast-paced, narrative drew me in from the outset. The exposition is well balanced; allowing the reader to get to know the characters without slowing down the pacing. This is made even more authentic by the writer’s in-depth knowledge of the novel’s setting. At times it felt like I was there with Francine: I could almost hear her heels echoing around the high-ceilinged hall with marble floors, and feel the rush of adrenaline as she whisks of her barrister’s wig to hail a taxi.

There’s plenty of conflict: not only between couples, friends, and business partners; but also inner conflict with the protagonist herself. The epitome of a successful career woman, Francine struggles with bi-polar and is unable to remember what happened the last time she saw Donna alive. An advocate of right and wrong, the protagonist is caught in a trap of lies and deceit where telling the truth could cost her the thing she’s worked towards and desired more than anything.

There are twists and turns galore in this edge of the seat psychological thriller. Nobody is who they first seem, and no character is above suspicion. Is Francine involved in Donna’s disappearance? Is somebody out to set her up? Or is it nothing to do with her at all? Just who can she trust? Can she trust anybody? Can she even trust herself?

The story also delves into the issue of mental health and the impact of a stressful job where work doesn’t stop when the office closes. In particular, the need for a woman to impress and excel in a man’s world. There’s a well-written scene where Francine is taken to one side by a senior female colleague, who gives her a pep talk on taking a break before she breaks down completely.

Under Literature Love’s rating scheme, this book has been awarded 5 out of 5 stars. This means: I absolutely loved this book and couldn’t put it down. I recommend you stop what you’re doing and go and buy this book now!