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...

Enjoyed this complex thriller, touching in mental health of both the main character and that off all others, what are people hiding behind their ‘perfect’ facades?
Personally I didn’t enjoy the conclusion behind the main event however the story itself wasn’t bad.

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!

I struggled with this book from the start, after two chapters I gave up. It did not hook me in and I was bored. Sorry not for me.

Mine is a psychological thriller that for me is a 3.5 but not a 4 so downgraded it to a 3 although there are going to be a lot of people shouting "what!!??" but unfortunately it missed the mark for me although I love a psychological thriller.
Francine Day is a dedicated divorce lawyer until she meets Martin Joy who is divorcing his wife, Donna. Francine starts a secret relationship with Martin and here is where it spirals out of control for her. I did quite like Fran but she was a bit all over the place with having bi-polar and memory losses and doing extreme things. She came across at the start as being a strong, knows what she wants kind of girl and to me ended up being quite weak.
The writing was good but there was something missing and I can't quite put my finger on it, I was writing for a twist at the end but it was small, but on the plus side everything was wrapped well.
I would like to thank Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, Harper Fiction for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

So this is a story about a man accused of his wife's disappearance.. and I have definitely read a very similar plot before!
I didn't love the main character and doesn't come across as the smart character she's supposed to be.
That said, it was a good read which kept me reading past my bedtime.

Mine isn't one of the best thrillers i h ave read this year. I found the main issue that i didn't care much for the main character Fran. It gets rather too discriptive and i felt that in places it drags on. Fran is constantly changing her mind on thinks it did make you dizzy. I did like the way JLButler dealt with mental illness though. I would read another novel by the author and hope i enjoy the next much better

The review has been put on Amazon using the name Melanie which is under amazon consideration as yet.

Compelling. A little predictable-A few grammatical mistakes. Great setting and good characters. The storyline is a bit cheesy, but I enjoyed the book.

Enjoyed reading this story although it didn't fascinate me to be honest, I liked the charectors but found the storyline a little dull unfortunatly.

This novel was quite good for a few reasons, the first being I found Francine to be quite a down to earth character with very human characteristic such as being impulsive and falling in love to fast. Butler wrote a couple of specific themes very well one being her detail to law, (Butler as Perry was previously a lawyer, see below) and the other being bipolar disorder. She did that very well without romanticizing it or blowing it out of proportion, she also talks well about issues that patients with mental illness have and their fight against stigma, e.g "I have spent half my life trying to remove the stigma between patients with a mental illness and the shit people connect it with" and she even talks about a valid form of psychotherapy, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) that is used for people with illnesses such as PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). 

I find the part about psychotherapy very interesting as I am a past psychology student and did part of a college project about EMDR.

The second reason I found this book to be very good was that the overall plot was fantastic, it kept me guessing and there was a point that I didn't trust any of the characters at all. And that is the type of thing you want from a good thriller. I also loved it was written by a British author and was based in London, I like being able to follow characters in my head. 

And thirdly, Martin was charming and made me think every which way. Loved it.

One thing I disliked... Just one, there were times when what was written seemed pointless, multiple times it said things such as "...it was too big to fit into my mouth, so I cut it with a steak knife...", you're talking about a burger... Just say you cut it, we don't really need the small points like that. I personally think "it was too big to fit into my mouth" is pointless to add in. 

Some Notable lines:

"I've always loved words, the way they can make you laugh or cry, hurt you, help you - the way they can transport you somewhere entirely different. I've always thought that words held magic"

J.L Butler is a pseudonym for Sunday Time Bestseller, Tasmina Perry. Perry was previously a lawyer before writing for women's magazines in the mid 90s. She now is a British novelist who has written a wide variety of books.

Overall super good. Highly recommended to anyone who likes a thriller.

I really liked this, the suspense was good and kept you up reading as you wanted to know what was going to happen next. Yes, Francine was a stupid at times but I think you find that in thrillers like this. Thank you for giving me the chance to review and I have done that all over social media.

I couldn't put this book down and read it quickly withing 24 hours. I was quickly drawn into the story and found myself becoming more involved as the book progressed. What twists and turns! I thought I had worked out the end but I was wrong - the conclusion was satisfying, unpredictable and left me reeling.

Extremely well written, excellent characters, fast paced. The best thriller I have read in a long time.

Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Divorce lawyer, Francine Day, has methodically built her career doing everything by the book. She's just one big case away from securing her place in London's legal elite. But when she meets her new client, Martin Joy, the natural caution that had protected Francine and fuelled her rise melts away.

Francine is a London divorce lawyer who falls for a wealthy client. Martin insists his marriage is over, but Francine is worried even though, she keeps seeing them. They have a passionate affair. Francine becomes obessed with Martin and his soon to be ex wife . When Donna goes missing, the finger is pointed at Martin. Francine wakes up with blood on her clothes and no memory of the night before. Was Francine involved in Donnas disappearances? You will have to read the book to find out!

This is a well written book. There are many twists and false leads so that you don't know what sirection the story is going. Francine is the narrator of this story. The characters are not very likeable but that's what makes this a good read.

I would like to thank NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and the author JL Butler for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found this story overrated and did not deliver the expected thrill. I found Fran to be an unbelievable character and certainly not a candidate for Silk. The story has many twists and turns and I did want to continue reading to find out what had really happened and who was responsible. It is an easy read, no complicated characters and would make a great summer holiday read.