Angie is happily married to Steve with 3 children. Steve has an extremely good reputation as a painter and decorator.
Liam their eldest son has got into a very bad gang with the involvement of drugs. Steve having had enough of this way of life for his son, visits the estate of the gang and but tragically is beaten to death. It is unclear whether Liam witnessed or was part of the attack but Angie is devastated and turns her son away.
A couple of years after his death, angies life is turned upside down.....she is in massive debt, loses her house, her job is not enough.
This story tells the fall and rise of Angie whilst also exploring county line gangs and the impact these have. It looks at individuals complex histories and how they can either rebuild or destroy their lives.

I have always been an immense fan of Susan Lewis and was excited to read this book. It is however very different from her other novels. Although I understand the underlying stories, I did find it both a bit slow in places as well as a little far fetched at times.

I’ve never read a book by this author before but it absolutely didn’t disappoint! Great for fans of Lesley pearse I will definitely be reading another.

Home Truths by Susan Lewis
I rate this book 4.25 stars
How far would you go to keep your family safe?
Angie Watts had the perfect ordinary family. A new home. A beloved husband. Three adored children.
 But Angie’s happy life is shattered when her son Liam falls in with the wrong crowd. And when her son’s bad choices lead to the murder of her husband, it’s up to Angie to hold what’s left of her family together.
 
Having read nearly every one of this authors books in the last 6 years l was so pleased and excited to be given the chance to read this through Netgalley.
A great emotional read about the hardships and struggles that a mum and her family go through when life takes an unexpected turn for the worse,very up to date with what is going on in parts of the UK today.l read this book in one day.Well written and highly recommended.

This is the first book I have read by Susan Lewis, but it won't be the last. What a great book. Believable characters, a well-written story which kept my interest throughout. Some sensitive subjects covered in this narrative but are treated with compassion. Recommended.

A superb read which kept me reading constantly - always a great indicator of a winner! A tale about a family that gets so desperate at points that I really felt for them and sympathised with the characters. Things declined so quickly that I couldn't see a way out and the tension racked up with each page.
Unlike some novels, I was perfectly happy with the ending - no spoilers! I'd definitely read this author again. The only thing I wasn't keen on was the title as I felt it was a bit plain for everything that happened! But a small criticism! Thanks Susan Lewis and Net Galley. I received an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

A well written harsh portrayal of today’s society and where it all may be leading - stretched services and lack of availability to meet need. This wasn’t a comfortable read in the slightest, but it was indeed a page turner. Recommended.

A fabulous read from Susan Lewis When Angie's husband is killed and her son disappears after being involved with the killers her life spirals out of control She winds up getting Into dept and eventually loses everything she loves She a lady with a big heart and helps with vulnerable adults but it's now Angie's time to need help and can she get it and pull herself back from the depths of despair and bet her family back together

We meet Angie Watts who once had what seemed like the perfect life: a lovely house in the English countryside where she lived with husband Steve and their three children. Despite the idyllic life, Angie would never have predicted how her life would one day turn out.

Angie's oldest son Liam, grows up from a loving sweet-natured boy to a troubled teen and this is where Angie’s world begins to crack. Liam is expelled from school and disappears from home for days on end without telling anyone. It then transpires that Liam has fallen in with a notorious local gang and after arriving home one day to find their 5-year-old son with a syringe Liam has left lying around, Steve, whom until this point is very much in the background of the story, makes a decision that will have lasting repercussions on their family.

Fat forward two years and Steve is gone, Liam is still missing, and with money running out, Angie and her other two children are on the brink of eviction, so far removed from what we had seen so far. Out of the blue Angie is called to the police station and is informed there has been a murder—and Liam is a suspect. Snapping into action, Angie is desperate to save her family and this leads her to take drastic measures, all the while her daughter has also secretly devised her own plan to save the family…which could put everyone in danger.

What I loved about the writing of this book is the switching between the life Angie once had with the wonderful home, three adoring children and Steve her husband to the present day nightmare she fins herself. What stands out if Angie's will to survive, but at what cost?

What a great read. This book had me gripped from the start. I stayed up way to late to finish it.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advance copy of this title in exchange for an unbiased review.

This book started in a gripping, horrifying way as Steve Watts is beaten to death under the watchful eyes of his eldest son Liam. The rest of the book however, has this as a side-plot to the main story of the life of Steve's widow Angie, her children Grace and Zac and Angie's sister Emma.

Following Steve's death, Angie is struggling to make ends meet on her part-time wage at the charity and the book documents her descent into poverty, debt and eventually homelessness.

Her 13 year old daughter, Grace tries to contribute financially and with the 'help' of a person online gets an 'acting' job that is not what it seems.

I found this book a little hard to swallow, not only for the political agenda of the author who on one hand berates the harsh failings of the social services, housing and benefits system and how it can allow people to fall into poverty but then in the second half of the book juxtaposed alongside this commentary was the fairy-tale ending, where Angie meets someone who helps her out of her poverty in a completely unrealistic and unbelievable way until she becomes a wealthy. property owner.

This book was trying to be two things and sadly failed at both. As a political and social commentary about how easy it was to fall into crippling debt, and for young people to be groomed into sex and drug gangs this was doing well, until Martin came in on his white horse, and gave her a house, a lawyer, a job, and ... and ... and

This juxtaposition of hard-hitting social commentary and chick-lit romance didn't work for me. The characters were well defined, although I do feel some of the behaviours weren't believable. The author would have been better placed to choose one genre and stick to it.

Home Truths by Susan Lewis is the story of family tragedy and how one woman strives to get her life back on track. It’s disturbing at times and not always a comfortable read.

I have mixed feelings about this book - initially I struggled a little with it as found it hard going, mainly because it deals with so many issues - death, drugs, grooming, debt, homelessness, the benefits systems to name but a few - and it felt at times almost too depressing. However, I persevered and am glad I did - ultimately it is a story of hope and a reminder that the world is not all a bad place, thanks to the kindness and generosity of some people. Ultimately it was a well written blend of real issues, with well developed characters and a story line that kept you involved all the way to the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the story of a family who lose a son to drugs and gangs then and a father in a brutal attack. It is also a description of how life then spirals downwards for them. It is a brutal, gritty tale about family and community as well as a painful insight into how life can change in a moment, highlighting it could happen to anyone.

Susan Lewis is an author who tackles this awful situation with enough detail and feeling to develop empathy and sympathy for the characters. A worthwhile read

Another great book form Susan Lewis. Storyline held me from the begining not wanting to put the ook down until it was finished.

Home Truths by Susan Lewis is the story of Angie and what happens to her after her husband death.
I found the story very sad and found it maddening that Angie would let things get so bad and refuse to ask for help.
It was a good read, even if with a slightly predictable ending.
Thank you to HarperFiction and NetGalley for letting me review this book.

Loved this book nd now becoming such a fan. Didn’t want this book to finish yet I was so
Eager to find out what happened nd to see if poor angie got a break. Such a believable
Story and just draws ya in. Fantastic read nd would highly recommend

Great book, really enjoyed this, very sad in places but also was quite uplifting. Characters which I really liked

I was not prepared for how this book would hit me right in the feels. The book begins with Steve Watts furiously searching for his eldest son Liam. Liam has been led astray and now hangs out with dangerous people. When Steve arrives onto one of the area’s notorious estates he is met with a deathly silence. Furious that his younger son has found a syringe, Steve begins shouting in anger, calling out for his eldest son.

But then the unthinkable happens. Steve is attacked by a group of men and dies from his injuries.

Angie Watts is Steve’s widow and mother to Liam and two other children. She is struggling to make ends meet and her unscrupulous landlord is leaning on her to pay her rent arrears. She isn’t able to meet these payments and finds herself being evicted.

This book is hard-hitting with the accurate way it tells of county lines drug gangs, extreme poverty and hardship, as well as potential child abduction and human trafficking. The story is so realistic it could easily have been an article portrayed in the media.

The storyline is hard-hitting and shocking, but the determination of Angie Watts is what drives the story forward and keeps the reader engaged. I certainly couldn’t put this book down. My emotions were all over the place as I read through this book, I couldn’t figure out which way the story would finish and I eagerly read on, despite the gritty drama that was unfolding.

This book is a gripping account of what life can be like for people facing hardships so severe they will do whatever they have to do to keep their family safe.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. A rollercoaster ride from start to finish.

Five star rated – *****

I must admit that this is not usually the kind of book I would automatically pick up, so glad I did. I was riveted, I couldn’t wait to know what was going to happen next. I was so entranced by this family that I must admit I forgot my own life and troubles for five minutes. I laughed and cried and cringed and cheered, what a great read. I will definitely be picking up other Susan Lewis books based on Home Truths.

I love Susan Lewis books and this was no different, she has an amazing ability to create characters you root for and can visualise. This tells the story of a family where nothing is going right, but still have inherent goodness, a lovely story thank you