Great book will be reading other books by this author.
Will also recommend this book to others.
Great read! 5*****

I could not get into this book. The blurb made this book sound amazing and I couldn't wait to have an opportunity to read and review this, but it has dragged on and on. The first couple of pages didn't even reel me in when the newlyweds were arguing. I wanted to fall in love with this book and enjoy it so badly, but by the fourth chapter I found myself wanting to jump ahead to get to the "good" parts. This book clearly had potential, but bored me beyond tears. Thank you BookOuture for the opportunity to read this book, but it just didn't do it for me.

The night she moves in with Peter, she’s so happy, so exhilarated, so in love. Later, she will remember a much smaller feeling, a tiny one percent in her gut. And she will remember pushing that feeling aside…

Samantha Frayn doesn’t know why Peter Bridges picks her – a nobody with bitten fingernails and a troubled childhood behind her – but she falls quickly. He’s older, charming, likes fine wine and French films, and his beautiful home has real art on its walls.

Peter transforms Samantha’s life in an instant. He sees the better version of herself – the one she’s always wanted to be. It’s only normal that there’s a little friction, when she moves in, over domestic matters like where things are kept, or the proper times to eat, sleep and shower. She’s lucky to be with someone who can help her find a new job, move on from childish friends, and speak with greater sophistication.

But as Samantha notices, more and more, Peter’s temper, she starts to wonder if there might be consequences to breaking the rules of the world he has so quickly built around her.

And then she receives an anonymous note that makes her ask: is she the first woman to feel trapped by Peter? Is she being paranoid, manipulated, or could she be in danger?

You can tell the truth about your life, but someone needs to be listening. Someone needs to trust you. And someone needs to save you from the man you thought you loved.

I wanted to LOVE the book. It just seemed too slow and not much went on with all the wordy things leading up to a flat book.

It is always exciting to read new books by authors you have not yet come across so I was happy to have the opportunity to indulge in this new book. The blurb on the back certainly caught my attention as a "bit of me" type of book. The story is well told and is one of those where you opinion on characters is constantly changing (rooting for vs screaming at). Great build up of suspense as the book continues. .

I truly enjoyed this book, kept me guessing and wanting to know more. Would defintely recommend this to people who like a pacy thriller.

I am so disappointed that I didn’t enjoy this book as I had expected to do. The blurb sounded brilliant and I had heard people say how good it was. Unfortunately for me it wasn’t exciting and I found it just dragged on in places . There were a few good parts to it but nothing that had me on the edge of my seat . 2.5 stars 🌟

I've read a number of books by Lynes and was excited to read about this one. The Women lived up to my expectations for this author and is a clever and fast-paced thriller that i couldn't put down until i knew how it would end. Gripping!

An amazing read. A book I just couldn't out down. I read it virtually in one sitting. The previous novels by this author have been fabulous but this one surpassed them all - wish I could give it more than 5*****!

Plain student Samantha becomes involved with college lecturer, Peter , wondering why he has picked her. She ignores the tiny niggling doubt, and moves in with him and then has a baby. She is gradually cut off from her friends and family, as Peter controls her more and more. But what if this had happened before?

This story is very topical, a tale of isolation and manipulation, written at a perfect pace, the doubts of the reader growing slowly alongside the doubts of the main character. But then there are always explanations, aren't there? Its not necessarily bad - or is it? Who can we trust or turn to in difficult times? Is Samantha paranoid or in danger? The conclusion is beautifully delivered and I am sure most readers will be thinking about this one long after they have finished reading the book. Reviewed on Goodsreads just now - will put on Amazon on publication day.

5* Captivating Stars

I am a great fan of S.E. Lynes’ psychological thrillers and I was very excited to read her latest offering. The Women did not disappoint. The story begins in beautiful Rome where Peter and Samantha are on honeymoon and during an outing to visit a church an incident occurs which brings their trip to an abrupt end.

The story then take you back to how Samantha, a beautiful 21 year old college student, and Peter a Professor at her college meet. Peter being much older than Samantha and who is rich, intelligent and gentlemanly quickly seduces Samantha with his charm and before you know Samantha has moved into Peter’s house. After a few months Samantha begins to realise that Peter is very controlling and not who he appears to portray himself to be.

It was a very thought provoking and riveting read. I loved every page read and highly recommend this story that was complex and layered in mystery.

Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy to read and review.

Thanks to netgalley, susielynes, and bookouture for the advanced reader copy on Kindle in exchange for an honest review of this book. ***WARNING: SPOILERS***
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I've read a few "psychological thrillers" but they don't usually live up to that description. This book actually did, for me. While, with many books, I have to read several pages (maybe even a few chapters) to really get into them, or see if I will continue, this book pulled me in from the very beginning. It is ominous at the start, and then the way it jumps back in time, you're propelled forward, eager to know what actually happened, and why the book's beginning was so important to tell up front. There were a few parts along the way, such as the scene when Sam was at the show and saw her boyfriend kiss another woman on a live feed, that I actually dropped my mouth open and went "Oh sh*t!" As many other book loving people, if I could sit and read all day without interruption, I'd be happy as a clam; however, this isn't the case. So, I read this between one late evening and the next day (still pretty impressive, if you ask me). I say this to impress on you, whomever is reading my review, that this book was an excellent read- very hard to put down.

But. (I hate that there's a 'but'). As cleverly written as this is, I couldn't help but feel a certain way about the way Peter died (which I knew was going to occur as it did, because of the first chapter, and the language, around chapter 32/33). I understand why it was done for the book's sake. And as a woman with her own story, and as a licensed clinical mental health therapist, I completely understand the 'Me Too' movement and its importance. HOWEVER----- I must say that I felt unease in the book's ending resulting in a murder, the way it occurred, and then a blurb about the Me Too movement. I think I'm having a hard time connecting this book speaking out for women who come together with a common problem, and the way the problem was handled. After thinking about how I felt about this riveting book, I glanced at a few reviews to see how others felt. I am not the first person who enjoyed reading this book, but I might be the first person that does not agree that this book was about women's strength. Were Aisha and Jennifer strong? Maybe. But Sam pretty much had to pull out their experiences from them. Was Sam strong? Also a maybe. But then she married him for his money and the protections that would come along with being his widow, premeditated his murder, and then told someone as if she took one for the team. He was a dirt bag, no doubt about it. And I felt bad for her at times. But then she was just as low, if not lower, than he. I think there is responsibility in talking about this topic of sexual assault and drugs, and I don't think it was executed very well, considering it appears it was the end result the author was looking for. For this, I give 4⭐ instead of 5 ⭐.

I could go on and on, and I hope I'm making sense in how I'm wording this. I just didn't get the feeling of empowerment from this book, though I really did enjoy reading it.

The Women is quite a thriller! The story centers around a naive young college student who falls for an older sophisticated professor. By the time she realizes who he really is, it's too late for her to change course. This story is sharp and full of tension. I found it both mesmerizing and terrifying. This one will snatch you in, and you will just have to keep reading. It's so hard to put this book down. If you like a great psychological thriller, The Women is a must read. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Women by S.E. Lynes is an Adult Thriller which I received as an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) from @NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

SYNOPSIS | Samantha is a twenty-one year old woman who feels distinctly average in every way. She attends a college wine party and is surprised to find that a very handsome and esteemed college lecturer (Peter) is as interested in her, as she is in him. She quickly becomes enthralled by his charisma and charm and their relationship escalates quickly. She moves in with him, she has a baby with him and with his support, she starts to teach an adult creative writing class once a week. However she begins to receive dodgy and potentially threatening creative writing pieces from someone in her class...

MY THOUGHTS | I am a huge fan of thrillers, but I find them to be very hit or miss. I like twists and turns and red herrings and really I just want to be shocked. Sadly, nothing in this book did that for me. I found that I didn't really care or sympathize with Samantha's day-to-day struggles. The book was fairly fast paced and I was interested in uncovering who was behind the creative writing pieces and more importantly why. I will also say that Peter is an awfully controlling character and I think the author did an excellent job of making him unlikeable.

I am pleased to say that I have read and enjoyed every book by S. E. Lynes. The Women is another twisty, captivating read by the author which cements her place in my list of favorites.

Sam meets an older guy, Peter, who seems like a dream come true. He is charming, intelligent, sophisticated, drives a flashy sports car and lives in a huge house. She quickly falls for him but is Peter really the prince charming that he appears to be?

The story is narrated from Sam’s POV. We learn of her relationship with Peter and the nightmare that followed. As much as I don’t agree with all her decisions, I understood her actions even when they were unreasonable. I understood the decisions that she made especially at the initial stages of the relationship. Her character was very well crafted and she was relatable in many ways.

I enjoyed everything in this story even the little details such as the literature pieces mentioned. Without going into details, one of the characters taught a very interesting writing class that I wished I could join. I was invested in the lessons and actually learned something new. This was quite a treat and it made me enjoy the story even more.

The Women is a story about secrets, lies, manipulation and vengeance. As always, Lynes’ writing is flawless and enthralling. I was pulled in, right from the prologue to the last page. There were moments of frustration when certain characters didn’t behave like I wanted them to but that is just a testament of how well the story and characters were developed. The prologue created such suspense that I couldn’t wait to see how the story would unfold. What a captivating read!

4.5 Stars!!!
I love when a psychological thriller keeps me up past my bedtime because I need to find out how it ends! The Women did exactly that and I have to say it will be well worth all of the yawns tomorrow! S.E. Lynes had my mind so darn twisted up with several conspiracy theories that all proved to be wrong! At one point, I felt the hair on the back of my neck raise and found myself unconsciously making the 😬 face—so, so good! I have not previously read S.E. Lynes before, but I most definitely will be reading more from her in the future! If you love to get lost in a great thriller, this is the book for you!

A new book by S.E Lynes is a major event in my household; until I have finished reading it, my family are left to forage for food and entertainment themselves! I have loved every one of Susie's books and they just keep getting better and better. The History of Art and its teachings are a large part of the story of The Women and I'm sure we are all familiar with the "Old Masters"; Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rembrandt, and Caravaggio (whose work features prominently). SE Lynes is definitely to be considered for an "Old Master" of the psychological thriller world!

The opening of the book introduces us to Samantha and Peter as they holiday in Rome on their honeymoon. A pretty normal start yes...things soon take a turn when they visit Bocca Della Verita (The Mouth of Truth). Legend suggests that if you place your hand into this stone mouth and tell a lie, the stone jaws will bite off your hand. Peter seems uncomfortable with this and as this opening chapter ends we are left wondering what has happened in the past?

We are then taken back in time to the beginning of their relationship and straight away I was shuddering at how much of a walking cliche Peter was! An older, distinguished lecturer taking an interest in a much younger student - step away from that cheeseball Samantha!! Peter is obviously an object of adoration for the ladies (and doesn't he know it) but appears to settle and be besotted with Samantha. She is soon swept into his cultured world of fine wine, fine art and opulent lifestyle. Peter does like things a certain way though and soon there isn't much left of the B.P (before Peter) Samantha as he insidiously changes how she speaks, thinks and behaves.

I felt so sorry for Samantha- she doubts her worth and even when others begin to come forward to try and reveal Peter's true nature she chooses to first believe that they are jealous and bitter. Aren't we all sometimes guilty of not trusting each other? There is a message of empowerment and women power in The Women which was fantastic.

No spoilers from me but clear your diary and settle in for the long haul, once you start you won't be able to stop! Brava to the author!

And another great book by S.E. Lynes that blew me away! Samantha is a student at a university who falls for Peter Bridges, a lecturer who is almost twice her age. He woos her extremely fast, and she loves that he is more mature than the men around her age. Before she knows it, she's moved in with him and is expecting his child.

Samantha quickly realizes that Peter likes things done a certain way and wants her to be a certain way. When he pushes her to teach a creative writing course, she is not happy, but quickly falls into the job and loves her students. Everything is great until she gets a menacing, anonymous poem turned in with the other homework that seems to point at Peter and his past. She might not be the only one who has been ruled by his controlling behavior.

This book had me on the edge of my seat after the initial introductions. Lynes does a great job of keeping us hooked and NEEDING to know more after each chapter. THE WOMEN really revs up in the last 50 pages or so, and turns into quite an exhilarating ride as we are pushed rapidly towards the surprising climax. Highly recommended, and can't wait to see what the author comes out with next.

Thank you to author S.E. Lynes, Bookouture, and NetGalley for an ARC.

I don't want to ruin this book for everyone who still has to read it, but believe me when I say that you are in for a thrilling read!
The story is really well written and I could not put it away. Can highly recommend!

I loved this book and would highly recommend it to all. It has a great story line, brilliant main characters and is a real page turner. I couldn't put this book down.

This book was a very interesting, clever and original psychological thriller.
It follows Samantha a university student that meets Peter a lecturer, who is intelligent, handsome and above all powerful.
I found it was a little slow at the start and I wasn’t sure where it was going then all of a sudden I was gripped. I read the book quickly and found it quite easy to read once I’d been hooked.
I highly recommend.

Young, naive Samantha hasn’t had the best of childhoods and when she meets older man Patrick who is suave, drives a Porsche and lives in the big house on the hill , she thinks all her Christmasses have come at once.
The couple swiftly settle down together but soon Samantha sees a different side to Patrick and he’s not the man she thought he was.
This author always writes very intelligently whilst keeping the reader interested. I felt quite sorry for Samantha who was naive and trusting and just wanted a settled family life but she proves eventually to be no pushover and the book has a very satisfying and unexpected ending .