I'd like to thank netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. This is the third book I have been fortunate to receive through netgalley by S.E Lynes and what can I say, she's done it again. Her books are hard to put down, I finished this one in s day just like the other two. The characters are interesting and the plot line kept me engaged, its a real page turner and I can't wait for her next one!

The Women by S.E Lynes 🖤
Thanks @netgalley @susielynes and @bookouture for my ARC
Publication date 22nd May 2019
‘You can tell your story. But someone needs to believe you’. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Wow 😮 just wow. I am for once speechless. I honestly didn’t think Miss Lynes could get any better but Wow. This book is phenomenal, pure genius. S.E Lynes writing is a work of art. It’s dark, foreboding and weirdly humorous at times. The story surrounds Peter and Sam’s relationship, an older man and a much younger vulnerable woman. I felt such a strong sense of unease and discomfort reading this book, again because S.E Lynes is such an incredibly skilled story teller, I’m sure this is how she wants her readers to feel. Please do not be fooled though this is definitely not your typical ‘domestic noir’. It is so much more than that. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
I am aware I’m gushing but I’m on a roll so... I can’t recommend this book enough for fans of psychological thrillers. It’s in its own league, like her other books, they will stay with me forever, an absolute classic and beautiful tale. I don’t want to say to much about the storyline as I went in blind. I can only say read this! And everything else by this author. It will change your life. Hands down best book I’ve read this year, highly recommended xxx

Wow... Devoured them a book in one sitting!!! Loved it...Hope this author keeps them coming.


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an early release of this book.

When Samantha Frayn meets Peter Bridges she is mesmerised by his very being. He is much older than her, as handsome as handsome can be, accomplished, suave and miraculously he falls for her in a big way, despite her low opinion of herself and disbelief. She cannot imagine what he sees in her. She’s young, impressionable, and vulnerable really, lacking self-esteem and confidence: a total nobody who doesn’t fit amongst the gathered student crowd. She is amazed, flattered and quickly falls deeply in love, despite a niggling feeling in the very back of her mind. He sweeps her off her feet that first night, driving her away into the night in his roaring, flashy, sporty car. He lives in a huge, sophisticated house on the hill in Richmond. He has an art collection, a poetry collection and a literary collection worthy of his status as a well-respected university lecturer. He treats her like a princess; he drinks fine wine and eats in fine dining restaurants where he is a revered customer. It’s little wonder that she is awe-stuck.
Almost overnight they are a couple. She moves in and in a flash she is transformed. He brings out the best in her, wants even more for her, instils in her heart her true potential, helps her in every way he can. She had never realised what she could be and it frightens and thrills her in equal measure. She grasps for the stars and it seems as though her wildest daydreams can at last be realised. She becomes more sophisticated, more ambitious. It’s like he has infected her with his ambition for her and she thankfully drinks in his ideas and philosophies, although secretly amazed at what she has become. Sometimes she disagrees with him, but ever grateful for his presence in her life she pushes her doubts aside more often than not. He sulks if she doesn’t fall in with his plans and she doesn’t want to disappoint him.
He helps her prepare for her new part time job and this is when the cracks in their intense relationship begin to appear. He wants her to follow his lesson plans for the adult education classes that his long-time friend had arranged for her. He stays out later and later, he becomes angry more often. He resents her growing independence. He is desperate to marry her, but she will not marry him. That is when she receives an anonymous letter from one of her students, passed on to her in their pile of poetry homework. Of course she had had doubts before but with more and more letters arriving, Samantha makes a decision, one that she hopes will appease Peter, even delight him. But only one person really knows what is really going on and what will happen next is in the lap of the dogs.
I absolutely loved this page turner of a novel and truly believe that this is the best yet from this very talented author. The timeline was very cleverly designed so that it would not give away anything at all, so the resulting sharp twist in the story was totally jaw-dropping. I thought the character development was amazing, facts slowly drip feeding the action and events that made this an enthralling read. I loved the themes explored most of all: friendship, support amongst friends and caring for what happens to them. The chilling manipulation and darkness involved made this a tense and nail-bitingly powerful novel. It will be in my thoughts and I cannot recommend it highly enough. It will surely be among the top novels read and reviewed this year.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from publisher Bookouture through my membership of NetGalley. Enormous thanks for my copy, sent in return for an honest review. These are my own honest opinions without any outside influences. It’s a top-notch read and totally unmissable. It’s a well-deserved 5* review from me and hits my mark of very highly recommended novels.

The story starts off with Samantha and Peter on their honeymoon of which from that point on I was well and truly hooked.

As we get to know Peter and Samantha, Peter is quite the cliche character of a middle aged man who is a lecturer and who is definitely a ladies man. To a certain extent you can understand why Samantha falls for him but alarm bells were ringing, having me shout out to her to be careful. As is the usual case, sometimes we can’t see what is right in front of us. It’s easy to see how he gently manipulates her and my dislike for him grew the more the story went on.

I really enjoyed the pacing of the novel. This isn’t some fast paced thriller, yet the story is so engrossing you have to keep turning those pages. There is a wonderful build up of suspense which had my heart beat that little bit faster.

The Women really is an enthralling story to get yourself lost into. The pacing and tension throughout the novel was perfect for this genre of book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommended.

I absolutely gobbled this book up. Excellent and compelling. And the character of the husband was so thoroughly convincing that I wanted to punch him. Highly recommended.

This was truly an amazing book. The storyline flowed, the characters were engaging and I could barely tear myself away from this book. Highly recommended!

Like the majority of young adults, Samantha didn’t have much confidence in herself until her dazzlingly charming college professor began to show an interest in her. After leaving rural Yorkshire and moving to London, Samantha was hoping for more excitement in her life and she was sure that Peter would be the one to give it to her, but when their fast-track romance mellows into ordinary domestic life, it quickly becomes clear that Peter is not the man he first appeared to be!

After waiting on tenterhooks for S.E Lynes newest release, I have to say that this is her best yet! If you have read any previous novels by this author then you’ll be familiar with her great sense of dark humour and ‘The Women’ is no exception to this as S.E Lynes does a marvellous job of lifting an otherwise dark story!

A new book by this author is always cause for a ‘jump ahead’ in the TBR stakes as it is guaranteed to offer something new and refreshing, different and exciting, intriguing and menacing!
This book offers all this and more, oodles of it and it has a powerful message to boot
Samantha falls very ( too ) quickly for Peter, he is a lecturer at UCL, she the student, she is besotted, he is genial, they are in love, she is head over heels, she wants to please, its perfect
Until its not perfect
Peter controls, subtlety and carefully, he then controls more, and more
He is also a man of secrets
And lies
But Samantha is in love
Until she’s not
From a brilliant start set in Rome the story charts what is happening in their relationship and the insidious toxic nature of control
The charcaters are bold, the writing flawless and the story, well the story is compelling, its quite an emotive read and one that leaves you thinking and questioning
As always with this authors work there are pockets of dark humour and rye observation
Its a book many should read as a cautionary tale and everyone should read for enjoyment
This author never fails to push boundaries, fantastic
10/10 5 Stars

I’m not going to even try to put the blurb into my own words for this one, for fear of spoilers and because I just want you to read it for yourself. I’ve read some amazing books recently and this one, in true Susie Lynes style, blew me away and I’m still gasping for air. She is one of only a handful of authors that I choose to read their work without even looking at the blurb first.

I devoured this book in a matter of hours, it was the first thought on my mind when I woke the following day and think that it will stay with me for a long time to come.

Susie Lynes writes from the heart and this is so evidently shown by the passion behind the words in this latest book, which is again so different from her other work. The subject is something that will resonate with women (and men) from all walks of life, far and wide. It will have you questioning who you can trust and wondering who would actually believe you if you did speak out, but it also shows that you CAN speak out, you just need someone to listen. It’s a beautifully crafted piece of art and I urge you all to read it and recommend to everyone you know.

I'd like to thank Bookouture and Netgalley for the auto approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day. A huge five stars from me

Young and with little self esteem, Samantha is one of many, many students to admire him from afar - Peter Bridges, THE professor; he's cultured, sophisticated, utterly charming, drop dead gorgeous and totally out of her league, until he singles her (of all people!) out of a crowded room.

This is a man who could change her life, repair the trust she lost when her father left them hurt and destitute, give her the love, safety and security that she craves, encourage her growth and ambitions ..... but will he? - can anyone truly be that wonderful?

S.E. Lynes is one of my go to authors, she seamlessly produces beautiful writing, fascinating, authentic characters and weaves them into a story which keeps you turning the pages with a building sense of dread and unease. This is a story which got right under my skin, it has elements that will resonate with all women, it's important, relevant and absolutely gripping. Is it love or control? Are warnings about your relationship just the spite and jealousy of others or genuine concern? Who can you trust?

An unreserved 5 stars - Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this absolute gem of a book. This is my honest and unbiased review.

I wait patiently for every single release by this writer, the anticipation makes me tingle and every single time I'm on tenterhooks as I open up the first page. And every single time Susie Lynes has blown me away! Her talent is extraordinary, her imagination knows no bounds and her writing is exquisite. So I guess you already know that I loved this book...but why?
A mesmerizing and beautifully tantalising opening introduces us to newlyweds, Samantha and Peter Bridges. On honeymoon in Rome, it should be a romantic time for the couple but despite the cultural beauty eloquently described, there is a sinister undertone running its way through the pages. I could almost hear the scary music soundtrack play as I read.
We are then taken back two years to 2016 to when the couple first met. A young naive student Samantha meets the much sought after Professor Peter Bridges. While all that she can see is a handsome, intelligent and charming older man, the reader is forming a very different picture in their minds with manipulation and control being the key words. An almost exquisite entrapment plays out before your eyes as Susie Lynes takes you on an intense and disturbing journey of emotional and psychological abuse.
Samantha made me ache; watching her fall deeper and deeper under Peter's spell was painful. The narrative was a perfect example of gas lighting; it was terrifying yet the writer made it easy to understand how it happens.
A fabulous cast of characters provide a great depth to the plot, each of them had a part to play but there was one character who had me weeping when her story was told. I'm not giving any spoilers by telling you who, you need to read it and see!
Throughout the book Susie Lynes drops in tiny snippets of information and introduces characters that will have your spine tingle and leave you feeling just a little bit disturbed. She expertly uses Samantha's creative writing class to drop in hints of lies, manipulation, and power and control which of course are the main themes of the novel. It’s delicious in its delivery and gives the impact required to hit home exactly what is happening in this relationship.
Once again Susie Lynes absolutely nails it. Her characters, sense of place, plot and themes all effortlessly combine to provide a work of art that is not only topical in its reference to psychological abuse and the Me Too movement but is also so engaging, that once you pick it up you will be lost inside until you finish. I abandoned all plans for the day and lost myself in the pages until I finished. An absolute masterpiece which although dark in nature is an empowering message of the strength of women, the bonds of friendship and importance of having our voices heard, of telling our stories and of not staying quiet.
Deliciously dark, perfectly poignant; I've said it before and I will say it again, Susie Lynes is a genius. She creates a masterpiece every time she puts pen to paper and this time round with The Woman she has blown it all out the window and surpassed herself once again!

my review will appear on my blog as part of the blog tour

This is a writer who just keeps getting better and better. The Women is S.E Lynes fifth book and for me it is the best yet. There is just so much in this novel to admire, the way she manages to layer up the story with myths and thoughtful cultural references, blending commercial fiction with literary subtlety. There is also the warmth and trademark humour that marks out Lynes novels.

There are the tropes you’d expect in a psychological drama - a vulnerable young woman and an older man. Power play with twists and turns, but done with a deft hand and an acute understanding of the human condition. Lynes observes the mythologies and the many different facets of what it is to be a woman, using images from the paintings of Caravaggio (which I immediately went to google to look up) as well as a nod to age old stories of Bluebeard and Madwomen in the attic. This more than a novel for the #metoo generation, this is a novel for all the women who have been brought up to be polite and not make a fuss. The women who ignore the still quiet voice of warning - even when it is echoed by other women, the older, wiser ones who have trodden that path before them.

When Sam is plucked from the crowd of students by a good looking, established academic and lecturer, she is flattered, she has been well brought up and doesn’t laugh at his cheesy, slightly well worn phrases, does’t blink at his assumption of control, she is flattered. Things she would have laughed at or questioned in someone her own age, she lets go, because he is older and more sophisticated. This is her happy ever after and she ignores the tiny voice of doubt, the 1%.

Tales of suspense must follow a trajectory - unease, dread, terror, horror - this is a well known and well trodden sequence and whether it is the slow build to a severed hand or a realisation that all is not as it seems, the structure is the same. Lynes uses this understanding of her genre to slowly pull us into a world where the unease becomes normal, where good manners and politeness forbid the questioning of rising dread. We are pulled along in the wake of the heroine into the labyrinth of the real terror and horror that lie beneath the surface of ‘normal’ or excusable behaviour.

This is a novel of exceptional skill and will undoubtedly do well as the psychological thriller it clearly is. But it is so much more, it is a novel you will read and then return to again and again. This is a classic.

Breathtakingly Brilliant

According to some, there is a difference between the crafted prose of literary fiction and the plot-centred page-turner of commercial fiction. In The Women by S.E.Lynes, you get to have both.

Samantha Frayn’s youth and vulnerability make her easy prey for a man like Peter Bridges – a well-respected professor who uses his experience and sophistication to dazzle her inexperienced eyes. Reading this as an older woman, alarm bells rang very early on and there were moments that were so intense I could hardly breathe. Whilst the writing was beautifully crafted – and there were many clever literary and artistic references – at not point did this slow the plot-driven pace which will appeal to the most discerning of psychological thriller fans. From beginning to end, this book had me in its thrall, desperate to know how their relationship was going to play out. As always with an SE Lynes novel, my mind darted down many dead ends trying to predict the ending but I was not expecting how clever it would be.

Alongside the two central characters, there are a supporting cast of women with their own stories, one of whom moved me so much that I had to put the book down and let my emotions settle before I could continue. This book is important because it lays bare a reality we need to face and shows how easily it can happen. To paraphrase the famous quote by Edmund Burke, the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil (men) is for good men (and women) to do nothing. Ultimately, there is a message in this novel which is more relevant today than it has ever been. Everyone should read this novel and then buy it for their daughters and their sons.

Samantha Frayn never had much confidence in herself but all that changed when she caught the eye of wealthy and sophisticated Peter Bridges. He sweeps her off her feet and after a whirlwind romance, marries her. Right away he begins to transform her into the type of woman he wants her to be, he controls her every move and lets her know when she’s let him down by showing his ferocious temper. Before long Samantha doesn’t know up from down, but she begins to wonder if she is Peter’s first project. What could have happened to the others?

Susie Lynes is one of these authors that as soon as their book becomes available, it shoots straight to the top of your tbr list. I have loved all of her books, and this one is just as good as the others. All of her books are original, clever and relevant and I would highly recommend them.
Here, Samantha is dazzled by the interest shown in her by Peter, a professor at her university. He is the epitome of charm, intelligence and sophistication and can show her a lifestyle which she could previously only dream of. However, warning bells begin ringing extremely loudly for the reader, if not for Samantha, and we wonder what on earth she is getting herself into!
I don't want to say too much about the storyline as I'm wary about giving away too much of the plot and of the themes involved. I will just say this is very authentically written, very true to life and extremely relevant. I literally could not stop reading this book.

Since finishing this book, I've been trying to think of what to write about it. The two words that popped into my mind were: mounting dread. I read The Women with a building sense of dread, with a desperate, breathless need to find out what happened next. I'm not going to talk much about the content of this book - just read it! - but instead I'm going to focus on the context, those hidden layers. For I have another 3 words to describe The Women - absolutely bloody brilliant.

In the wake of the Me Too movement, we are seeing more and more women writing their stories, demanding to be heard. I am one of those women. And so when I read another story by another woman, I immediately feel a connection with them. I was drawn into the story of Samantha and Peter, warning bells ringing in my ears from the very start. I wanted to grab her and shake her and take her away from harm. Who hasn't had a friend they've tried to help, who has plunged headfirst into a relationship which set your alarm bells ringing? I certainly have, and so I could relate very well to Aisha and Jenny, and their endeavour.

Lynes' sense of humour, which you'll be well acquainted with if you follow her on social media, shines through the pages, lifting an otherwise dark story with some well-timed laughs. For The Women is dark. Yes it's pacy and twisty and everything else you want in a thriller, but it is also true, and that is what lends it such darkness. As the author states in her letter at the end, she doesn't know any women who haven't, at the very least, experienced something that made them feel uncomfortable. I don't either. So when a story like this comes along, a story that involves multiple women, across generations, class, race, etc., it is a story that we know in our hearts, and one we need to keep sharing with the world until it disappears altogether.

And later, much later, the feeling she had the night she moved in with Peter will come back to her. She will remember how ninety-nine per cent of her felt so happy, so exhilarated, so in love. She will remember a much smaller feeling, a tiny one per cent in her gut. And she will remember pushing that feeling aside…

When Samantha first meets Peter, he takes her breath away. He is older, charming, sophisticated and represents everything she hoped she would find when she left her rural life in Yorkshire behind to come to London.

But when their whirlwind affair turns into normal domestic life, Samantha begins to fear that all is not well. Following the birth of their baby, she feels trapped and isolated, with Peter’s behaviour seeming increasingly selfish and controlling.

When Samantha starts to receive sinister notes – threats and suggestions that her life with Peter could be placing her in danger – she realises she needs to look back into Peter’s past to find the answers to her questions – and that she may not be the first woman to become his victim…

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 in time.

*****

Well. What can I say.... 24 hours after getting a copy of the book, I've only gone and finished it!!!!

Ms Lynes has done it yet again. I absolutely LOVED this book.

This is a story of a seemingly perfect man. Well mannered, academic, cultured, good looking, wanting to build a safe life for his admittedly younger girlfriend and their baby. Sounds perfect. Right? Well.... that's for you to find out.

As I have said, time and time again, the author writes with beauty and elegance and I find myself completely submerged in her books, and quite often, i come up gasping for air, having quite forgotten to breathe. Her books are never formulaic, you never have that feeling of 'this story feels familiar', and that is what makes her such a special author.