What a mix this book was. Part abusive marriage and part hidden childhood secrets. I was glued to my secrets. The multi plots kept my attention, the story of Lucy and Adele, Lucy and Marcus and adult Lucy and Adele.
There were a lot of twists and turns! Check out this thriller!!!

Well, this book kept me going! Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. I was intrigued by where this story was going, having just read a different book about an abused wife. This book had an almost completely different plot, and I thought the characters were well-drawn. There were enough twists and turns to keep me interested, but I do think the ultimate end was disappointing and not believable.

This was my first book by Alison James and I throughly enjoyed it, it kept me engrossed and I looked forward to picking up where I’d left of, Lucy is somewhat a bit of a loner at school, she comes from a wealthy family and being an only child she struggles to make friends, however Adele who is a few years older befriends Lucy and an unexpected friendship blossoms even though both girls are from different walks of life- Lucy has a promising future ahead and lots of opportunities where as Adele’s family struggle with money and Adele doesn’t really take school or her future as seriously as Lucy does...

We are taken from past to present when Lucy is in an abusive and unhappy marriage to a well known and respected surgeon, desperate to leave but with no support to do so Lucy reaches out to her childhood friend Adele for help to leave her abusive marriage, however there is a secret from their childhood that they have both kept all of these years, what is the secret and will it be revealed?...

I enjoyed that the book was well written and realistic, it kept me engaged however the twist wasn’t quite what I was expecting but I enjoyed it non the less.

Thank you to netgalley for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Lucy is from a well to do family who shelters and coddles her. When she becomes “best friends” with rough and tumble Adele her parents try to push her to befriend the “nice” girls at school. On one of those occasions a tragedy occurs to one of these nice girls. It is then a wedge and a secret are driven between the two friends.

Years later Lucy is in an unhappy marriage to a renowned heart surgeon. Things are becoming abusive and whenever she leaves he brings her back. Lucy runs into Adele after years of not speaking and asks for help. From this point the book is full of twists and turns!!

The book was very suspenseful and kept me wanting to know what happened.

With thanks to Netgalley and Bookoutre for this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.

The story began in the nineties when Lucy Gibson became best friends with classmate Adele Watkins. Lucy was the only child of middle class parents and Adele lived in a council flat with her large family. Lucy`s parents were not happy with the friendship and tried to encourage Lucy to make friends with the `nicer ` girls in her class. One day Lucy sneaked to the local reservoir with another girl hoping to see Adele. A tragedy occurred at the lake that summer involving Adele. Lucy promised to protect Adele and never saw her again. That September Lucy`s parents moved her to a private school.

Years later Lucy got married to Marcus who was an an eminent heart surgeon. On the surface Lucy was a lady of Leisure who could buy any thing she wanted. But behind the scenes Marcus was controlling and emotionally abusive. One night his mask slipped at his sister's house and a dinner guest caught Marcus having a go at Lucy.

Lucy tried to escape Marcus but he had bugged her phone and found her new flat. When Lucy visited her home town to see her father she saw Adele again. Adele was a single mother to two girls and had a conviction for benefit fraud. Lucy asked Adele if she could find someone to produce some counterfeit documents to finally leave Marcus. Adele then passed Lucy`s mobile number to a stranger who wants to destroy her.

I am a big fan of Alison James DI Rachel Prince series. I have to admit I didn't read the synopsis before requesting this and thought it would be another DI Prince book. When I realised The Friendship Pact was a standalone thriller I was excited to read it.

The plot was fast paced and the story had me hooked from the first page. The book had short snappy chapters which always tempt me to read more.

I initially thought the story would be about a woman trying to escape her abusive husband. Bravo to the author for the devilish twist in the middle which made it so much than more!

I liked Lucy and I wanted her to escape from Marcus and start again. Marcus was an evil piece of work and wasn't sorry when he got his comeuppance. I had a feeling Adele would be untrustworthy, Once Lucy realised Adele had been in prison she should of just walked away.

I thought the story was brilliant but I felt it ended with a wimper I would of liked a happier ending for Lucy.

I enjoyed this standalone book but hope to read about from DI Rachel Prince.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

Some friendships mean more to some than others, some friendships seem to be uneven, but a promise to a friend should always be kept. Lucy makes what her mother sees as an undesirable friend when in her preteen years and the events that splinter out from that are life altering in more ways than one. Lucy and Adele grown apart but there is always something there in their time of need. Lucy grows up and ends up married to an older man, a successful cardiac surgeon, who as it turns out is a bully and it will take everything Lucy has to try to escape him. Desperate, she calls on her old friend for help and sets off a series of events that will rock all of their worlds.

A great summer read. Lots of thrills and suspense, you will be in the edge of your seat. This authors books are so good, can’t wait for the next one.

I’m a fan of the Detective Rachel Prince series so I was excited to receive a copy of The Friendship Pact from Alison James.
Lucy Wheedon has the perfect marriage. She is an attractive woman, has a lovely home and her husband is a cardiac surgeon. But their marriage is not all as it seems. He does not let her work and wants her to be at home cooking his meals when he gets home. He is abusive both mentally and physically and as he has been married before he doesn’t want anymore children. He also checks her every move, even her internet activity. After putting up with this for 5 years and her husband Marcus threatening to kill her. She forms a plan to make her escape.
The story also goes back to Lucy’s childhood. Where she at school she becomes friends with Adele. Frome a different background to her own. They become the best of friends until an accident happens and they separate but, they promise each other that will keep their secret until the very end.
Present day, Lucy happens to meet Adele in a supermarket. Adele has grown up taking a different path in life. She was convicted of benefit fraud and sent to prison. In desperation Lucy asks if she knows anyone that can help disappear and start a new life. Little does she know that asking her this will cost her dearly later.
The Friendship pact is very different to the other books of Alison James I have read. Firstly, it is a standalone book and that’s not a problem. It had a great plot and interesting characters but, not one of them did I like. I did think though that the last 25 percent of this book was a bit unrealistic and when a bit too far. I even when Nooo and really with astonishment. 3.5 stars from me

The Friendship Pact is a story that features all kinds of fraught relationships. It's about Lucy, a woman with a horribly abusive husband. Lucy was part of a tragic incident as a child, and her childhood best friend from the wrong side of the tracks, who knows exactly what happened back then, returns to Lucy's life - for better or worse.

I liked Lucy a lot and was even scared for her at times during the plot. I loved the twist ending - it was definitely a surprise for me (and I loved the surprise of it). The novel featured strong, well-developed characters with quirks and thorough histories that shaped where they ended up in life. I will absolutely read more by this author.

Lucy and Adele have had very different lives- or have they? Friends since childhood, they're now adults with different pressures. Lucy's got an abusive husband and Adele, who's served time in prison, has two kids she's struggled to care for. These two made an agreement and now Lucy calls in the chips. Turns out things aren't as simple as she might have hoped. One bad decision follows another and then things are really in a knot. You get the back story in bits and pieces, which works well with the story. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A quick and somewhat twisty read.

The Friendship Pact by Alison James was a book that I was really looking forward to reading. I am a big fan of the Rachel Prince series and love the way Alison tells a story. This book was very different, but certainly did not disappoint. It is an absolute page turner and I read it start to finish last night. I was so caught up in the story that I had finished it before I knew it..

It is a tough one to talk about without giving too much away. Lucy and Adele were best friends as kids - they are two completely different girls - one from money and the other lives on the wrong side of the tracks, And they have a secret - they made a pact when they were young to never tell. Flash forward and now Lucy is married to a cardiac surgeon and appears to have it all. But behind closed doors her husband is controlling and abusive and Lucy needs to get away. Adele is still living where they grew up and has spent time behind bars. Lucy reaches out for help and what happens next is unbelievable! The two women don't particularly like each other but the friends you have as a kid never really go away.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.

This is a fast paced domestic thriller that is hard to put down. I flew through the book in one afternoon! Lucy and Adele are well developed characters and their backstory brings richness to the present day mystery. Secrets tie them together, even when they don't particularly like each other. There's lots of tension, and the stories of the past and present are brought together in a satisfying conclusion. A great summer thriller!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Friendship Pact’ by Alison James in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Lucy is married to Marcus Wheedon, celebrated and well-regarded cardiac surgeon, but what nobody knows is that Marcus is a control freak who organises Lucy’s every move, telling her what to do and when, and who she can be friends with. Lucy tries to leave him to start a new life but when she tries to do so she becomes involved with Adele an old school friend from Redgate. Lucy shares a secret with Adele, one that they don’t want anyone to find out, but Adele isn’t reliable and Lucy doesn’t know if she can be trusted.

‘The Friendship Pact’ is an intense and gripping thriller that had me gasping in shock and amazement. It had a breathtaking plot that moved seamlessly between Lucy’s childhood, when she first meets Adele, to the present time. As the story continued it became sinister and full of menace, with devious characters and twists and turns, the final shocking twist coming towards the end. I devoured this thriller in a little over twenty-four hours, couldn’t put it down, and have absolutely no hesitation in awarding it a well-deserved 5 stars!

Lucy and Adele are childhood friends who share a secret. They made a pact years ago not to tell anyone what happened at the reservoir.
Now Lucy has it all. She has married a successful and revered surgeon. She has the perfect life! At least that is what her family and acquaintances assume.
What no one suspects, is that her husband is a violent and abusive man who controls her every move.
In desperation, Lucy turns to Adele for help. But how far can she trust her childhood friend?

I love this author’s Detective Rachel Prince series and for me they have all been 5 star reads. Unfortunately The Friendship Pact was a bit predictable and lacked suspense. All throughout the book I was waiting for a twist that never came. I guess I have read too many books with similar plotline and the shock factor is worn thin.

Thanks to the author, Bookouture and the NetGalley for providing me with a copy.

The Friendship Pact
My thanks to #NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review. Trigger warnings for domestic violence.
Childhood friends, Lucy and Adele, drift apart but find their lives inextricably woven together through a series of disturbing events. Lucy, comes from a wealthy family and later marries a famous cardiologist, and Adele, her friend from the “wrong side of the tracks” spent some time in prison and never even moved out of the projects where she grew up. Lucy needs Adele’s help to get out of her abusive marriage. What could go wrong with that? The two get into some almost unbelievable, but highly entertaining situations. The Friendship Pact, by Allison James is a nice summer read. Good twists and turns, and some nice surprises, all nicely wrapped up at the end.

Alison James
The Friendship Pact

When Lucy was young, she had a best friend who came from the wrong side of the tracks. One day something terrible happens and Adele begs Lucy to keep her secret.

Years later, Lucy is now married to a well respective surgeon and she has a beautiful home but no children of her own. However, the house is a gilded cage and her husband is the jailer. When Lucy decides to break free, she puts a plan in place to start a new life, but from that moment on her life spirals out of control and she does not know who she can trust.

To be honest, I sometimes wanted to shake Lucy for not thinking things through and just jumping from one catastrophe to another. I also thought the story was a little far-fetched at times, but Alison James I take my hat off to you because you wove all the little twists and turns together so that by the end it all made sense.

This is a chilling psychological thriller of how far someone will go to get their revenge.

I wanted to like this book a lot. However, it simply had too many things going on. The accidental death of a friend, the abusive relationship between a husband and wife, the accidental death of a spouse and the seemingly never happy ending for the main character Lucy. The so-called pact didn't even seem legit seeing as the first death was an accident and involved horseplay between children and the second death was involuntary manslaughter/self defense, which resulted in the friends disposing of the body. What I will say is that it wasn't all bad. There were components I liked about the book, and the author's style of writing was also likable. I guess I was just disappointed in the ending and need and wanted more to be satisfied.

Parts of this story are really good. Other parts I found unbelievable. It was good to see domestic violence and emotional control being talked about.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought the author merged the present and the past beautifully, keeping the tension high throughout the book and the reader rapt. It is definitely a book that just begs to be read in one sitting. I recommend it highly.
This review will be posted on Goodreads and Amazon and recommended on twitter.

The Friendship Pact has become an unexpected favorite! This chilling, heart pounding psychological thriller will leave you breathless and wanting more. The characters were both lovable and hateable all at once. The ending is unexpected and will wrap of the drama perfectly. 4 stars.

If you liked Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris, then you will already know what to expect from this novel. It's almost identical in plot and how it plays out.

The most significant difference is the introduction of Adele Watts, former best friend of our main character, Lucy. Their friendship was an unlikely one. Lucy has never known anything but being wealthy and privileged, while Adele is now an ex-con who has lived in or near poverty her entire life.

When we meet Lucy, she is nearing the breaking point of her marriage with a volatile, abusive, cardiologist husband, Marcus. Once she decides to get out of her situation, at any cost, Lucy reaches out to the one person she believes can help her, Adele.

The novel is called The Friendship Pact, and the synopsis teases the secret kept between Adele and Lucy as a pivotal plot in the book. The mystery does come into play, we learn about it through a now-and-then flashback format, but as far as its plot significance, it's minimal.

The Friendship Pact is split into three parts. The first part is gripping, although I had issues with the portrayal of abuse, in the same way, I did with Behind Closed Doors, but it is more believable and less exploitative and gleefully disturbing in this book.

Once the story reaches its second and third act, all the urgency has seeped out. I found the second half of the book harder to get through, mainly because poor Lucy is passed from one abusive man to another (a mild spoiler, it's obvious). The plot becomes increasingly predictable too. You may figure it out before you reach the half-way mark, I did. Only one twist shocked me, and it ended the first part of the book.

Another pet peeve I have with thrillers is the idea that everyone in the protagonists' world is oblivious, stupid, or evil. I understand these things can happen in real life, but some of the side characters' reactions didn't seem realistic. And speaking of side characters, there were several who served no real purpose.

Should you read The Friendship Pact?

It's not a bad thriller, it is engaging, and the author knows how to write in a gripping way. But after blowing through the first part of the novel in eagerness to find out what happened, you may find yourself as deflated as I did when the rest of the story takes a sharp decline into dullness.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review!