This was SUCH a surprising book!

I went into this one with pretty low expectations. I wasn't sure how much of a thriller it was going to be, if it was going to be more drama than thriller but I was pleasantly surprised

I was hooked from the very beginning. The writing style was really engaging and easy to read.

There was a big twist, during the book and I was shocked! I literally gasped out loud. I did not see it coming.

What I loved the most about this book was how it challenges stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding abuse. Its clever and definitely needed in the genre.

The reason I didn't give it a full five stars was due to the fact there was some quite repetitive bits. I don't want to spoil it, but it was a bit repetitive in certain parts.

This was a really clever, addictive domestic thriller. Whether you call it a domestic thriller or drama could be up for debate. Personally, I see it more as a thriller because of the shocking twists and the ending

Its definitely a dark book and can be uncomfortable to read at times. But its incredibly important and definitely needed.

TW: domestic physical and emotional abuse

Psychological thriller about complicated relationships told from different points of view.
Ben meets Bella, after his long time girlfriend breaks up with him and falls in love with her.
Shortly after she tells him she is pregnant and they get married.
This is a story of coercive control. It is beer well written and believable.
There is a big twist half way through which really surprised me.
Not the type of book I would normally read but a real page turner , intriguing and enjoyable .
Helen Warner keeps the reader fully immersed in the storyline and the main protagonists are well written and complicated.
A little disappointed in the ending but still enjoyed the book. 4 STARS

HC Warner's "She" is a compelling thriller. I couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting. There is some repetition in the book which I felt was a bit cheatsy but I did think it was a good read.

I read this pretty much in one sitting, which does speak for it being an easy read but really I was just desperate to get it over with. Starting off well, the pacing then just made way for a slow roller and Part Two really didn't help its case. The narrative up until that point is essentially just repeated almost exactly, just from another character's perspective and I found myself just skimming the pages since I'd already read the events panning out. This new perspective wasn't all that refreshing either; it didn't reveal anything new to the table and felt like pointless page padding.

Warner does raise some very good points surrounding domestic abuse and how it affects both genders, but on a literary front so much more could have been done with this and I felt let down by the plot's execution and lack of any substantial contents.

I found this book to be very compelling, I looked forward to picking it up and I didn’t see the twists coming. Parts of it were far fetched, but I think that’s all part of the joy of getting lost in another world.

Hey new week and first review for ‘SHE’ below, next up the soon to be published ‘The Liar’s Daughter’ the new book from Claire Allan

‘SHE’ by H C Warner published by HQ and OUT NOW!

400 Kindle Flix

SHE
Is Bella
Bella is a psychopath
Bella is evil, abhorrent, manipulative, scary, nasty and probably the worst character you will meet, ever

Bella is also charming, beautiful, kind, loving and wants Ben
Ben, of course, is flattered and falls immediately for her
If only he had taken the time to find out more about herbefore he married her

The book is cleverly told by Ben, then Bella for the first say 60% but 30% each, so ( let me try and explain this right ) its the same story on how they met and their initial time together but told by each of them, first Ben, then Bella and the rest of the book then carries on in the ‘now’ as the horrific consequences of this marriage start to unfold

Bella is a modern day monster, you really wont believe the depths she sinks to make her plan work, she is capable of anything and everything and Ben, well Ben slowly realises just what he has allowed into his life

Simply sublime characters and a strong cast of parents, ex’s and best friends make this book one that’s on your mind even when not reading it and you cant wait to get back to to see what has happened next

The ending and the lead up to it are nothing short than breathtaking and the whole book is one of the best I have ever read for psychological drama and suspense and for painting characters so real they make you literally shudder with rage and disgust!

Absolutely brilliant
10/ 10
5 Stars

The book does involve female to male domestic abuse, physical and emotional

I thought this book was a really fabulous read, a dark and twisted domestic noir with great characters and a really good story line. After meeting the very beautiful Bella in a bar, Ben is totally bewitched by her and before too long they are married with a baby. But Bella soon starts to tighten her frightening grip on Ben, reducing him to a shadow of his former self. Will he come to his senses before it's too late? With more secrets than Pandora's Box, and some clever twists along the way, I think this book is set to become a must read in 2020.

I got interested in this book by reading a description.

This book takes you inside its world immediately and makes you forget about the other things.
The book follows the story of two young people who met themselves shortly after one of them went through a hard break up.

The plot of the book is simple yet enjoyable. After starting reading I found it hard to put the book away. The story includes the subject of domestic abuse towards man which is not popular therefore I consider it valuable to read.

I was impressed by the character of Bella which was deeply interesting since the first page. She is a complicated and deeply lost in her pursuit of revenge on the things that happened in her life previously. She is a person seemingly perfect yet hiding her dark side. I also enjoyed the other characters yet I was missing some simpler introduction of them at the beginning of the book where I found myself a bit lost who is who.

The book is divided into two parts where the second one shows action from the perspective of the second character. In my opinion, it was a good thing to do as without it we may have missed some details yet I think it was a bit too long and at some point, I felt like I was re-reading exactly the same words.

Nonetheless, it was a good read and I would recommend it to anybody searching for some lighter thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing to me advance copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

First book I’ve read by this author. I finished it, and found it an average, ok read .... just not a great one. First part told by Ben, second part by Bella and there was some repetition in second part that was unnecessary and a little off putting. If the author wanted to create a character I intensely disliked, it worked with Bella. Ben was more likeable, although he was weak willed, never stood his ground and accepted Bella’s behaviour without question. The book featured domestic abuse, controlling, manipulative behaviour, and family relationships. It had a few twists and turns in it, nothing that wowed me though. I wouldn’t have described this book was a psychological thriller.
3 stars

I will give feedback now I’ve bought the book, as I couldn’t download the ARC onto my kindle. It really is a pain since Apple have altered the way to download. This has happened a lot lately. It says it’s sent it to kindle app but when I look it’s not there!!!

Just saying ........ didn’t want you to think I wasn’t bothering to review, but some of the ARCs are a nightmare to download. Even the bought version wouldn’t download to start with!

I’ve given it five stars atm.

Well I’ve just read it and finished it! Excellent read, I have to say, if Bella wasn’t such a bitch I could admire her, as they say, revenge is a dish best eaten cold. ....

I felt a bit sorry for Ben, but he should have stuck up for himself more, especially at the beginning when she wasn’t so intense. I know this sort of abuse goes on and it’s hard for me to criticise but I wouldn’t be bullied like that without a fight. Anyway, I’m grateful for the ARC from Netgalley even though I couldn’t download it!!

I found I was totally absorbed by this book as soon as I started reading it. It’s the first book I’ve read by this author and I loved it.

Ben has broken up from his long term love Charlotte, yet when his eyes meet Bella’s across a bar he feels he may have a second chance at love. However it appears that life with Bella may not be perfect after all. This book had it all: great characters; secrets; lies and revenge. I guarantee you won’t be able to put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley, HQ and the author for the chance to review.

I picked this book completely out of luck on a Sunday afternoon, intrigued by the premise. I needed a break from reading hardcore crime thrillers. Since, this book promised a romantic suspense, I picked it up right away. Although, I must say, there was more of suspense and very little romance involved.

Ben is heartbroken when his long time girlfriend Charlotte breaks it off with him and moves out. That's when he meets the bold and beautiful Bella in a restaurant one fine day. It was love at first sight for them, immediately followed by a quiet wedding due to unexpected pregnancy! Ben's family and friends remain clueless as they stare at this mysterious beauty walk down the aisle with no one except her awkward mom attending her wedding.

Only after the wedding, Ben starts to realise that behind the beautiful face of Bella there's something terrifying and dangerous that could change his life forever. Who is She? What does she want? You've to read further to find out.

'She' was a very quick and easy read for me. The suspense kept me going, even though there wasn't enough depth to know any of the characters better. Both Ben and Bella came out irritating and predictable and I had to cross my fingers and wish for a twist to come and blow my mind off. Sadly, it was only a mild turn of events towards the end. Lies, secrets, lust, and dishonesty can destroy someone's life and an entire family. Written boldly by Helen Warner, I'd recommend this thriller to anyone who's looking for a fast moving plot to binge upon.

Many thanks to HQ for offering a digital proof in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are solely mine and no way biased.

My Rating 3.5 rounding off to 4 Stars!

I really enjoyed this book so much. It has a really great plot, superb main characters and I read it in one sitting. I would highly recommend this book.

Wow! I absolutely loved this book by HC Warner - the first I have read by this author. In 'She' we follow the story of Ben who is recovering from a broken heart following the ending of his long term relationship with Charlotte. One night while out for a drink with best friend Matt, Ben meets a beautiful young lady named Bella and within a very short space of time Ben and Bella are head over heels in love, living together and expecting a baby. All is not as it seems however and it is soon apparent that Bella has a very dark side and many explosive secrets to protect.
The story is told from various viewpoints but mainly Ben and Bella's and I could not put it down. It covers many difficult topics such as abuse, infidelity and controlling relationships within Ben and Bella's relationships as well as the friends and family around them and I found it a very thought-provoking and shocking but important read.
I genuinely would hate to spoil this book for any future readers so will say nothing more other than I highly recommend that you read it. 4.5 stars for me and I will look forward to reading more from HC Warner in future.
Huge thanks to Netgalley UK, publishers and author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought at the start, surely no man would be as stupid as Ben! But as it progressed, I realised life isn’t always as straightforward as we might think.
The story is told from one side, then the other; it’s so very interesting, not just the personal to the raconteur parts, but the more general, scene setting too, how different people have very different perceptions of the same things.
An interesting read.

The story is told in two parts. Part one by Ben and part two from Bella’s side of the story. I enjoyed the first part of the book but part two became repetitive and boring. I did read it to the end but I wouldn’t recommend the book

I had heard mixed reviews about this one, so I decided to give it a go. I personally felt overall that it was a little bit two dimensional and that the plot had so much more potential than what was delivered. Whilst I could see why the author had chosen to deliver part 2 in the way that she did; it would perhaps have been more effective to maybe alternate the chapters and events from different perspectives rather than the whole part. I also felt there were some inconsistencies in the story with a couple of names and places (but at the same time, this was an ARC). But it was an easy read so good if you’re looking for something quick!

I would firstly like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED this read! What a fantastic read to start off the new year! A dark, disturbing, heartwrenchingly brutal page-turner that sent shivers down my spine and even had me in tears at one point!
With plenty of shocking events and twists, I HIGHLY recommend this one!

She was a pretty strange book. It started off well, the story of a man who meets a girl who is suppose to be the perfect girl yet things start to change. The story is told by Ben in part one then it flips to Bella's side in part two but the writer has wrote the exact same story from part one but with a few wee things explained for part two. I was reading the book all over again which was not needed. I lost heart in the story after that but kept going to see how the end would go but the damage was done and I didn't enjoy the ending as much then. Still have no idea why the story was retold again by Bella when I just read it from Ben

Interesting read, enjoyed how the author changed narrative character half way through so you got both sides of the story.