I've heard such mixed thinsg about this book. A unique style of story and it was a little frustrating parts, also a little repetetive

A totally gripping book that I could not put down.  This is definitely one of the best psychological thrillers I've read in a very long time. Can't wait to read more by this author.

An easy, fast-paced read that had me hooked from start to finish. The plot was engaging and the majority of the characters were relatable.

She is a thriller focussed on both mental and physical abuse within a relationship. The story is told first from Ben’s point of view, then later in the book it switches to Bella’s view and the story is told all over again.

I found it interesting to read a story from both points of view, of a little repetitive in places.

I don't like to give the storyline when writing a review, you can read that in the book blurb.  A gripping, twisting, story with believable charactors.  If this was on TV then you would be shouting out to one of the main characters.  A wonderfully cryptic read that had me on the edge of my seat.  Definitely one for the need to read list.

This was a very interesting read with the female partner as the controlling psycho.
 It starts with Ben who after breaking up with his long term girlfriend meets the glamorous Bella who is  he quickly becomes involved with but she is not all she seemsto be  and she soon manipulates him into her web of deceit, revenge & lies. Her motives are finally revealed with a rollercoaster of an ending. One of the best psychological thrillers I have read.

I heard the author talking about this book on the Badass Women's Hour podcast, so was intrigued when I received a NetGalley of this title.  However, the author was the head of daytime tv for ITV and responsible for Loose Women - a programme that is down amongst the likes of Jeremy Kyle and anything the Daily Mail prints in my opinion of "topical debate."  So I didn't have high hopes, but as she came across well on that podcast and the synopsis of this story sounded fascinating, I reserved judgement.  

Basically, Ben is quickly enthralled by the gorgeous Bella and a whirlwind wedding and baby quickly follow.  But Bella isn't what she seems, and this perfect woman tears his family apart.

So lets get the negatives out of the way.  This book isn't brilliantly written, it's over the top, predictable in places and if I have to read another description of Ben's parents' show home house ever again I might just gag.  There is also far too much casual acceptance by one character in particular of serial infidelity - but it's ok, because she wuvs him soooo much.  Urgh.  I nearly tossed it aside after the first couple of chapters, as it was just so vapid.

But I didn't.  I kept reading.  I do have a soft spot for thrillers but I'm not very experienced in them, so that might explain my compulsion to keep going.  But I think part of what kept me reading was some of what also made it a bit naff - it was just too crazy not to want to know what happened next, and it does have some good if unrealistic sex scenes.  I also really liked that this book was probably the first I've read that looks at the issue of domestic violence perpetrated by a female.

On the whole, this book isn't going to change your life.  But it might provide some light entertainment for a few hours.

Unfortunately not able to read this yet as been preparing to move house.  I really hope that I will be able to keep this and read at a later time when we are settled in our new home but unfortunately everything is on hold due to the corona virus.  It's worrying times and reading can help take you out of the situation into a different place so reading is a great thing to do.

I really enjoyed this and was hooked from the first chapter. It was interesting to see things from Bens perspective and then Bellas but I did skin read some of part two because the dialogue was often identical to part one though I appreciate it is difficult to rewrite from a second persons POV without any repetition. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and HQ for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review - I will definitely be reading more from this author.

This is a great psychological thriller that grabs you from the very beginning.  The story starts with a young man whose long-term relationship has ended unexpectedly leaving him miserable and susceptible to the charms of beautiful femme fatale Bella.  They marry after a very short time much to the concern of some of Ben's friends and family.  This is a very dark, chilling story of domestic abuse - the abuser being Bella who is manipulative, cruel, deceitful, in fact truly evil. She justifies her actions as in her twisted mind she had a motive - I didn't see that coming!  I highly recommend.

This book seems to have divided reviewers.  I think you either love it or loathe it and I really enjoyed it.  Ben has recently been dumped by his girlfriend.  They had been together for twelve years and he was about to propose, so he is devastated by the breakup.  In a bar he meets and falls for the beautiful Bella, who completely changes him, but she is not all that she seems.  They get married and then he finds his life turns into a nightmare with her deceit and lies that estrange him from his family and friends.  The book is narrated from Ben and Bella’s points of view.  It made difficult reading at times but I found it hard to put down.  A compelling and dark thriller.
Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is a first time author for me and I wssnt disappointed.

From the first page it is full of twists and turns. 

The writing is easy to read and understand.

I loved reading about the characters and the whole thing was just incredible.

Pick this up

Reminiscent of Gone Girl, this psychological thriller was easy to read for the most part. I’m addition to the (obvious) theme of deception there were also themes of adultery, domestic violence, bereavement, family and hope.

Despite most of the storylines being completed by the end not all questions were answered. I would have like to know a lot more about Bella’s childhood, what exactly did her father do and why was her mother so scared of her.

An enjoyable 3.5/5. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for a complimentary egalley in exchange for an honest review.

Having just broke up with his long term girlfriend Charlotte, Ben can’t believe his luck when he meets Bella who is gorgeous and interested in him!

Except Bella might be beautiful on the outside but she definitely is not on the inside and as things get more serious between them Ben finds himself making excuses for her behaviour to his friends and family and treading on egg shells so as not to upset her.

I enjoyed this book and thought it was interesting to look at a relationship where the female is the controlling partner as opposed to the male, simply as it is a less common theme to read about. I liked how the first part of the story was told from Ben’s point of view and then repeated from Bella’s point of view around a third of the way in. I can see why some readers didn’t like this aspect of the book as it can feel quite repetitive but I enjoyed seeing things from Bella’s side even though she really is one of the most horrible characters I have ever read about. She is cruel, cold and doesn’t really seem to care about anyone other than herself!

At times I did find this book a little frustrating and a bit unrealistic at times, some of the things Bella does are just unbelievable. I would also have liked to know more about Bella’s back story, her father is referred to a few times but its never fully discussed. I thought the ending was a little too neat and tidy and it didn’t really go in the direction I was expecting. In general though I thought the book was well written and the abuse aspect was handled really well. I liked this book, I just didn’t love it!

This is a quick, enjoyable read with a few reveals that will surprise you. It is definitely gripping, I read the bulk of it over 2 nights as I wanted to find out what happened next.

The book tells the story of Ben, who meets a beautiful girl, Bella, in a bar in London, and after a whirlwind romance gets married   The saying ‘Marry in haste, repent at leisure’ is certainly true here!   It is cleverly written first from Ben’s POV, and then from Bella’s perspective.   There is also a strong cast of supporting characters – Ben’s parents, his friends and his ex girlfriend.

I really enjoyed this dark, twisted tale of domestic abuse, and is a real page turner and had me reading until 3am.   It made a real change for the abuser to be female, with a male victim.  Bella is evil, manipulative, scary and is one of the nastiest characters I have ever encountered!  I definitely didn’t see the twist coming.  The ending is explosive and had me holding my breath.

Highly recommended,  this is definitely one of my favourite books. so far this year.

Wow!!!! What a scary nerve jangling read that was, great charecters and a great story, kept me gripped beginning to end

Whilst there are many psychological thrillers on the market, She is one that stands out as being authentic and cleverly written. Ben meets the beautiful Bella whilst he is getting over a break-up. She is stunning and he's bowled over. But things soon take a dark turn as she becomes increasingly controlling and isolates him from his family and friends. In part two we hear things from Bella's point of view and without giving away any spoilers, we realise just how dark and twisted she is. This is a well researched book, as the coercive control and violence increases and Ben's loved ones are left hurt and confused by his seeming indifference to them. The tension builds to a dramatic crescendo that will leave the reader on the edge of their seat. A must read for those who enjoy a psychological thriller.

Helen Warner has done it again. I have been a fan of her previous novels and this is a new genre for her. Her writing is sharp, the characters well developed and the satisfyingly dark, plot sears through the pages. Meet Ben and Bella a couple who quickly marry in the early throes of their relationship when they find out she is expecting. Bella's arrival into Ben's family is every mother's worst nightmare. Warner absolutely deserves to sit at the forefront of 2020's twisty psychological best sellers.

Bella is strikingly beautiful and charming, and Ben can't quite believe his luck. So when she announces that she's pregnant and that she wants to get married before the baby comes, he seems happy and thinks nothing of it. But he's soon about to find out that his life is going to turn into hell.

I've heard a lot of good things about this book, so I was really excited to finally get my hands on it, especially given that domestic thrillers are my favourite. 
The story, in a third-person narrative, tells Ben and his family and friends' version of the events and is later joined by Bella's first-person perspective.
My expectations were very high, and as the story started off promising, I thought I was in for a treat.
However, after that initial good start, the story slowed down considerably.
When Bella's outlook was introduced, my hopes went up, but they were soon met with disappointment as this part of the book turned out to be so repetitive that I kept skipping large chunks of it. It was basically the exact same dialogues with Bella's point of view added but not really contributing anything new.
That put me off a little. The story does pick up a little after that, but unfortunately, my initial excitement at that point had been extinguished. The story gets a little predictable, and the unsurprising ending doesn't offer a shocking conclusion.
Despite the faults, it was a pretty enjoyable read, so I settled for 3 stars, and given that my opinion is in minority, I encourage you to check it out by yourself.

I liked this book but it just seemed to lack something for me. I enjoyed reading the different character perspectives but found that a lot of what had been written was repeated and ended up disliking both Ben and Bella which I don’t think was supposed to happen. A good idea but needed to be done differently.