This was an exciting read! Katie is merely existing in her humdrum life. Even in her 30s she shares a flat with a handful of others while working in a coffee shop and barely scraping by.

Then she meets a guy. The relationship is going great and Katie finds out she is pregnant with twin girls. Ian, her successful boyfriend, insists they buy a house in a posh neighborhood to raise their girls. Katie is excited about her new future, until move in day. The house is old and dilapidated. Barely habitable and Ian is out of town on business. Despite numerous calls and texts Katie is unable to reach Ian.

Katie, distraught and very pregnant, befriends a woman at the coffee shop across from the new house. Paula is a Douala and happy to help Katie since Ian is unreachable still, even as Katie goes into early labor.

Days after the twins birth Ian suddenly returns. He apologizes and things seem to settle down while Katie and Ian navigate the first few weeks of parenthood. But Ian doesn't trust Paula. There's something about her that just doesn't sit right...

This was a book full of a variety of characters, some relatable and likable, others that really got on my nerves. I will admit there were times I wanted to scream in frustration at the naiveness and low self esteem that caused Katie to make the choices she made.

But, twists and turns kept me engaged and reading. The craziness of the characters and the mystery of the house's past kept me wanting more. The ending was satisfying.

Ruth Heald's "The Woman Upstairs" is a delightfully thrilling 4 star read. This book is set to be released on Septemeber 10, 2019 here in the U.S. so preorder now!

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me an e-ARC to read and give my honest review!

Happy Reading!

This book was very almost sweet and innocent from the start however it took a drastic turn and pulled you into a thriller read that made everything shift on its axes. It starts with our main character Katie finding out that she is pregnant with twins. This is a little bit of a shock for her and her boyfriend but the are committed to making things work and enjoying everything as it comes. Katie is loving being pregnant and has the full support of her boyfriend and her family, even her sister who has been having trouble conceiving. Things couldn't be better until suddenly Kate's boyfriend and father of her children Ian disappears. Where could he be? What is he hiding? Thankfully Katie upstairs neighbor (Paula) has offered to help with anything that she needs. When Ian comes back and the children get sick, Paula is there again and the perfect shoulder for Katie to lean on. However how well does Katie really know this woman? Considering this book was a thriller it didn't move quite as fast as I am used to however the story line was nothing like I've ever read before so I was quite interested to find out what happened. I liked how there was our main story but then randomly you get throw into another
story that is happening about the abuse of two mystery children. It was nice to finally figure out who they were and how they connected to the bigger picture. This was a really good book with characters that you couldn't help but love, and also characters that you loved to hate. I couldn't wait to see what happened to them and the story line really carried me away. This book was very enjoyable the only thing I didn't like was the multi characters story lines I found it very confusing and hard to follow. Once I got a better view on the points of view the book sucked me back in. The ending was like fireworks, so many crazy plot points being wrapped up and revealed I couldn't put the book down. Great read and I'm very glad I got the chance to check it out.
If you like thrillers than this is the one that you need to check out.

Tense twisty multilayered thriller.A new author for me and one I will follow..Picked this book up was drawn in read late into the night,#netgalley#bookouture.

First time I've read this author, but I will definitely be grabbing a copy of her debut. I tore through this book, just couldn't put it down. A very enjoyable, tense read.
The story follows Katie, as she comes to terms with the pregnancy, and birth of, twin girls. As her story unfolds, it becomes clear that almost everybody in her life has kept secrets from her, and poor Katie doesn't know who to trust or who to turn to. The only person she can seem to reply on is Paula, a doula, who is very generous with her time and assistance..

..this is a dark read, with some difficult themes, but it's done well. Gripping, a great thriller. Thank you for my copy.

This is my second book I have read by Ruth Heald and this book was fantastic as her first one was.
If you read the blurb then you know Katie has twin girls with her partner Ian who she really doesn't know that much about and she meets this woman Paula, who is sitting across from the house where Katie is supposed to live with Ian. Paula says she is a doula and will help her with the babies. Ian never shows up for the birth of the twins and the twist and turns just keep on coming. This is a true psychological thriller where nobody is who they seem to be. This is a roller coaster of a ride, so fasten your seat belts. I didn't really see the end coming, but just prior to the end. For me, that is a good thing because I do not like to figure out the ending halfway through the book. I received this book from net galley as an ARC for an honest review. Thank you net galley and if you like books of this genre, then this book is for you!!!

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy of Your Guilty Lies by Ruth Heald. First I’ve read by the author and I’ll be looking out for her again. I was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed the book. I’d say it’s quite a tame thriller, nothing too shocking but moves along at a good pace with some great twists.

First, I want to thank Ruth Heald, Bookouture and Netgalley for providing me with this book so I may give you this review.

WOW!! Your Guilty Lies A Completely Gripping Psychological Thriller Packed With Twists by Ruth Hurd needs a Netflix original movie! The book kept playing like a movie in my mind as I was reading it! It is that intense of a storyline that blew me away!! It had everything you would want in a book such as the secrets, the suspense, the drama, the character you want to slap (or at least I did), the shocking scenes, the incredible twists and turns, the adorable babies, and the incredible characters.

This cover is what first drew my eye to this book. It was cute and clever with the two heart suckers and one cracked. So very true how it says there are two sides of every story. But how many secrets? Kudos to the graphic artist who captured the reader’s attention.

I should mention that there are some parts of this book that may trigger some of the readers. If you are sensitive to the some of the topics, I am to mention this book may not be for you. Domestic abuse, child abuse, adultery, murder, etc.

Ruth is a brilliantly gifted storyteller in this genre. This is one incredibly intense book. As you dive deeper into the book it gets more twisted. The true colors of the characters appear as well. Personally, I wanted to smack Ian!!

The prologue to this book is intense as it captured my intentions immediately. It is not til later in the book where that comes into play. I actually went back and re-read that first part when writing this review.

Ruth told the story in two parts one In modern day and the other in the past. It was not until the middle of the book where I caught onto who and where the past met up with the present. Then everything all made since.
Ruth wrote the first draft of this book right before her son was born. She was terrified of giving birth since she had a traumatic experience the first time around. You are in the hands of the hospital staff. She has heard stories of how woman was not listened while their bodies were cut open and acted upon. Ruth wanted to write a book that examined the harm that could done if a woman was badly influenced during those vital moments of labor, birth and the first weeks as a new mum.

Gripped me from the start! The twists and turns blew me away! 🌟🌟🌟🌟1/2 stars from me! Thank you Bookouture and Netgalley for this book in exchange for an honest review!

I neither loved or hated this book. I just felt there was something missing from it for me. Sorry just not for me.

This one was just an OK read. 🙈 I struggled to stay engaged throughout the story. 😪I couldn't stand Katie (at all). 🔪 To say she was a dim bulb would be an understatement. 💡 In fact, there weren't really ANY likable characters in this book. 👎 The twist was decent though, so that alone earned the book an extra star. 👀

This is the first book by this author that I have read. The book is definitely twisted and everyone has secrets. I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 because I just couldn't wrap my mind around Katie and how completely naive she was. I will definitely be reading more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the copy of this book.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy...

Omg! It was so exciting thriller! It was excellent read and so many secrets...

Looking forward to read more book from this author soon...

This is the second book by Ruth Heald that I’ve read via NetGalley. I loved the first one, The Mother’s Mistake, which you should definitely go buy! This second one was just as good! The story built up at a good pace and things were always getting weirder and more disturbing. I will say that the main character annoyed me a little and made me face palm more than once. She was kind of an airhead. That’s where, for me, it went from 5 stars to 4.
The way this is written threw me back and forth on my opinion about who could be trusted and who was shady. Clever, clever! There are a few great twists but there was one in particular that totally got me. If you’re a thriller junkie, I think you’ll appreciate this book.

If you are looking for a thriller that is both creepy and scary, this is it. I was captivated and enthralled by this book from the very first page until the very last page. There were times I had to put the book down because I was afraid to find out what was going to happen. Katie and Ian are in a casual relationship when she discovers she is pregnant with twin girls. Ian is thrilled and has her move into an old Victorian mansion which was supposed to be renovated but it wasn't. He puts Katie up in a hotel until he can get some of the rooms renovated and inhabitable so she can move in. While visiting the coffee shop across the road, Katie meets Paula who said she was a doula and Katie agreed to let Paula help her with her birthing plan and care of the babies after they were back home as Ian traveled a lot. Once the babies are born and Paula moves in to help, things get really creepy and scary. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for this scary book that I thoroughly enjoyed because it kept me on the edge of my seat and if I could, I would give it more than 5 stars.

It all started at the very beginning when this talented author said - Let me take you down the rickety pathway of no return where the thrill would overwhelm you and make you so addicted that you will never want to come out of the book. What she didn't tell me was that how much I would react to the story and the characters. Read on!!

Katie, an innocent and naive first time mother, was pregnant with twins. Her partner Ian was thrilled and asked her to move into a house he had bought. Only problem was it was completely rundown. In a fix, she met and befriended Paula. Ian then went abroad for work, she gave birth to the twins, and Paula took charge. The story rolled on till Katie saw through the lies surrounding her and wondered on whom to trust. She needed to act fast to save her daughters. At last, I thought. Read on!!

My second book by author Ruth Heald, I was excited and charged to get to the story. Initially, I was very sympathetic toward Katie and her circumstances, but over the pages, the decisions she took had me screeching. And not with joy. Read on!!

The house too had a dark and dreary feel to it. The atmosphere was oppressive and haunting, almost gothic. The characters kept bringing me back to the story even when I took a break as my emotions overwhelmed me. Read on!!

I had this intense need to get to the truth. The author's writing took on a hypnotic quality pulling me further into the book. The secrets came out at the end, and I felt relieved. The suspense had nearly killed me.

My throat was sore at the end. This was the only book in recent times which made me react loudly and strongly at the main characrer, some swear words might have been used. I have to admit I wanted this to be my midnight read, but was too scared of disturbing my family, probably the neighbors too.

I had only one question to ask the main character Katie - haven't you read Ruth Heald's previous book? Don't you know what is going to happen to you? But alas she didn't, and the story continued till the end with me tapping on my kindle furiously.

Man, what a book!!

Overall, I enjoyed this book. Though the plot wasn’t super original, the pacing was great and I felt connected with the characters. The descriptions were also really good - I feel like the author wasn’t extraneous with her detail and offered just enough information. I would recommend this to a friend.

I couldn't stop guessing where this was going and my kindle might have a dent from my "page turning" so fast.
Brilliantly written. Tragically psycho. Twistedly evil.
The author detailed the scenery so picture perfect that I felt like I was there.
I loved this as much as I loved "The Mother's Mistake" by Ruth Heald. I also really enjoyed the author's note at the end of the book.
Thank you #Netgalley, the author and the publisher #Bookouture for my free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Oh my this book left me breathless at times. I figured out very early on in the book what was goofing on, however at times I found myself wanting to get hold of Katie and shake her to see sense. For a book to give me that it’s got to be good.
Katie finds out she’s pregnant. To add to the shock it’s twins. Her situation means that her business man partner Ian has to step up to the plate.. He finds then a home. A large family house in London. However, on arriving at the property this is where her problems being.
In the cafe opposite she meets Paula who befriends here and by chance she’s a doula. When Ian goes missing, Paula steps in to help Paula.
But who is the friend and who is the foe?
An absolutely fantastic read xxxxx

A really good read that is full of suspense. My only gripe is that I thought some of it was too unbelievable.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

3.5 stars

It's always nice when you can enjoy a book even when it contains elements that normally annoy you. Now, I wouldn't say the story is super shocking and the main character is not the sharpest tool in the shed, but somehow it all worked and held my interest.

Katie is pregnant with twin girls and is nervous about becoming a mother. She's been struggling enough just taking care of herself so when her boyfriend, Ian, asks her to move in with him into a renovated home, she accepts the offer. She soon meets Paula, who works as a doula. When Ian isn't around to help Katie, Paula is always willing to lend a hand. After the babies are born, that's really when the you know what hits the fan and things start getting really weird. Ooh, this tale is going to be filled with secrets and lies. Hope Katie can make sense of it all!

Katie is the type of character you feel sorry for as she's going to be a first time mother and she doesn't have a huge support system. However, at times throughout the story you feel like yelling at her to wise up. But even though Katie can be frustrating to watch, I still felt invested enough to want to know what exactly was in store for her and her twin daughters. Now I wouldn't say this book had any unexpected twists but I do think the author did not paint herself into a corner as there were a few things I couldn't rule out as possibilities until the end.

Maybe not a perfect book but I was entertained and that's all I was really hoping for when I started reading it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review!