Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley . This is a author who every book written has been amazing!

This was the escapism i needed this wet ,windy and grey sunday. A thrilling and heart wrenching book.This is every parents nightmare come to life !

Written in alternate narratives and timelines so the reader gets a insight into these characters lives .This also raises suspicion on a few people in their lives .

Unpredictable and exciting this had me hooked to reveal the truth.

Great plot packed with suspense and another fantastic thriller to this authors name.

Published 20th August

I've read all of Alex lake'a previous books and was really looking forward to getting on to this one.
I received this arc through net galley and the publishers.

A difficult choice for Anna belle to make, we follow her journey through the decision she ends up making.

I loved this book and raced through it

The Choice’ is the latest book by Alex Lake.

Matt Westbrook only turned his back for a moment. But when he looks around, his car – with his three young children inside – has vanished. Panicked, Matt assumes a car thief has got more than he bargained for, but then he starts to receive text messages: This is a kidnap. If you want to see your children again, you will exchange them for your wife. Matt and his wife Annabelle are horrified. They can’t involve the police, or their children will be killed. Which means they have to choose: Annabelle, or their children. Either option is unthinkable. But one is inevitable. And they have only hours to make their decision.

This is first book that I’ve read by Alex and it was a fantastic introduction to the author with this fast paced thriller about every parents nightmare. The story is seen through the narrative of married couple Matt and Annabelle, who are parents to 3 children. One day whilst grabbing a few bits in the shop, Matt returns to his car to discover that it’s gone with the children in it. He receives a message that he cannot contact the police or he’ll never see them again. As him and Annabelle prepare for the first, the kidnapper reveals their ransom demands. A trade – Annabelle for the children. The story then follows the couple as they decide this crippling decision without the aid of the police.

The story is written in past and present tense and introduces Matt and Annabelle when they meet at university, becoming friends and then partners. Each chapter from the past is a milestone in their lives, such a marriage, babies and Annabelle achieving her dream of becoming a published author.

As well as perspectives from Matt and Annabelle, there is a narrative from the kidnapper and I found these insights fascinating as it give some detail and background into the kidnapper and reasoning behind it all.

The story flows at a fast pace, as time is really off the essence in the book and the desperation and fear is evident with each moment. As the story progresses through the couple’s relationship, we meet a variation of characters along the way and with each new personality, we find another possible suspect.

Opening with a nightmare scenario and cleverly crafted with just the right amount of drama and suspense to keep the reader hooked in the story and there were plenty of twists for there never to be a dull moment.

A gripping psychological thriller with devoted parents fearing the worst, ‘The Choice’ is a tense and atmospheric story that makes for a roller coaster of a story.

You can buy ‘The Choice’ from Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops.

Really enjoyed this, short punchy chapters which meant it was fast paced and kept you going. Not too predictable, though I feel some characters could have done with more backstory to them.
I look forward to seeing what is next from Alex Lake

The Choice by Alex Lake is a tense and gripping thriller that keeps you on your toes throughout. Every time I thought I’d worked out exactly what was happening, the author threw another curveball that changed my mind yet again. It’s an intense and pulse racing read that captured my imagination from the very first page and didn’t let go until the final, exhilarating page had been turned.

After popping into a shop to buy a few essentials Matt Westbrook returns to where he parked his car to be faced with the unimaginable. His car, with his three young children inside, has disappeared. Thinking it must be a car theft gone wrong, Matt begins to panic. But then he receives a text message that makes it clear this is no ordinary theft: His children have been kidnapped. And the ransom the kidnapper wants isn’t money, it’s Annabelle, Matt’s wife! So the couple have a choice to make. Either Annabelle must hand herself over to the kidnapper or their children must die. Either option is unthinkable, but one is inevitable. And they only have a few hours to come to a decision…

What follows is an intense and fast paced thriller that had me racing through the pages, desperate to see what the outcome would be. The last few chapters in particular were so gripping I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough! The Choice is one of those books that has you on the edge of your seat and, even once the kidnapper is finally revealed, doesn’t slow down even for a second.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Alex Lake’s writing is strong and the exciting and emotionally intense plot kept me riveted from beginning to end. A superb thriller that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.

This booked had me gripped from the first page to the last! The storyline let you guessing and with lots of twists and turns along the way you just didn’t know which way it was going to go! One thing I did love was the short chapters, this just made you want to read just one more chapter before bed !! Even though it was a gripping storyline, it did get a little unbelievable in parts , the police were a little slow on the uptake but besides that an enjoyable read

A really gripping read which held my attention right from the off. An engrossing read which had plenty of twists, turns and red herrings and worked really well. Short chapters made it a very easy book to fly though without realising how long I had been reading. I'll definitely be going back to read more of Alex's books!

I read this for a blog tour.

This was an ingenious take on the kidnap plot, a mother must exchange herself for her children or risk losing them.

As the tension builds, the plot flashes back over Matt and Annabelle's relationship, from meeting at uni, their wedding and the birth of their first child. Cleverly suggesting other people who might be behind the terrible scheme to take Annabelle away from her family.

When the kidnapper is revealed and the delusional reasonings behind it, I genuinely was stunned. Talk about completely twisted.

Sidenote: I also really liked the way the author handled the covid-19 situation, setting the story in early March when not a lot was known by the public and before lockdown. It added some realism but without turning the novel into a coronavirus focused one or pretending it wasn't happening, I thought it was very nicely done.

The novel opens right at the point of action so make sure you’re strapped in from the start because there’s no long introductions here. The opening chapters preys on every parents’ worst nightmare. You pop in the shop – leave them in the car where you think the biggest worry is them not killing each other then in return find the car and the kids gone. This is exactly what happens to Matt and if this isn’t terrifying enough – he then receives a ransom demand promising his children will be returned unharmed in exchange for ……his wife.

The whole concept of this novel was thought provoking and I found myself constantly imagining how I would react in this situation. I really felt for Matt and Annabelle throughout as it was such an impossible situation. The tension created by Alex Lake through fast paced writing and constant action meant that I raced through from start to finish and couldn’t put it down.

Told through Matt, Annabelle and the kidnapper’s eyes, we see the persepctives of all involved. Adding in short but terrifying chapters from the perpertrator really provided a fear factor. Their voice was cold and calculating which made me more terrified for the children. Events are recalled from 2004 when Matt and Annabelle were at university and I found myself drawing conclusions and assumptions about who the kidnapper is and thier motive. I love how things about the past were revealed slowly which added some mystery to the thrill.

A fast-paced thriller with a thought provoking and terrifying premise. Very enjoyable.

It is every parent's worst nightmare to have their child go missing, but the anguish is tripled when Matt loses all three of his children. What a plonker! He thought they'd be fine left in the car for a few minutes when he popped into the shop but when he returns his car and his children are gone. What a fantastic start to The Choice. It starts at breakneck speed and doesn't let up; I certainly couldn't read it fast enough.

When Matt gets text messages from the kidnapper, not only do you think it's somebody he knows (how else would they have his mobile number?) but it's someone who doesn't want money in exchange for the kids, they want Matt's wife Annabelle. Through flashbacks to the past, the most likely suspects are set out before us and by some miracle I actually guessed the right person. I'm not saying it's obvious by any means; it really was pure luck as something innocuous jumped out at me and tingled my spidey-sense.

This isn't so much a 'what would you do in the same situation' kind of book as I'm sure any mother wouldn't think twice before swapping herself for her children. What it did though, is make you think back over your own past and think of situations you might have been in where other people seemed innocent but they could easily have been hiding an ulterior motive. Scary thoughts indeed.

Taut, tense and suspenseful, The Choice is an excellent psychological thriller. The pacing is fast and the hunt for the kidnapper is relentless making it a gripping and riveting read. I really enjoyed it and I'm now bumping my other Alex Lake books up my reading queue.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

I have read other books by Alex Lake and know that they are always well written. This one has to be the best so far. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc,

I’d heard of the author before but never read any books. I decided to take part in the tour because the blurb intrigued me. I didn’t expect to give the book a 5-star rating. It was on the way to a solid 4-star when the ending stunned me and added an extra star. This is a well-written, fast-paced thriller. Matt and Annabelle are faced with an impossible choice. I would give my life in exchange for my children if I had any so it’s not that impossible when you boil it down. I liked the twists and turns even though I got frustrated with the characters. I wish Matt and his wife had called the police, despite the kidnapper’s threats, kidnappers always make similar threats and smart people call the police, instead they arrange a swap with the kidnapper and try to tail him and Annabell with the help of an ex-cop and a drone. You just know the plan is going to be a disastrous mess. I enjoyed the last 25% much more than the rest of the book. The author gives us two obvious choices for the kidnapper suspect, gleaned from flashbacks to Matt and Annabelle’s past. Thankfully, the author did not go with someone obvious and the kidnapper’s identity took me by surprise. The last chunk of the book when Annabelle sees who’s taken her and discovers their deranged motives were brilliantly written. I couldn’t put the book down. I need to read more by the author.

Alex Lake brings every parent’s nightmare to vivid and terrifying life in 2020’s scariest and most electrifying thriller: The Choice.

When Matt Westbrook was asked by his wife Annabelle to pick up some groceries from a local shop, he had never imagined that this trivial and ordinary errand would end up turning his family’s life upside down and placing them all in immediate danger. With his three kids in the back seat, Matt had parked his car and popped into the stop thinking that he would pick up the essentials Annabelle wanted and quickly be on his way. Matt thought that the only thing he would have to worry about when he stepped out of the shop was having to listen to his brood squabbling and arguing – he never imagined that he would find his car and his three kids gone!

Matt takes a deep breath and thinks that this is just a joy rider who got more than he bargained for. He is sure that once the car thief realises that he’s got three kids in the back, he’d dump the car somewhere safe and disappear, but things take a far more sinister and menacing turn when he receives a text message that proves that this was no random theft, but an orchestrated operation where Matt will find himself forced to make an impossible choice between his wife and his children…

The kidnappers make it clear that they will not harm Matt’s kids – but only if Matt agrees to exchange them for Annabelle. The two parents are absolutely horrified. With their backs firmly against the wall, Matt and Annabelle are completely on their own. They cannot involve the police because if the kidnappers get wind that they called the authorities, the consequences of this action do not bear thinking about. Matt and Annabelle are completely on their own and with the clock ticking, they need to make their choice. Both options are absolutely unthinkable, but a decision has to be taken. Even if it is one they will regret for the rest of their lives.

To read Alex Lake’s The Choice is to devour it. This is a brilliantly paced thriller that grabs you by the throat from page one and keeps you completely and utterly riveted to the page until the final heart-stopping full stop. Alex Lake blends unbearable tension, nail-biting suspense that will make you jump out of your skin and shocking twists and turns that will chill you to the bone.

An exciting, enjoyable and highly charged page-turner that is absolutely impossible to put down, Alex Lake’s The Choice is domestic noir par excellence!

My Thoughts: the first 75% of this book was truly gripping, starts off with a dad nipping to the shop for a couple of things leaving his 3 kids in the car, he’s only going to be a couple of minutes, they’ll be safe right?

Matt’s world gets turned upside down when he goes outside and his car has disappeared, what follows was fast paced and made the book really difficult to put down.

This sounds like your typical kidnapping story but it’s not, instead of money the kidnapper wants Annabel (the wife/mother) in place of the children, but why didn’t he just take her in the first place?

After the big reveal was made the story slowed down in pace but it was still thoroughly enjoyable, it went from fast paced and thrilling to slow paced and unsettling but the change was perfect.

I did guess the big reveal before it was announced which doesn’t often happen which made me wonder if maybe if was intentional?

Couldn’t recommend this story enough!

Narrated from three view points, Matt, Annabelle and the kidnapper, this is told mostly in the present (with a few Covid mentions) and flashbacks to their time at University in 2004. Then further on we also have narrative from Detective Wynn.

All the characters are well thought out and written in such a way to plant seeds of doubt. I found myself questioning marriages, friendships and every random introduction. Matt and Annabelle seem happy or am I being led up the garden path?

There are a whole bunch of crazies in this book, including an obsessed ex, a book fan who isn’t quite Annie Wilkes but isn’t the whole ticket either, and a sister with warped loyalties. So your suspect list is full but this is where you need to pay attention. The clues are there and for the first time in what feels like forever I actually worked it out and all because of one little teensy clue which could easily be missed. All is not revealed until about three quarters of the way through so you have time to hone your detective skills.

Reading like an action thriller at times the chase is on once the swap is made and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

This is pure unadulterated fun from start to finish. If you enjoyed the film Knives out this would also make a great film and I’ve already got the two leads cast, James McAvoy for Matt and Kelly Macdonald as Annabelle.

The Choice by Alex Lake is a psychological thriller that's a tense rollercoaster of a tale.We are thrown straight away into action from the first page. Matt has just left the three children in the car while he goes into the shop for some stuff. He leaves the shop to discover the car and the children are gone.Matt immediately goes home to tell Annabelle his wife and their horrific time has started.They are told they will have their children returned as long as they do not involve the police and, the biggest issue is...they want Annabelle in return for the children.
The story is told from three points of view Matt, Annabelle and the kidnapper in the present day.Then we time slip back to 2004 when Matt was in University and experienced his relationship ending. This is told in flashback and gives us a picture of their background as we go. I wondered wether this was connected to present events and was attempting to connect the dots everytime I stopped reading it.I was definitely engrossed with how things would end up for Matt and Annabelle.
Alex Lake has written a gripping book that I very definitely enjoyed, although the idea of a car being stolen with children inside would be my absolute nightmare of epic proportions and I really felt for them both. The idea of swapping a wife for your children is such a warped one, you don't want to think of it!
Thanks to Random Things Tours, Harper Collins and NetGalley for the copy of the book today for my review.

Part one sets the scene of this book well. Matt has stopped off in a shop on his way from getting the kids. Annabelle, his wife is at home. In the back of Matt's car are their three kids. They'll be safe while he nips into the shop? Won't they?

One text changes his and Annabelle's lives...

"This is a kidnapping"

This is every parents worse nightmare. You always worry that when you take your eye off the kids for a second something will happen. In this story Matt makes the decision to leave the kids in the car, they are parked outside the shop. So, he can keep his eye on them whilst he pops in.

The story is told in an alternating timeline narrative. The present, which is set in March, 2020. And we all know how March panned out with the looming virus and lockdowns. I loved that Alex Lake weaved this into the story. One of Matt's reasoning to leave the kids in the car was because of the virus that was already spreading through Italy and Spain. He didn't want to have the kids in the shop touching everything in sight.

The past narrative is of Matt as a young adult entering into university life. As we get to know more about his past and how he and Annabelle got together. We start learning about possible candidates for who could have kidnapped the children, trust me there are plenty of people to point the finger at.

This story started out great, the whole premise to the plotline was good. It made us think what would you do in their situation? I did figure out who was behind the kidnapping before the reveal. Also, once the revelation occured I found that the story slowed down. Personally I would have preferred a later reveal and a build up of tension up to the climax. That ending though!! That certainly got my heart rate racing, which made up for the slow middle.

The Choice is a good psychological thriller that will make you wonder what would you choose to do?


*Note I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley as part of this blog tour. Many Thanks to Harper Collins and Anne Cater*

I was absolutely chuffed when I got approved this on Netgalley. I had read 'Seven Days' By Alex Lake and it was up there with the best book I've read this year. This didn't disappoint either, another brilliant book.

This story is told in the past and present. Past- when Matt and Annabelle were in Uni and met and the present- happily married with three children. The three children are kidnapped in the car when Matt pops in quickly to the shop to pick up a few bits. But who took them and why?! As the book went on I was convinced I knew who the kidnapper was, guess what?! I was wrong!!

The chapters are short and choppy which I love, keeps the pace up. There was so much suspense built up and I literally couldn't put it down. I wanted to know more. I liked the random chapters throughout of the kidnappers thoughts. The events from the past linked in so well and kept me thinking 'Oh maybe it was them!!'

Overall a really, really good book that I would recommend to others. It is only 4 stars for me though as I'm comparing it to "Seven Days'. Alex Lake, a really superb author. Cannot wait to read more of your books.

Thanks to Netgalley, Alex Lake and the publisher for an ARC copy in return for an honst review.

Title: The Choice
Author: Alex Lake
Pages: 400
Publisher: Harper Collins
Rating: 5/5

A huge thank you to Alex Lake, Harper Collins, Random Things Tours and Netgalley for letting me read and review!

Synopsis:

Matt Westbrook only left his 3 children in the car for a few minutes whilst he nipped into the shop for essentials. Due to the current pandemic he feels this is the quickest and safest option. But he was wrong, vert wrong. When he returns to his car his children are gone. At first, he is stunned, but when his phone begins to receive messages from the kidnapper, the reality of the situation kicks in and Matt has to leap into action. His children have been kidnapped and this time the ransom isn’t money, it’s his beloved wife Annabelle. To see his children alive, he must trade the other thing he holds most dear, the love of his life, the mother to his children.

Review:
When reading the description for The Choice and seeing the impossible predicament the characters would be in, I was instantly hooked and I needed to know what would happen. I am a huge psychological fan and after reading the reviews I felt excited about this book, I really hoped I wouldn’t be disappointed and I definitely wasn’t!

The opening of the book gripped me straight away, the fist chapter jumps straight into the action and gripped I remained right until the end. I also loved how relatable this read was with the pandemic we are all currently battling and the lack of toilet paper when Matt goes to the shop!

This story is told from different character’s perspectives and point of view, these were all clearly marked and easy to follow. The short snappy chapters also set a perfect pace for this read and helped you to really feel the character’s panic at times. The fact that some of the chapters left you hanging meant it was hard to put the book back down. The book is also split into parts and flashbacks to when Matt and Annabelle were younger, I really enjoyed this element as I felt I really got to know the characters well and understand their journeys. It also did a wonderful job at putting people on the suspect list!

I loved the relationship between Annabelle and Matt, together they were a power couple. We had Annabelle who was strong, brave and determined and then Matt who wasn’t a typical male, he was in touch with his sensitive side and showed his feelings, which made him feel very real. At times I wondered if they were too perfect, but I was definitely wrong about this.

When I had to stop reading The Choice, I couldn’t wait to pick it back up and genuinely felt eager to return to the read. At the same time however, I couldn’t wait to finish the book, only because I was eager to see how the story would pan out and if I was right about my suspicions.

I did manage to work out who the perpetrator was, I think this was due to the number of psychological thrillers I have read. The fact I did guess didn’t spoil this for me however and the twist was fantastic. Let’s just say though that the perpetrator was the perfect villain, they were cold hearted, twisted, crazy and totally delusional and they gave me the creeps.

This perfect, steady paced, enthralling book had me at the edge of my seat. The twists and turns were brilliant, the book was atmospheric and I would definitely read other books from this talented author.

Thank you to Netgally for the loan of this book.
What would you do if you came out of a shop you'd popped into, to discover your car gone with your 3 children who were in the car, gone with it?? You're just about to ring the police when your phone rings...... its the person who took your car and children. He is holding the children for ransom but he doesnt ask for money, he wants your wife. You have an impossible decision to make..... your children or your wife. What would you do????
The premise of this book is interesting and keeps you wanting more. That said, once I'd discovered the culprit I felt the remainder of the book was rushed to explain why this person did what they did, and why, along with the outcome. I enjoyed this book and was swept along at an even pace, but it didn't thrill me. Still a good read regardless.