5 Stars!

You and Me is one of the best books I've read this year. A psychological thriller at its best. This novel is deeply nuanced and unfolds a layer at a time until the heart of the story is revealed. I couldn't put the book down. I'll think about this story and its flawed, complex characters for a long time. Loved it!

Many thanks to Avon Books and NetGalley for providing an ARC for review.

Woah! This was kind of creepy in a weird way.

Initially when I started reading this book, I found it slow and couldn't really understand which direction it was going in. But almost halfway into the book, the story kind of picked up and the ending was an unexpected twist!

Even though eventually I ended up liking this book, I couldn't relate to the main character, Fran and I struggled to understand her. I found her obsession with Charles extreme. He is married with children but she's just biding her time until he realises that they are meant to be together, then she'll be ready with open arms. So she keeps on observing and stalking him.

Overall, a good book but I just wish that the pace of the plot was consistent throughout.

Thank You to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC!!

This book was phenomenal! I'm never disappointed by Avon books - they always publish original and fantastic books.

'You and Me' was full of twists and turns, each one more shocking than the last. I saw absolutely none of it coming and was completely blindsided by the ending. I can't say too much without giving anything away because even the tiniest details in this novel are potential clues.

It is really hard to write a review without giving any real details, but let me just say that this novel is amazing - Nicola Rayner is a brilliant writer

I struggled getting into the book in the beginning. I found myself getting frustrated with Fran. As I continued reading though, I found myself trying to guess what was going to happen. About 70 percent into the book, it took a wicked turn and I found myself unable to put it down.

Wow that took some turns
Overall really good book and a bit of a page turner. If I'm honest I didn't really get Fran's whole obsession with Charles. And the references to and about 'mother' absolutely did my head in. But as I was reading it my 16 month old baby girl was lying on my chest sick and as I got to the end I became emotional and quite anxious imagining what Ellie must have been going through in those final days

I definitely did not see this ending coming! I felt very sad for Fran throughout the whole book. Her obsession with Charles was pretty insane and I’m kinda glad he turned out the way he did in the end. At times, I did feel it was a bit slow. I will definitely recommend this to readers who love thrillers. Thank you for letting me read this ARC!

A really fun and interesting read. I had an enjoyable time reading this and it held my attention the entire way through that I finished it within the day!

I just finished Nicole Rayner’s new book, You And Me. It was not what I expected and I mean that in the best way.

From the beginning, we know something strange is going on with Fran. She works at a bookshop and has a crush on someone she went to boarding school with. Oh, she’s 38 years old. Yes, she is still in love with someone from when she was much, much younger. They are somewhat in contact, through mutual friends.

One of these friends, a kid who bullied Fran, dies in a tragic accident. Fran doesn’t want to let anyone know she witnessed what happened, though. She was following Charles, the object of her affection that night. She wants to be with Charles in the worst way and spies on him frequently. It doesn’t matter that he has a wife and children.

Fran is also writing letters to her sister Ellie who has disappeared with her child after she and Fran have a fight. Fran wants to see the baby, Rose, and wants to see her sister again.

This complete novel is super creepy and leaves the reader feeling unsettled and anxious.

Take a look:

Watching sunrises together should have been romantic.

But you were always inside with your wife, and I sat in your garden, in the shadows.

I thought you’d never know how I felt about you.

Until one night, I witnessed a terrible crime.

I wanted it to bring us closer together.

But now the secrets are tumbling out.

And they could tear everything apart…

If you like your books creepy and dark, this is for you! I thought it was well done and enjoyed the unexpected twists!

This book comes out on October 1, you can pre-order it here!

I liked this book about Fran, who has been obsessed with Charles since school 20 years ago. The fact that he’s now married with two children doesn’t faze her. She leads a lonely life with her mother dead, and her sister travelling and only contactable by email. This really picked up towards the end and became quite gripping.

Great book, This is completely unpredictable and captured my attention very quickly.
I have devoured this book in just one sitting.
This is a book which I will be recommending highly.

Wonderful author I was drawn right into the story multi layered characters that come alive so so tense.Kept me up reading late into the night guessing ball the way.#netgalley#avonbooksuk.

This book started off slow for me but definitely picked up the pace towards the end. I liked the writing style but struggled with Fran’s character. At the beginning she seemed crazy and obsessed but towards the end she became a little more likeable. It was a quick read that held my attention with some curveballs I wasn’t expecting!

This was a good, twisty book that I couldn't put down. I stayed up until 1 in the morning to finish it because I needed to know what happened next. It was well plotted and well written.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this one. First, it wasn't all what I expected based on the summary. This isn't necessarily bad, but it is a very different book than the one teased. It started out super slow for me, and really remained that way until the last 25% or so. Even though there was a lot of different (and interesting!) things happening, it didn't feel like there was much of a plot. However, I thought the ending was great. I wish the rest of the book's pace was fast enough to compare to it.

I wanted to love this. I’ve been exclusively reading the genre. And I’ve yet to truly be let down.

This just didn’t quite make it for me.

It felt dragged out for the majority of the story.

The plot twist was easy to guess.

This book was amazing!!!!! I’m a sucker for a good psychological thriller and this did not disappoint!! The twists and turns and secrets were unreal and I had no idea what was going on! 5 stars for this fantastic read.

You and Me is a dark and twisty story. Although to me it starts out slow, it’s picks up speed in the last three or four chapters. It was interesting and I liked the surprise ending. Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for the e-ARC of this book in return for my honest opinion.

Do you remember Rachel Watson, the protagonist from The Girl On The Train? How about Eleanor Oliphant (who, by the way, 'Is Completely Fine')? Now add a splash of Joe from Caroline Kepnes' book, You, and you have Fran, whose eyes we see through in Nicola Rayner's latest thriller, You and Me.

Fran is socially awkward. Fran is lovesick. Fran is an outsider.

Fran is scarred from her time at boarding school, as is her younger sister, who she hasn't spoken to in years. Her only happy memories from that time are of Charles, the most popular boy in school and the man Fran knows is the one for her. He may be married with children but she's just biding her time until he realises they are meant to be, then she'll be ready with open arms.

As Fran observes him discreetly one night, she witnesses a tragic accident, But what if the incident wasn't so accidental? As those involved in some way with Fran's school ordeals all those years ago begin to encroach into her life again, Fran finds herself trapped in a web of deceit and her own lies.

Fran doesn't know who to trust. Fran doesn't know she's in danger.

I loved the understated way in which Fran's character traits and history are gradually revealed to the reader. There is little fanfare with these insights and yet they have a huge impact on the reader's perspective of Fran. There were times when I disliked her and pitied her but there were times when I rooted for her too. Some readers may prefer their psychological thrillers with more of a high octane pace but this novel is ideal for those who like the more insidious drips of discomfort leading towards the final shocking truth.

I'm struggling to say a lot in this review because I want other readers to experience the twists, turns and shocks for themselves! I think this will be a love it or hate it novel but I am firmly in the love it camp. I'll be recommending it to all my friends and followers as one of my top five reads of the year.

You And Me By Nicola Rayner is a book to remember!
This book blew me away with its shocking storyline.
I couldn't tell you the last time I read a book this good!

Thank You NetGalley and Publisher for this great read!

I am just finding my feet with thrillers and thank netgalley and the author for the advanced copy in exchange for a review.
Easy to follow and the writing style was good. I struggled with the slow pace at the start and was glad when the book sped up.