"I am a woman who has a daughter. I am a woman who had a daughter. Both these things are true. I live in the past; I survive in the present."

Ava only left Abi alone for a few moments. But that was all it took for the two-year-old to wander off and vanish. She didn't realise she'd left the front door open or that she could unbuckle herself from her pushchair. She didn't know she would never see her again.

A year later Ava is struggling to accept her daughter's death and to live with the guilt she carries. When their neighbours invite them to their housewarming party, her husband Matt convinces her to go, saying it is time they start to rebuild their lives. But that night Ava discovers something that changes everything she thought she knew about the day Abi disappeared and makes her look at those around her in a new light.

Could the truth about her daughter's disappearance actually be more sinister than she believed?

"Second by second. Beat by beat. A metronome keeps time for the frantic melody of my life's unravelling. I watch myself from above. I shout out the things I should have done, places I should have looked, the order in which I should have done it all."

This was one of those books that I knew you're going to love immediately. The author drew me in from the first pages with her melodic prose that oozes with panic, fear and despair as she recalls the moment she found Abi was missing and frantically searched for her. She looks back scathingly at the decisions she made and the mistakes she sees as costing her daughter's life.

After that night at the party, the tension rises as Ava notices the inconsistencies and begins to doubt the things she believed about Abi's disappearance. A cloud of suspicion now hangs over those she never suspected as small details begin to reveal a dark and horrifying picture. As I approached the jaw-dropping finale, my heart was in my throat and I got book whiplash from all the twists and turns.

"It is simply that the party has pulled the plug on the weird, stagnant pond of our lives, has drained the water from details half submerged, which lie now in the shallows, exposed."

Compelling, heartbreaking and harrowing, this was impossible to put down. Lynes is a master of stories that have you on the edge of your seat but also full of heart.

Don't miss this sensational thriller.

There are few words to encompass the brevity of this novel. S.E. Lynes puts forth a unique writing style and touches on the breadth of humanity all within the pages of this mystery. The story unfolds in a simultaneous “before and after” timeline with a fantastic cast of characters. Highly recommended. 5 stars

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC of #TheHousewarming which was read and reviewed voluntarily.

#readmorebooks #readreviewrepeat #bookstagram #bookblogs #booktweets #bookish #booklove #booksontour #TeamBookouture #bookit #bookoutureanonymous

Ava put her daughter Abi in the pushchair for merely five minutes as she rushed back upstairs to the bathroom. And when she returned back, her daughter is missing. Ava blames herself for her daughter's disappearance and refuses to move on until she and her husband Matt were invited to a housewarming party, hosted by the Lovegood family. Then at the party, some secrets starts emerging...

I really liked the pace of the story. The emotional feelings that Ava is going through is realistic as she is struggling to move on, even she has another child, Fred. The story parts are sad as how Ava's sudden disappearance put a toll on Ava's marriage with Matt as well as Ava's relationship with the neighbors, Bella and Neil and others. The feel of guilt that Ava is experiencing seemed real. The story is fast paced, making the reader hooked into the story. The first part was a bit boring but towards the middle until the end, at the party only some twists and turns start to happen with secrets revealing and lies and betrayal. Overall, this is actually an emotional family drama with a thriller in it. The ending was literally sad though it was good.

Overall it was a heartwarming story. Worth four stars!

Such an exquisite book. As a parent, it was very painful to read even though my "child" is grown. Who hasn't had that horrible God-awful feeling in your stomach when you can't find your child for even a minute in the grocery store. And oh the guilts we put on ourselves as parents. It's all here in this book. Told so well and the ending is not expected at all. I love all Ms. Lynes' books and this had me enthralled once again with her writing.

This book was not quite what I expected; originally thinking it was going to be a domestic thriller with a twist ending, it ended up being more like a domestic drama, centring around the death of a child. A dark dramatic study of grief and pain, The Housewarming tells the story of Ava and Matt, two parents who a year later, still wonder what happened to their daughter, Abi. Ava only left her for a minute to go upstairs when she disappeared out of the house. Their neighbours are throwing a housewarming party to show off their kitchen renovation, and it is at that party where secrets will come out and pieces of the puzzle start to come together. I really enjoyed the perspectives of both Matt and Ava, seeing them as characters with flaws, and I liked the flashbacks in time - it helped flesh out the bond that they had with their closest friends, Neil and Bella. I liked also that the housewarming party served as the catalyst for bringing everything together. I'm not sure the book is as "page turning" as the ads have you believe - I found it a bit slow at the beginning, but once I got into it, I did want to find out what happened that day. I did figure out the twist ending, and the suspense was more of a slow burn, then "heart racing" (as claimed on the back of the book). Immensely sad, with a study of pain and the fracture of relationships, The Housewarming wasn't the pulse pounding thriller I expected, which makes it harder to figure out exactly how I feel about the book. Thank you to Bookoutre and NetGalley for the Advanced Readers’ Copy!

An amazing thriller that keeps readers interest from the first chapter to the really, really unforeseen ending. Using a cast of well defined characters centered around a couple whose 2 yr old disappeared while her mother was distracted, SE Lyons spins a well thought out, uniquely told story. In the year since, there has been no information brought forth that would help find the child. The parents have each managed their grief and anxiety in different ways but the strain has damaged their marriage. Enter the housewarming......

Life for everyone in the neighborhood has gone on as usual, it wasn't their child who disappeared. The neighbors are having a party to show off the renovation of their home. Everyone in the neighborhood is invited. It's the first time since their child disappeared that the couple has socialized....understandable, right? Yet, during this casual gathering, clues will come to light that may bring out some truths that will change everything.

I'm being purposely vague because you really do need to read this book and draw your own conclusions. The surprise at the end will have you turning back pages to see where you missed the obvious clues and I don't want to take any of that surprise away. This is a really good book made even better by the ending. The Housewarming starts a little slow but builds steam, just like a train, until the story is moving so quickly, you'll stay up long after that "one more chapter and I'll turn off the light" has become "I can't sleep until I finish it".

The Homecoming by S,E. Lynes is a heartstopping psychological thriller that had me on edge the entire book. Ava's daughter, Abi, has gone missing and the story slowly unfolds. Who may know what happened to Abi?

I was so hoping things were different in this story. It’s so sad yet intriguing.

Things aren’t always as they appear to be and some things are unspeakable. How well do you know your neighbors? What about your friends? Do you trust them with your life? What about with your children’s lives?

This story will make you question everyone you hold dear.

I enjoyed this book very much and from the first chapter, I could not put it down. It might be one of those "slow burners" books and I would point that out as it's only flaw, in my opinion. Although it's not a fast paced thriller (as I usually like them), it has many levels to it. I loved the relationship between the characters and their development.
The twist(s) at the end were the perfect icing on the cake.
I recomend this book to anyone looking for a slow paced thriller!

The Housewarming is a brilliant psychological thriller that has left me absolutely gobsmacked! And I have no idea how I’m going to do it justice in a review! S.E. Lynes has a talent for building her books on the emotions of her well drawn characters but she has excelled herself here with a storyline that really doesn’t go the way you are expecting it to! I thought I knew exactly what had happened to Abi, the little girl who disappeared out of her front door and was never seen again, but I was so far from the truth that it’s embarrassing!

The Housewarming refers to a party given by the Lovegoods who live next door to Matt and Ava. It’s been over a year since Ava went upstairs, only to find her daughter gone when she came back downstairs. The police have scaled down their search for the little girl but a chance comment at the party thrown by their new neighbours is about to light the fuse on an explosive revelation that will affect everything they believed was true…

This is a beautifully written, expressive book that gave me goosebumps. I actually felt quite intrusive at times, as though I were a fly on the wall, listening to private conversations that weren’t meant for my ears. The grief and guilt that emanated from Ava especially, but also other characters, often felt too painful and uncomfortable to acknowledge. Never actually knowing what has happened to your child must be so much worse as the brain seems programmed to imagine the most painful and horrific scenarios, which must far exceed the reality. And Matt and Ava have very different coping strategies for their grief that are tearing them apart as a couple-a very common problem as very few couples who have suffered an unexplained loss of a young child stay together in the long term. It’s an understandable problem but with Matt and Ava their characters were so perfectly attuned that I felt terribly sad at the loss of their closeness and that’s because they were brought alive so well by the insightful exploration of their relationship.

I loved The Housewarming. It was compelling reading from start to finish with a stunning and beautifully crafted ending that brought me to tears. I can highly recommend it!

I've never read any books by S.E Lynes but this will definitely change. Every parents worst nightmare, their daughter is missing. I was right there with all their fears and worries. Just heartbreaking. So many twists and turns. The alternative view points just kept me turning the pages. Couldn't put it down.

I’ve read three other novels by S.E. Lynes so when I spotted this one I thought I'd give it a whirl. The Housewarming is a tense and hard-hitting domestic thriller.

Ava and her architect husband Matt have a two-year-old daughter, Abi. Once Ava and Abi have waved Matt off for work one morning they decide to go and feed the ducks at the Thames. Once ready, with Abi secure in her pushchair downstairs, Ava realises she has forgotten her phone. She nips back for it taking slightly longer than she had anticipated, but when she arrives back, the pushchair is empty and the locked front door is ajar. A year later, the Lovegoods next door are having a party to show off their newly renovated house and all of the neighbours have been invited including Matt and Ava. Though Ava is reluctant, Matt persuades her to go and her friends and as the drink and gossip flows, Ava learns something new about the day she has constantly relived...

As a habitual reader of novels by Susie Lynes, I couldn't wait to get started on The Housewarming. It was equally as good as the others I've read, such as The Women and Can You See Her? Thrillers are one of my favourite genres and this one was a captivating read.

The Housewarming was artfully narrated through different characters. The clarity of Susie Lynes' writing made it an easy story-line to follow, and the evenly paced, tense, and twisty plot went down a treat as it ambled along. The author's writing is of a variety that any thriller fan can appreciate -first class - and she was able to create a tone of remorse that continued until the very last page. The Housewarming was a mesmerising story incorporating themes of loss, grief and guilt, mental instability and the need for closure.

The part of Ava was ingeniously created by the author, whose personality was complex and intriguing. I loved the way the finer points of the story were drip-fed to the reader as the story built to an unpredictable conclusion. The added emotional tension helped to make The Housewarming a masterpiece. My thanks must go to S.E. Lynes for writing such a heart-wrenching, awesome book! 😊

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Bookouture via NetGalley at my request, and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

This was a slow burn read. The slow burn writing style is perfect for this novel, it set the pace so the reader was able to truly feel Ava’s heartache and grief.

Each chapter gives you a different perspective of the events by switching between Ava and Matt. The chapters also jump between past and present. While it is a slow burn the book does pick up and adds some twists and turns along the way that keep you hooked.

The representation of trauma and loss was well done. I felt what the characters were feeling. The author does an incredible job of building tension, my heart racing as I read the chapters when Ava’s emotions were at their peak.

The author brings you into the story with her incredible writing.

This book is devastating, but it keeps your eyes glued to the pages. It’s hard to put down after a couple of chapters because you need to know what’s really going on.

The Housewarming is beautifully written and I believe it’s worth the read.

BOOKWORMS REVIEW:
Yet another terrific read from Susie Lynes. The story of every parents worst nightmare.
Ava and Matt live in a lovely area. They have great friends,are happily married with a bubbly 2 year old girl,Abi. Upon arriving home one day Ava leaves the strapped in Abi alone in the pram for a few minutes while she runs upstairs. The quiet child gave Ava reason to believe she had nodded off and so she did some chores upstairs and had a quick look on her phone. She was 10 minutes tops.
Enough time for a not sleeping toddler to walk out of the open front door and away from her family for good.

How had Ava left her door open?And the buggy unclasped? Is that something Abi could do now...open it?
Did she wander off or was she taken? These and dozens more questions would haunt Ava for the next year.

Present day and their neighbours are throwing a housewarming party which Ava does not want to attend but feels she should,if for no one else,for her husband. Matt,like herself is a shell of his former self and despite having a baby boy now,they cant move on from the tragedy thrust on their family a year ago. If only they had some,any answers.

Little does she know,but going to that party might just start the ball rolling in that respect.
Will they ever find out what happened to their beautiful girl?
And when they do....will they ever recover from it!

A dramatic,tense,and heart wrenching story of loss,hope,friendships and secrets. This one will keep you guessing and maybe like me,you wont even see the truth coming!

With Thanks to S.E Lynes,the team at Bookouture Publishers, and Netgalley for an ARC in return for my honest review.

MY RATING: 📕📕📕📕📕

The Housewarming by S.E. Lynes

Your little girl went missing
You looked high and low
Your neighbors looked, too
Your daughter is gone
You need closure
But, a year later
Everyone says to move on
And yet you can’t give up without answers…
…no matter what

Slow to start and still moving slowly over halfway in I admit I skimmed a fair bit till the story picked up. I had trouble relating to the characters and am not sure why. I would hate to have been Ava carrying the guilt of a year without her daughter and feeling she was in some way responsible. I felt sorry for both Ava and her husband, Matt, for having lost their daughter. I did find there was a great deal of repetition in those early pages but perhaps it served the purpose to lay the foundation of just how numbing and depleting the search for a child gone missing can be.

I could understand why Ava would not be thrilled to go to a neighborhood party while still wondering what had happened to her daughter but go she did and that began the beginning of the unraveling of the mystery of what happened and where little Abi might be.

This story dealt with love, loss, lies, family, friendship and more. I don’t want to give anything away so will leave it there.

Did I enjoy this book? Sort of though it is dark and during a pandemic dark is not easy to read
Would I read more by this author? I believe I would

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 Stars

SE Lynes is such a talented author and The Housewarming is yet another superb, intriguing and brilliant thriller.
Ava and Matt are the parents to two year old Abi when she goes missing. She was strapped into her pushchair when Ava popped upstairs for a moment before she was about to take her to the park. But she was not there when Ava returned. What happened to Abi? We join Ava and Matt a year later and they now have their three month old son, Fred. Abi is still missing and they are not sure if Abi is dead or alive. What happened to Abi?
A brilliantly crafted novel which had me want to savour every word and yet at the same time race through to find out what had happened to Abi.
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the book I needed to make up for the last book that was such a disappointment. I think what I liked most about this was the framework. Limited number of characters - 6 main ones - and that it had a central plot with very few offshoots. It was mindless in structure but very satisfying. Everything that happened was directly connected to the "mystery" of the story - what happened to Abi? Nothing distracted from that main focus. Which nothing should if a child is truly missing. Once the author started revealing what had led to that fateful, the hits just kept coming. Jaw-dropping revelations that are exactly what I've been spoiled into expecting. Well done S.E. Lynes. I don't believe I've read anything from you before but look forward to reading anything you write. Thank you to Bookouture/Netgalley for the advanced copy of this. I will certainly be recommending it to others!

Ava had only left her daughter in her pushchair for a couple of minutes. She had been buckled in. But when she comes back downstairs, Abi was gone. A year later, the Lovegoods throw a party to show off the results of their renovation. Ava doesn't want to go the place where Abi had vanished. Her husband, Matt tells her that a night out will do her the world of good. Surrounded by her friends and neighbours chatting, Abi catches a throwaway comment that could change everything.

You really feel Ava's emotions flowing from the pages of this well written book. Ava blames herself for what happened to Abi. There's plenty of twists and suspense in this gripping page turner. Abi's mind keeps replaying the events that took place that day. The story flips back and forth to before Abi went missing and forward to the present day. The pace is sready in this heartbreaking story.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #Bookouture and the author #SELynes for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

(3.5 stars)

It's been a year since young Abi was missing from the neighbourhood in Teddington. Ava only left her young daughter in the pushchair for five minutes to check on her phone and by the time she returned, she found the door of their house opened and Abi was nowhere to be seen. No one had seen her on that fateful day and till present, her body was never found, leaving Ava and her husband, Matt, in unresolved grief and the difficulty of not knowing.

When their neighbour, the Lovegoods family, decided to throw a housewarming party after their renovation project, Ava doesn't want to go as she doesn't know the Lovegoods well on top of her grieving. Matt eventually managed to get her to go; plus their good friends, Bella and Neil, are invited too. And little do they know that the party would be the beginning of a catastrophe as no one could imagine a little throwaway comment would lead to distrust and suspicion among the couples. Is it really Ava's negligence that is the cause of Abi's disappearance? Or did someone know more than that but is not telling?

I've to say The Housewarming is a combination of mystery and domestic drama more than a psychological thriller as it focus more on the dynamics between Ava and Matt, as well as their good friends, Bella and Neil. We also read about Ava's emotional behaviours and how her life has been ever since Abi went missing. It's a nightmare for every parents, and Ava's fear and anxiety was palpable throughout the book though it could be seen as slow pace and repetitive to some. The tension was then raised towards the middle as suspicion started to pile up, and this is where things started to get a bit exciting and there are moments that will make you reflect and think about how one's decision made under a circumstances might change the course of events thereafter. While the story isn't what I expected, it was an emotional-gripping book that made me feel for the characters.

The Housewarming is the latest domestic thriller from SE Lynes and is a tense and hard-hitting read. It's an ordinary day and Ava and her two-year-old daughter, Abi, wave father Matt off as he leaves for his job as an architect. Ava and Abi feel like a morning walk and intend to go and feed the ducks nearby but before they arrive at the Thames, Abi takes a tumble out of her pushchair and they return home to clean up her grazed hands and knees. Once ready with Abi safely and securely strapped into her pram and with the bread to feed the ducks in one hand and Mr Sloth, the toy she takes everywhere with her in the other, Ava takes the opportunity to quickly nip upstairs to use the bathroom and grab her phone. Having been longer than she anticipated as she had been distracted by social media, Ava descends the stairs to find the pushchair empty and the front door she thought she had locked wide open. And so begins a panicked search for the missing toddler with Ava beginning to lose her mind. She searches the house then begins to search outside and at their neighbours’ but with no success, she calls Matt and they realise they will have to involve the police.

One year later, with Abi still missing, the Lovegoods, Matt and Ava's neighbours, are holding a housewarming party. Ava has become a recluse since her daughter disappeared and has been beating herself up every day wishing she had never gone upstairs. Playing it over and over in her head is driving her crazy so Matt persuades her to attend the party. But secrets start to slip out when the attendees become loose-lipped due to alcohol. Do the neighbours know more than they are letting on? This is a heart-wrenching, emotional and captivating read which portrays the grief of the parents authentically and realistically. You really feel for them both but especially Ava who has become a shell of her former self. It held my attention from beginning to end, and I was eager to know exactly how it would end and what exactly happened to Abi. I would say that this is more aptly described as women's fiction/chick-lit than a thriller, per se, and it's much more emotionally resonant than thrilling or exciting. Lynes has penned a terrifyingly realistic read which will move all those who pick it up. Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.