Rating: 4.5 🍷 🍷 🍷 🍷1/2
Book: The Stranger in my Bed
AVAILABLE NOW- Released YESTERDAY November 23, 2020
Author: Karen King
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
⚠️ Trigger warning

Sipping Synopsis: An accident or attempted murder? Who is the dangerous one? Freya? Phil? After Phil loses the last 2 years of his life and coincidentally the entire time of his marriage, Freya thinks it could be a new start. But who is telling the truth? Should Freya stay or leave? I sped through this book because I just had to know who was telling the truth. I picked a side and stayed with it the entire time even though King made me second guess myself quite a few times. I was incredibly mad at pretty much every character in this book because of their actions.

Final sipping thoughts: This book is such a gripping, full of suspense psychological thriller. If you have read a few thrillers in your time, then you probably will figure out a few of the twists but it does not lessen the journey’s enjoyment. The last page, the last reveal was everything!! I enjoyed reading the author’s note and her message to readers about the content of the book (not to give away anything). This is also King’s first thriller…slow clap!! This book is a must read that you can fly through! Let me know what you think!

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley, @KarenKingThrillers and @Bookouture for an advanced copy of @TheStrangerInMyBed

#TheStrangerInMyBed #KarenKingThrillers #Bookouture #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #AmazonReads #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #bookreviewer

This book was decent but very predictable. There were no surprises or twists for me. The writing was good, just needed my twists and oh my gosh moments!

I was excited to read this book based on the blurb but it didn’t live up to its expectations. It’s actually very easily predictable and I can’t agree with the protagonists choices. Overall a decent read but not impressive.

It didn’t really hit at being a psychological thriller for me but the book had good pace and all loose ends were tied up at the end. I got a bit bored a few times with the angst of Freya and didn’t warm to many of the characters.

Freya is sitting with her husband, Phil, in the hospital. He has been in a serious accident and is unconscious. The brakes on his car had failed and he hit a truck. They had just had an argument before Phil stormed out of the house resulting in the accident. When he finally awakens, it appears he has lost memory of the last 2 years.

When they first met, it was love at first sight and Phil proposed 6 months later. Now, they have been married for 2 years. Phil works as a part time lecturer at a college and Freya has a demanding full time job.

As Phil heals and is finally home, Freya does what she can to help him. He is very needy and demands that she stay home with him. Her sister, Daisy, is married to a good man named Mark and are the parents of 6-year-old twins. Daisy has offered to help her as much as she needs.

Freya is not sure if Phil remembers the abuse he had delivered to her over the last 2 years and while trying to help him and offer sympathy, she is also afraid of him and rightly so.

As Phil tries to regain his memory, his temper remains the same. But other things such as his cheating on Freya and his temper from the past with others are coming to light. Should Freya try to stay with him until he is better, or should she flee?

The plot of this book is quite good, however, I felt it needed a good editor. There are some repetitive statements that needed deletion as well as some punctuation work. But this is an unedited book and I will overlook those things and base my rating on the story itself. Therefore, I give it 4 stars.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A stranger in my bed is a story of an abusive relationship/marriage. Freya and Phil get married after a quick courtship and life isnt all roses like the ones Phil gifts Freya every weekend. Freya has packed her bag ready to leave Phil, after staying for 2 years in an abusive marriage, when she receives a call telling her that Phil has met with an accident. When Phil comes to, he has lost 2 years of his memory. Freya wonders if she should stay and this time around things might be different.
There is someone else who is out to get Phil because he keeps getting anonymous letters threatening to expose him.
The story talks about abusive relationships, manipulation and infidelity. A well paced story. Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC

The Stranger in My Bed by Karen King is a psychological thriller with domestic suspense at its core. After a whirlwind romance, Birmingham University lecturer and journalist Phil Keegan and Freya Swinton, a marketing consultant get married. But very soon Phil changes from a seemingly kind and loving partner into a physically and mentally abusive brute. The couple met by chance in a busy coffee shop and initially Phil isn't happy about sharing his table with Freya but they swiftly begin to exchange small talk and he is blown away by her loveliness so they swap mobile numbers. Two years later, Freya is planning to leave Phil but then he has a serious car accident. Freya rushes to her husband's bedside after being informed by the police of the car crash. When she learns that he can't remember anything about their past 2 years together, and his memories relate back to when their marriage was perfect, she decides to give him another chance...

Karen King's hard-hitting, devastating look at the havoc abuse can wreak on those subjected to it was so compulsive. This well-written novel had sinister undertones running all the way through and I really felt for Freya and her situation, choosing to do what many of us would not. A riveting, emotional and absorbing read from the beginning to its conclusion.

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

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Karen King's debut psychological thriller THE STRANGER IN MY BED.

WOW! What a thrill ride! I simply devoured this book in a matter of hours not knowing who was lying, who was telling the truth and who was bluffing. This one had me blinkered till not quite the end and - BAM! Everything fell into place and it all started to make sense. But holy moly...this is one addictive read!!

The story opens with an unidentified person watching the subject of their hate storm out of the house, unlock his car and drive off at speed. They follow him...watching, waiting...wanting to see the moment he realises the brakes on his car have failed and he can't stop. And then - BOOM! They watch as the lorry pulls out of a side road and smash into his car. And though they don't want anyone else to get hurt...they hope HE dies.

When Freya first met Phil, she thought he was the man of her dreams. He bought her different coloured roses to signify his love and showed her affection like she had never known before. Within a few months, they jet-setted to Barbados where they married and honeymooned and enjoyed the first two weeks of married bliss. Freya could not be happier.

But over time that dream became a violent nightmare. Their last row was over a holiday he surprised her with to Dubai, expecting her to drop everything and take the next week off. When Freya told him she was in the middle of a big presentation for a major client and couldn't leave now, Phil switched from loving husband to a raging monster in a matter of seconds. Accusing her of being a selfish cow who spoiled for a fight every time he tried to do something nice, of always pushing his buttons, before throwing the newly presented roses in the vase that had been a wedding present at her hitting the wall and smashing into pieces on impact. He then stormed out of the house, jumped in his car and sped away.

Freya knew now she had to get away. He was never going to change; he just became more unpredictable and more violent that she now feared for her safety. Packing her bags and stuffing them into the boot of her Ford Fiesta, she is about to leave their broken marriage when the police knock on her door. Phil has been involved in an horrific car accident and has been transported to hospital in a coma.

Now three days later, Freya sits at his bedside hoping and praying that he will wake up. She may not want to remain married to him but she doesn't want him dead. Her older sister Daisy has been a real support to her, sitting with her and driving her to the hospital. Although the sisters have never really been close, Freya doesn't know what she would have done without Daisy over the last few days. Then when Phil regains consciousness it soon becomes clear that he remembers nothing since their blissful honeymoon...two years ago. Is his amnesia real? Or is he faking it?

He senses Freya's reticence and is troubled by it but all he wants is to be happily married again. However, Freya knows that giving him another chance could be dangerous. But Phil needs her...she can't leave him now. Is it possible they can start over again? She has never confided in anyone about the abuse she has suffered at Phil's hands and thinks it's time to ask her sister for her thoughts. Daisy tells her that if Phil is indeed violent, she should not ever go back. But Freya can see the man she fell in love with. Maybe he is a changed man and the fact that he can no longer remember the horrible times in their marriage means that they can start again. Besides, he needs her just now. She can't just leave him when he is so vulnerable and has no idea why. But Daisy has her promise that at the first sign of violence she must leave.

Meanwhile, the police are investigating the car accident and have discovered that the brakes have been tampered with. Someone wanted Phil injured...or worse still, to die. But who?

When Phil comes home, the couple work at rebuilding their lives together...all the while Freya keeping an eye out for the return of his previous disturbing and abusive behaviour. But then strange things start happening. The back doors are found open one morning and Freya thinks the stress in trying to recall his forgotten memories has caused Phil to begin sleepwalking again. When they are found open again a few more times, Freya continues to put it down to sleepwalking...but Phil knows it isn't. Upon every occasion the doors have been found open, Phil has then found a note left for him in his study. Threatening notes saying "You will pay for what you did" and the like. But there is no sign of a break-in, which means someone has a key to their home. Feeling especially uneasy, he convinces Freya they should invest in a bolt for the doors...to stop him from opening them in the night.

So who is coming into their home at night? Watching them sleep? Leaving threatening notes? Is it the same person who sabotaged his brakes? If only he could remember, he might be able to recall any enemies.

However, not all is as it seems. Everything is smoke and mirrors and you start to wonder who is the abuser and who is the victim? What secrets are they trying to hide? As Phil begins to recover from his injuries is he also beginning to recover his lost memories? Or did he never lose them to begin with? As secrets start to come to light, the past comes back to haunt them leaving Freya with some major decisions to make. But has she left it too long?

My first thought as Freya gives her marriage a second chance is that she's deluded...but then I remember when I was in the same situation and I know that it is never as simple as that. She genuinely loves her husband and wants the man she married back and is hopeful that his amnesia will give them both that second chance. But what happens if and when Phil's memories start to return? What happens when she does something or says something he doesn't agree with? What happens when she sees that rage build in him again and another row ensues? What happens when that row becomes violent and he begins to blame her for his bursts of anger again? Can she excuse them as his frustration at his lost memories? Or will she see them for what they are? But by then will it be too late to leave him?

The cycle of abuse is the same in any language. They row, he accuses her of imagined slights, they row some more, he becomes violent, she cries, he apologises - usually with bouquets of roses - and she forgives him...again. And so it continues. Abuse comes in many forms and in Phil it is manipulative and coercive control that leaves Freya feeling that she is to blame for his temper. After all, she's the only one who does this to him...so he says.

BUT in an interesting twist, he has told Daisy that Freya was the abuser and HE was fearful of HER. Since he has no recollection of the past two years, he wonders could this actually be true? And so, Phil begins to keep things from Freya wondering if he can truly trust her. Or is that just an act?

Usually I can sense who is up to no good and who is may be doing what but THE STRANGER IN MY BED had me flummoxed. I couldn't trust either Freya or Phil as I honestly wasn't sure which one of them was telling the truth...or if they both were. I did tend to side with Freya, as a former domestic abuse victim myself, and found her to be more believable. But then it wouldn't be a psychological thriller if the possibilty of her actually being the abuser wasn't considered either...just to turn things on their head a little. In the end, I wasn't sure who to believe, although my spidey senses told me not to trust Phil. And then that had me questioning if his amnesia was real or not. It was a complete mind***!

Despite being a slow burn, I was hooked from the absolute beginning, as the story generated enough tension and suspense throughout to keep me engaged as I tried to nitpick my way through the debris of Freya and Phil's marriage. As I pondered the two mysteries within this story - the one surrounding the alleged abuse and that of the unidentified person who watched and waited until the right time to reveal themselves - I couldn't wait to see how the two stories would collide.

Told in the narratives of Freya and Phil initially and the sporadic inclusion of the mysterious watcher, we also get Daisy's perspective further down the track as THE STRANGER IN MY BED is tightly woven into a tangled web of secrets, lies and abuse. I had my suspicions throughout about a character or two which in part turned out to be correct. But I was still discombobulated about who was actually telling the truth. Many others have claimed there to be no real twist but final summation does give us a rather stunning reveal, which I found to be a clever twist.

When I turned the final page on my kindle I let out of sigh of WOW! What a book! I was left breathless throughout most of the book and by the time I read those final words...I was speechless.

The author may be knew to this genre but I believe she has perfected it well. Ditch the romance and keep churning out these thrillers. If THE STRANGER IN MY BED is anything to go by, Karen King has a promising future as a psychological thriller author. I look forward to seeing what she can WOW us with next!

I would like to thank #KarenKing, #NetGalley, #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheStrangerInMyBed in exchange for an honest review.

The Stranger in My Bed is King’s first foray into writing psychological thrillers and at its heart, this is a domestic suspense novel. After a whirlwind romance part-time Birmingham University lecturer and journalist Phil Keegan and marketing consultant for graphic design firm IPA, Freya Swinton, who are both smitten with each other, decide to wed in haste, and we all know what a big mistake that can be. They settle into married life but it doesn't take long for the cracks to show and for Phil to change from a seemingly kind and loving partner into a physically and mentally abusive monster. And to top it all off he not only gaslights her but plays the victim too, like so many abusive narcissists. They met in a chance encounter in a coffee shop and had to share a table as there wasn't much space. Phil had been busy writing an article for the local Telegraph newspaper that was due to be published the following day. At first, he isn't best pleased when Freya asks if the seat is taken but they swiftly begin to exchange small talk and he is struck by her jade-gree eyes, chestnut locks and bright red lips.

They exchange numbers and, as they say, the rest is history. Fast forward to 2 years into their married life and Freya has plucked up the courage to leave her awful husband but before she can he has a serious car accident. The book opens with a prologue written from the perspective of an unnamed character who claims to have stripped the brakes of his BMW in order to precipitate a crash and kill him. Freya rushes to her husband's bedside after being informed by the police and told his car has been totalled. She decides to give him another chance when she finds he can't remember anything about their past 2 years together, but can a leopard really change its spots? This is a hard-hitting, compelling and devastating look at the havoc abuse can wreak on those subjected to it and the lasting trauma and damage domestic abuse can really do. It's well written, twisty and there's an underlying sense of sinister tension throughout the narrative. I really felt for Freya and her dire situation, she was so likeable and the humanity she shows when the man she hates is injured is incredible. An absorbing, emotional and compulsive read from beginning to end.

We have a patient who has been involved in a serious accident. We believe he’s your husband.’

When Freya first met Phil, she thought he was the man of her dreams. He bought her roses every week, booked surprise trips to sun-soaked destinations, and showed her affection like she’d never experienced before. But over time the dream had become a violent nightmare. And now Freya is packing her bags, knowing it’s time she escaped their increasingly broken marriage.

But then Freya gets a visit from the police. Phil’s been in a horrific car crash and – as he comes around – it becomes clear that he remembers nothing since their blissful honeymoon two years before, back when their relationship was perfect. All he wants is to be happily married again.

Freya knows giving him another chance could be dangerous. But now he’s the one who needs her, it’s a chance to turn the tables, and to change the outcome of their relationship once and for all. After all, he will only know what she chooses to tell him…

But what really happened during those two years of marriage? And as they start over again, who is safe? And whose life is in danger?

This was a very well written book. But the story was boring. The first 25% if this book was just the main character repeatedly questioning herself about leaving her husband and if he can change.
The story picked up a bit after the husband got out of hospital with a few what’s going on moments. But they were not enough to hold my attention.
There was no major plot twists and the ending was rushed and flat.

Karen King’s first psychological domestic thriller gets a big thumbs up from me! This book had me hooked from the prologue right up until the last page.
A story of a couple caught up in a toxic, abusive relationship. The husband is involved in an accident and loses his most recent memories.
Lots of twists and turns where you don’t know which of the central characters are being deceitful and you find your opinion changing often.
Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and of course the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fans of The Girl on the Train, Behind Closed Doors and Date Night, who are looking for a dark, gripping psychological suspense novel, will love The Stranger in My Bed.

‘We have a patient who has been involved in a serious accident. We believe he’s your husband.’



Synopsis:

When Freya first met Phil, she thought he was the man of her dreams. He bought her roses every week, booked surprise trips to sun-soaked destinations, and showed her affection like she’d never experienced before. But over time the dream has become a violent nightmare. And now Freya is packing her bags, knowing it’s time she escaped their increasingly broken marriage.

But then Freya gets a visit from the police. Phil’s been in a horrific car crash and – as he comes around – it becomes clear that he remembers nothing since their blissful honeymoon two years before, back when their relationship was perfect. All he wants is to be happily married again.

Freya knows giving him another chance could be dangerous. But now he’s the one who needs her, it’s a chance to turn the tables, and to change the outcome of their relationship once and for all. After all, he will only know what she chooses to tell him…

But what really happened during those two years of marriage? And as they start over again, who is safe? And whose life is in danger?

Fans of The Girl on the Train, Behind Closed Doors and Date Night, who are looking for a dark, gripping psychological suspense novel, will love The Stranger in My Bed.

My thoughts:

This was a very intense book. It was about abuse, affairs, not being there for others the way you should be. About family, trust, honor, children.

I did not like Phil at all. Not one tiny bit. I found him to be a big bully and very self-centered. He only cared about himself. He may have been in an accident. He may have lost two years. But he didn't learn a thing. He still lied, bullied, cheated and was very destructive. He was a very unlikable person.

It was kind of hard for me to like Freya also. I found her to be very weak. I know it happens in this type of relationship but at first it appeared she was a strong woman. One who didn't mind voicing her opinion. One who stood up for what she believed. That didn't last at all. But near the very end I did like her. I felt so bad for her for all she went through, Not just with Phil but also her mother and sister. I did figure out what was up with the sister by the way. Not good Daisy. Not good at all. I did not like Freya's mother either. Seems she though Phil was better than her own daughter. But then you only hear a bit from her and she's never mentioned again. It's like she was forgotten....

I like when I read a book and learn new words. This one didn't disappoint with that either. There were several words that I know but didn't think of until they appeared here. That's always a plus with reading.

The characters in this book are not really likable. They are very annoying and you will get frustrated with them over and over again. Even hate a couple of them. Lots of secrets are revealed when you find out who did it. Don't get me wrong, it's a good read. Just very aggravating in many places and unlikable characters. There is not a lot of descriptions in it either. I did enjoy reading it and finding out who did what to whom and why. I didn't blame the villain in this book. Not at all. Sometimes you get what you deserve.

It had great potential and like I said, I did enjoy it. But there were things left unanswered for me. People just forgotten. Phil's whole family for instance and Freya's mom. To me they were strong characters in the story yet after you meet them they are not mentioned again.

I received a copy of this from #NetGalley, #Bookouture. This is my own thoughts and feelings about this book.

I am giving this book a 3.5/5 stars. I say read it if you want and come to your own conclusions.
Review on other places will get posted tomorrow when it's published.

OMG YES YES YES and YES to this book! All the yeses! I really enjoyed this book if you hadn’t guessed. It was something else. A husband in a car accident loses 2 years of his memories. Phil can only remember coming home from his honeymoon with his wife Freya. He doesn’t remember the 2 years of their marriage, he doesn’t remember the abuse, the darkness nor the pain. He is the husband before that….or is he?

Freya, the woman who has been living in fear, isn’t sure who Phil will be when he wakes up. But can we believe this scared woman?

This book completely plays on you. Who is telling the truth? Who is the abuser and who is the victim? When strange things start to happen well it turned my head upside down. To the point, I woke up at 4 am and started to read it for an hour because like Phil and Freya I couldn’t sleep. This book played on my mind and I had to reach the ending.

The ending was bittersweet with a final sting in the tale. I loved that sting too. I was worried what direction the book was going to go and I was worried we might have a “Hollywood” ending and believe me we do not! I loved the ending and that’s all I will say.

Karens writing grips you. She makes you change your mind constantly on what you believe. One minute you are on one side, but when the books point of view changes, your point of view changes. I love books like that, it made my little brain work overtime as I kept trying to figure out who was lying! No matter what you believe, this relationship is toxic. With Phil we uncover information when he does, fleeting flashbacks haunt him and he’s not sure what is true. With Freya, we are shown a past that she lived and she has regrets. Love really doesn’t run true here. It literally hurts, but who is it hurting? It does make you think about you would do in that situation too! Would you give someone a second chance, despite their history because they have lost their memories?

This is my first book by Karen and honestly, this will not be my last. She is an author I will want to be reading and again and again. Hopefully, it’s not too long until the next one.

This was a great psychological thriller which put me on a rollicking ride from the beginning to end. Author Karen King’s writing kept in smooth in its pace and convoluted in its plotlines, where I was in a conundrum about who was telling me the truth.

A dream marriage broken by violence, Freya had had enough. She’d packed her bags and was about to leave when the cops visited her. Her husband had been in an accident and was critical.

In the hospital, she barely had time to make a tough decision when she came to know Phil had lost his memory of the past 2 years of marriage. He didn’t remember the abuse. Hoping for the best this time around, she went home with him. But things started to happen around the house, and tempers started rising.

I read the first few pages and thought I had figured it out. But no, the author flummoxed me completely and my theories were shattered. The story kept playing me like a yo-yo and I didn’t know which way to turn. This was told in Freya and Phil’s POV with input from others.

Freya’s dilemma, her sister Daisy’s support, Phil’s confusion and his slow transformation kept me hooked to my kindle. Having been in Freya’s place where I knew I was not being treated well yet stayed in the relationship, I could identify with her.

The story had its dips and highs leading to a expectedly unexpected finish. The book was UNPUTDOWNABLE as it kept me completely engrossed in the prose.

P. S. Traumatic brain injury and coma could cause death of certain centers in the brain and cause a personality change in patients.

This is a great psychological thriller that has you questioning the characters.
Freya is called to the hospital as her husband is fighting for his life after a serious car accident. She is by his bedside but is troubled as she was about to leave him the previous night.
When Phil comes round it seems he’s lost two years of memory and the last thing he remembers is their honeymoon.
Freya remembers all the arguments and the times he’s hit her so is torn between giving him another chance and walking away.
She decides to see how it goes but with Phil’s temper soon making an appearance she’s worried she’s made the wrong decision.
To make it worse someone is breaking into their house at night and leaving Phil threatening notes. He starts to question if Freya is doing it as he’s been told she’s been violent towards him.
This book makes you question Phil and Freya but the truth comes out in the end.
This is a great psychological thriller that I really enjoyed.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This book was good, but not great. I predicted he twist fairly early on, so it was overall kind of predictable. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for review.

3.5/5

‘We have a patient who has been involved in a serious accident. We believe he’s your husband.’

Freya is preparing to leave her husband of two years, knowing that they are broken and if she stays things will just get worse. Then she receives a visit from the police, Phil has been involved in a serious road accident and is in hospital. When he comes round he is suffering from amnesia, he doesn't remember anything from the last two years, the last thing he can recall is returning from their honeymoon, the man that Freya sees before her is the man she met and fell in love with, can she risk staying and give Phil another chance to regain the happiness they once had, or should she cut her losses and run while she has the chance?

This is an intriguing read told from different perspectives and a tale of secrets, lies and abusive relationships. It's a slow burner that draws the reader in gently and then ramps up in the last few chapters with an unexpected ending. It's my first read by this author and a debut in the psychological thriller genre for the author who normally writes romance. I look forward to reading more by King in this genre.

I'd like to thank Bookouture and Netgalley for the auto approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

The husbands secret meets the silent patient intense, man oh man, this book was an absolute pleasure to read. Suspense and nailbiting moments, was spot on, read this for a fast paced adventure.

This book is well written and has good character development. Insanity really from beginning to end - a husband gets in a car accident when his brakes go out in his car and loses his memory for the last two years. Turns out he was supposedly an abusive husband who was maybe having an affair. As the wife finds out more information she has to decide if she wants to stay or get out.... I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Well this was a brain twister!!!!!

All the way through this, I lost count of how many times I thought was responsible for things that had been going on (don’t want to give much away!).- near the end I thought “ahhhh thought it was them....” and then another twist in the plot!!

Great book and a 5 star from me!!

Thanks for allowing me to read this ARC #netgalley #bookouture #netgalley

PUBLISHING DATE - 23rd Nov 2020