This book was labeled as a psychological thriller. The story was a decent one. Nothing hard to follow. The writing itself was good. I didn't feel "thriller" here. Instead it was more of the story of an abusive relationship and a controlling spouse. Nothing in here broke any new ground or was terribly surprising. A good story. Not a great story.

Kept me guessing🤔

Karen King's psychological thriller maintained the suspense right through to the end. But it could have been tighter and better. I felt that there was a good deal of repetition, especially with Freya, the female lead, and her thoughts as she continues to look for justifications for husband Phil's behavior.

The story gives a strong, scary portrait of a controlling and manipulative husband. Phil is a real piece of work! Freya is actually a quite complex and realistic character. She second guesses herself, occasionally gives in to her own anger and rage, and hopefully looks to the bright side even when her instincts warn her not to.

Usually I like when a story is told from alternating points of view. In this case, using multiple points of view reduced the suspense somewhat as it worked to eliminate speculation of guilt for some of the suspects.

Thanks to publishers Bookouture and NetGalley for providing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

This was fantastic!!! I couldn't stop reading this one. I loved getting different POV as well. I am so glad I got a chance to read this. Thank you!

Thank You Netgalley, Bookouture and Karen King for the ARC of this book! The review is based on my honest opinion.

Freya seems to be having an abusive marriage with Phil, her husband. She was going to leave him when Phil meets with an accident and then doesn't remember the past two years of his life--literally the time of their marriage. Will Phil remain that kind, doting husband she used to love or will he return back to his normal angry self?

For me, this story started out great at first. The story is told from the perspectives of Freya, Phil, and Daisy. As a result, we don't know which character is telling the real story here as different characters are telling from their point of view and the reader is left confused. However, towards the end of the chapter, it was a bit predictable and the ending to me was a bit lame. There were no twits and turns you would expect in a thriller and sadly, this book is not really my cup of tea. I knew how the story was going to turn out to be.

Overall, it was an OK thriller--worth three stars.

I really enjoyed this book .Just as Freya has decided to leave Phil after his mental and physical abuse he is in a terrible accident . Whilst in hospital they realize that he has no memory of the last 2 years . Phil is like the man she first met and married so freya wonders if she should give him a second chance . There are lots of secrets and family drama that I really enjoyed and I found Freya likeable .. As we piece together the last 2 years as its told in flashback I was really rooting for Freya . Great twisty domestic drama

Whilst this wasn’t a bad story to read it didn’t grip me as much as I thought it would after reading the narrative. The story for me didn’t really gear up to any real conclusion.

Many thanks to the publishers and netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book.

This is a new author to me and I enjoyed her style of writing. I thought it was a good book but I am not a fan of domestic violence/abuse in books so was a little put off by that. Whilst the story was well written I wasn't completely gripped nor was I eager to reach the end.

However, that was probably due to my reluctance with the issue involved so would still recommend this book as i did think it was a well written thriller.

I loved the premise for this and the set up is fantastic. I was rubbing my hands in glee at what might be to come after that first chapter. What a great dilemma! And then when we started getting Phil's point of view as well as Freya's, well it just got better and better. An excellent twisty tale, with an ending I defy anyone to guess!

The Stranger in my Bed follows married couple Freya and Phil who have had a fairly rocky relationship the last two years. After a particularly bad row where they both end up bleeding and Phil storms off into the night, Freya has had enough - she's leaving before one of them gets seriously hurt. It doesn't quite go to plan though when she is informed by police that Phil has been in an accident and is in hospital. Freya anxiously waits by his bedside and when he comes round its clear that his memory has been badly affected and he doesn't remember anything from their married life. Freya is torn between leaving as planned or giving Phil another chance since he seems more like the sweet guy she married and not the angry one she has been tiptoeing around for the last 2 years.

I really enjoyed this book, it was very addictive and easy to read. The characters were decently developed even if not always totally likeable. They didn't always make the most sensible decisions which was frustrating but in a good way! I was surprised when I realised the book had the point of view of more than just Freya and we hear from the confused mind of Phil trying to figure out what he has missed in the last 2 years. The combination of Freya trying to decide whether to stay and worried Phil may go back to his old ways and Phil not understanding why his wife is acting oddly and feeling very insecure made the book impossible to put down! Neither trusts the other and it was fascinating watching the events unfold. I kept feeling sure that I had figured out what was really going on but was pleased to be proven wrong. The first 20% or so was quite slow going and was mainly Freya trying to decide what to do but once I was into the meat of the story I was hooked.

This is a strong 4 star read for me and I would highly recommend to readers that enjoy a domestic thriller. I'm keen to see what this author puts out next - I believe this is her first thriller and I will definitely reading more by her.

This is my first book by Karen King but will definitely not be the last.
This story was compelling and couldn’t stop reading it until I’ve reached the end. I do have to say that it took me a few chapters to get into it but once I did, I couldn’t stop reading.

It can feel like a slow burner but I really enjoyed it in any event.

The characters are not very likeable in my opinion and that is mainly because Karen King does such a great job in making me doubt anything the narrate.

The book is mainly narrated by Freya at first but there are chapters from Phill and also from Daisy. It covers domestic violence so it might be difficult for some readers.

It had a fair amount of twists and although there were parts that could be slightly predictable I still felt the book was overall really interesting and would definitely recommend it to fans of domestic/psychological thrillers.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review

Karen King writes about relationships – the good and the bad. This book is definitely about the dark side of romance and I loved it. Freya had decided to leave Phil but that all changes when he is involved in a car accident and suffers from limited amnesia. He has lost all memory of the two years they have been married, remembering only the happiness of their early time together. She takes him back, but problems soon return.

I enjoyed the way the author introduced twists and turns to keep readers involved in the story. Whose was the threatening voice which appeared from time to time showing that Phil’s accident was deliberate? That was the question which kept me turning the pages.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this early review copy.

As soon as I was given access to this book by NetGalley I started reading it and devoured it in less than a day (it is only 276 pages though so it’s not a long book)
Freya is married to Phil after a whirlwind romance and marriage but 2 years later she’s had enough of the physical and mental abuse so she has decided to leave him. Only that same night Phil is involved in a car accident and after a short time in a coma awakes to having lost the last 2 years of his memory. The last thing he remembers is returning from honeymoon with Freya and being blissfully happy.
Both Phil and Freya then realise they both have secrets and things to keep hidden and that’s the majority of the book. There’s a saying that is something like - What a tangled web we weave, when we practice to deceive - Both Freya and Phil are deceiving each other and themselves until it comes to a head and secrets are revealed.
I really enjoyed this book and like I say I finished it quickly, I did figure out the ending before I got to it but that didn’t detract from the story. I liked that the author kept drip feeding is information from before and after the car accident almost tempting is to read “just one more chapter”
This book definitely gets a thumbs up from me and I will be looking up more of Karen King’s books.
Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars ⭐⭐⭐

Freya and Phil have a tumultuous marriage, Phil is abusive and Freya is about to leave. Phil then is in a car accident; he loses his memory of their entire marriage. Freya begins to think this could be her chance for a fresh start. But secrets always come out, whether you remember them or not!

This book has a gradual build up and from about 50% in then had me gripped as I wanted to know what Phil had been up to. Personally, I prefer something a bit faster paced but the story itself is great. Some of the narrative felt a little repetitive. However, I did enjoy that the chapters are told from different characters perspectives. A reminder that there are two sides to every story.

Thank you to @netgalley and @bookouture for my ARC in exchange for a honest review.

The Stranger in My Bed is a domestic thriller by Karen King. Phil is injured in a terrible car crash and can't remember the past two years of his life, which just so happens to be the length of time that he and Freya have been married. Freya was going to leave Phil because of his emotional and physical abuse; but after the accident, she decided to give him another chance. This book could have been much shorter, as it was extremely redundant; and it was also frustrating to read all the excuses that Freya kept making for her awful husband. I did not enjoy this story, and I would not recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

The cover and description of this book is what me initially drew me into it. When I saw that the author mainly wrote romance and children's fiction I was a bit doubtful whether this would interest me but wanted to give it a try.
Psychological thrillers ideally should have a great story with super character development, moral conflict, relationship issues and an anxiety drive. This book not only ticked all the boxes - it got a distinction!
Such an amazing story.
The story is about strained relationships, the after-effects of a serious accident, mental and physical abuse and amnesia. The book is a real page turned and when you do put the book down you continue to think about the characters and how they would deal with certain situations. It even got me wondering how the story would have taken shape if it had been done during Covid lockdown but that's another story :-)
This book will tug at your emotions and will get you thinking. I did not guess the guilty person until right at the end as there are many twists along the way and a great final twist at the end.
Big repsect to the author for coming out with such a superb book in a new genre for her but I am sure that we are going to hear much more about Karen King as an author in this genre. And she has a deal with Bookouture to release a second psychological thriller with them.
I think this is a story you will love or maybe not enjoy as much but if you immerse yourself in the characters and situation you will not be disappointed.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Karen King for providing me access to an electronic advance review copy of the book in return for a review of the book.
Publication day is 23rd November 2020

The Stranger in My Bed by Karen King is a domestic thriller about infidelity, abuse, and amnesia. Freya is married to Phil and on the verge of leaving him right before he gets into a terrible car accident and loses his memory. He seems to be a different man and Freya decides to give him another chance. But who is trying to hurt Phil or Freya?

Freya thought she had found the man of her dreams, romantic, kind. But as soon as they were married everything changed and Phil showed his true colours, lashing out at her violently on multiple occasion. But just as Freya is at her breaking point, and ready to leave, Phil has a terrible car accident, and when he comes around can not remember the last to years of their life together, conveniently everything since the honeymoon.

This writer can clearly write, her words flow well but this genre doesn't seem like her natural stomping ground. within about five minutes of starting to read I pretty much had the whole story sussed out, and spent most of my time reading waiting for the twist that said, oh no your wrong, duped you. But it never came.

Instead it rambles on, very slowly and very repetitively. And I failed to connect with any of the characters. All I wanted was for it to end.

Best I can give this one is 2 stars. It's so frustrating though, because I feel like this person can write, just not a Thriller, she seems more like a Cozy Mystery type of writer, or a romance. She did the romance scenes very well.

As always thank you to NetGalley, Karen King and her publisher for allowing me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Net Galley and Bookouture for letting me read this eARC.
I really enjoyed this book. This is about Freya and Phil. The book opens with exposition from an unknown author talking about how they stripped the brakes in Phil's car in an attempt to kill him. He doesn't die, but instead is in the hospital with no memory of the last 2 years (his entire marriage with Freya). As the book goes on we find out that Phil is an abusive jerk. He is shocked to learn he treated Freya that way so the reader wonders, did he change? Is it just a matter of time until he snaps again? Or do we have an unreliable narrator that remembers more than hes letting on?
I feel like it needs to be said that I am a reader who really likes to just enjoy the ride and I put zero effort into guessing the "twist". So when it all comes out in the whodunnit, it was something that I think could've been easily guessed, but I thought it was well done. I thought the journey had enough ups and downs and unexpected details that it was still a very interesting read and I flew through it.
The things I didn't like were that Freya is a major pushover after the accident, despite being very intentional about not being that way before the accident. She's really naive and I never saw the appeal of Phil AT ALL. He was a terrible individual. Saying any more than that would get spoilery so I'll just leave it there.
I would recommend this book if you're new to thrillers or like domestic thrillers that have a small cast of characters and a relatively simple, but very entertaining plot.

SPOILERS AHEAD:
Phil was estranged from his family because he nearly killed his brother. His pattern of abuse is nothing new. He was also cheating with Freya's sister, Daisy. Daisy, though not overly involved in Freya's regular life, is VERY supportive while Phil is in the hospital, which could make you guess that she has an additional interest. It eventually comes out that she was having an affair with Phil and is now pregnant with maybe his baby. Phil had been married before but supposedly ended it because he found out his wife cheated and had a kid by another person but in the very end, that kid comes back (now an adult) and tells Phil off. Long story short, it was Daisy's husband Mark that started to mess with the brakes, but his intention was only to scare Phil. However, the son had been following Phil and decided to fully strip them and it was him that was writing the hate letters throughout. Phil is arrested for abuse in the end and goes to jail.

Good read, kept my interest until the end. The storyline involves spousal abuse, memory loss & betrayal with some suspense mixed in. Portrayal of the characters & their flaws was interesting. Thanks to NetGalley & Bookouture for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I found The Stranger in My Bed by Karen King hard to put down.

When Freya first met Phil she thought he was the man of her dreams. He swept her off her feet with flowers and holidays and within six months they were married. However her dreams quickly became a nightmare with Phil’s violent temper so Freya decides she’s racing until she gets a call from the police saying her husband has been in a serious accident. As he regains consciousness it’s clear he has amnesia and can’t remember anything from the previous two years. Can this be a fresh start for them and will Freya give him another chance?

I found this book impossible to put down. It’s tense and gripping and the plot flowed well. Very enjoyable and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the chance to review.