The Secret Within is an intense psychological thriller and the epitome of the saying "no good deed goes unpunished." It's July 2017 and Julia Blythe, a wealthy and successful plastic surgeon is attending an important job interview, although she doesn't tell them that she took her last employer to court due to sexual harassment in the workplace and a colleagues sub-par surgeries which turned into the old boys club bullying her out of her male-dominated job at Royal Grace hospital and spreading malicious lies about her. Misogyny at its most toxic. However, with all the media coverage she knows they'll be aware of her past but surprisingly they don't seem phased by it at all. She impresses the interviewers enough for them to hire her on the spot and just like that she has a new job at Exeter Memorial hospital. In preparation for the job she uproots her family - husband Ewan, son Alex and stepdaughter Cassia - and relocates with them to the Devon coast. Luckily, Ewan has bagged a job as Head of Department at St. Ben's, the local school that Alex and Cassia will both be attending. But once again Julia finds herself working alongside powerful men who often think they can act with impunity, especially towards women. The team she is part of comprises Tanveer Husain, Hamish Wilson and big shot Nathan Sloan - Consultant Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon and a consultant for over fifteen years; the surgeon Julia would be sharing an office with.

But all is not what it seems and there are dark and disturbing motives as to why Exeter Memorial decided to hire her. As Julia strives to deliver at work and tries to settle her family down in their new nest, it seems history may be repeating itself. Initially, Julia doesn't realise clinical lead Nathan has form as a philanderer but she is grateful (and mortified) when her ex-husband, Dominic, turns up drunk and Nathan jumps in to save the day. It doesn't take long before Nathan seemingly becomes obsessed with Julia and things get increasingly tense and scary. She once again feels as though her job could be on the line depending on how she responds to his increasingly frequent advances. He professes his love her and has taken a photograph that could easily be misinterpreted as risqué. It later becomes clear that no one is who they claim to be; the three colleagues and the friends they've met in town are all hidden behind a facade under which dark secrets and terrific danger lurks. And then thirteen year old Alex goes missing... This is a riveting, highly original and ripped from the headlines story about toxic masculinity, workplace harassment and deeply entrenched misogyny. As the uncomfortable plot unravelled there was reveal after reveal with plenty of action and a large dose of deceit. Fast paced, full of mystery and intrigue, and some superb twists that came right out of leftfield, this is a thrilling and enthralling read from start to finish. Highly recommended.

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Secret Within’ by Lucy Dawson in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Julia Blythe has started a new job at the Exeter Memorial Hospital after initiating a scandal against a colleague at her previous hospital. She needs this job as her husband Ewan is now teaching at the local school and their children Cassia and Alex are settling in and making friends, but her new colleague, Nathan Sloan, has professed to be in love with her and has taken a photo of her which could be misinterpreted. When the men in Julia’s department close ranks against her and one of her children goes missing Julia’s world starts to collapse and she finally finds out who can be trusted.

‘The Secret Within’ is a disturbing thriller that made me feel so uncomfortable I wanted to stop reading but couldn’t, needing to keep going until I knew what was happening to Julia and that she was safe. It’s been exceptionally well-written with a gripping plot that kept me enthralled from page one until I’d reached the epilogue which became sinister and disquieting. This is another amazing thriller from the very talented Lucy Dawson which I thoroughly enjoyed and can highly recommend.

This is a really difficult book to review as it's evoked so many conflicting emotions for me. I really didn't like the first half of the book, it was slow and there wasn't much of a thriller about it. I really had to persevere to make it to the midway point, at which time I would have struggled to give it 3 stars. However, once I hit 50% everything changed, it was action packed and I absolutely loved it. The second half of the book was definitely a 5 star read.

I do like the fact that the author has tried to highlight gender equality, especially in an environment where some men consider themselves to be Gods. I especially liked Storm, her introduction highlighted to the reader just how you have an unjustified perception of someone based on their name and the car that they drive. She was such a brilliant character.

I loved Kate and the relationship she had with her family; both her husband and her ex, and the way the dynamics work with her children. However, I would have preferred it if a little less time was spent establishing these relationships and more on the action of the novel,

As characters go Nathan is one on his own, that bloke is seriously screwed up and Hamish is just pure evil. As the author seemed to want to highlight gender equality I would have liked it if she'd managed to show that it's an issue with "everyday" men, not just those who are mentally unbalanced. But I still appreciate what she's done.

I would definitely read more by Lucy Dawson in the future

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC. This is a tough call. I can’t say I really enjoyed this book. Most of the characters were very unlikable and some of the plot points were extremely implausible. It was a two star read for the majority of the book. I did appreciate the message of women empowerment and righting of wrongs. Toward the end, the tension increased, but unfortunately led to an unsatisfying conclusion. It definitely had moments of suspense and shock. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️. The last book I read by Lucy Dawson was five stars. I will read other books by her in the future.

Julia Blythe is a plastic surgeon. She lost her last job after a case aainst ttwo of her male collegues. She's now at an interviewwhere she needs the two men acrosss the table to trust her. She needs to keep her past secret from these men. But what she doesn't know yet is that if she convinces them to hire her, she'll be putting her children into danger.

Julia, her husband and their two children need to make a fresh start after Julia took the hospital she worked at to court and whistle blowed on two of her collegies. hey have now moved to a new location and Julia has just secured herself a new job.

Julia is a strong character who's not afraid to stand up for her beliefs. The story covers gender inequality in the woekpalce. he story is told from Julia, Hamish and Nathan's points of view and told in alternating chapters from Julia and Nathan. There's lots of twists but i did find the story could have ended long before it did. The ending was satisfactory.

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

Lucy Dawson never disapoints and The Secret Within is another great twisty turny psychological thriller with well written characters, some who you love to hate, and a brilliant ending.

If you love a good thriller with some medical drama thrown in, then this is definitely the book for you.

After blowing the whistle at the previous hospital she worked in, Julia has been forced out and moved her family to another part of the country. She has just landed a job at a new hospital, her husband, Ewan, has a job at the local school and her two children, Cass and Alex, are starting at the same school.

Everything seems to be going well until her ex-husband, Dom, arrives drunk at the school gate but fellow surgeon, Nathan Sloan, saves the day. Why is Nathan so happy and willing to help Julia? Is he genuine or is there more to his helpfulness?

What follows is a whirlwind for Julia. Firstly Nathan tells her he has fallen in love with her and then she discovers something about her fellow surgeon that she can’t possibly keep to herself. But what will be the repercussions of Julia blowing the whistle again ? Will her family survive another ordeal ?

The story is told from the point of view or both Julia and Nathan, as well as their fellow surgeon, Hamish. I really love this style of writing as you see the story from different perspectives and see how the same situation can be seen in so many different ways. This is a great thriller that will keep you hooked from the very start to the very last page !!

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

This book was like driving past a car crash - you know something went very wrong but you have to know.
Julia left her previous job at a hospital after reporting a male colleague's dangerous and unethical practices. After the trial forcing the hospital to reinstate her, Julia quits.
She takes a surgical position thus sharing an office with three men - Tan, Hamish and Nathan. Julia hopes this will be a new start - new school for her children, new jobs for her and her husband. Until Nathan begins his pursuit.
Chilling. Fast paced, messed up lives and people. Ridiculously realistic. Slow at times but I had to know.
This book does an amazing job focusing on women in a male dominated world. Patients at their Dr's mercy. Staff abuse. Women's repercussions for reporting men in powerful positions. Well done.

The Secret Within, by Lucy Dawson, is an addictive, electrifying and heart pounding adrenaline rush! Congratulations and thank you Lucy Dawson for writing such a powerhouse book about choosing between right and wrong and the emotional turmoil of love, hate, secrecy, rumors, obsession, deceit, fear, revenge and determination! I’m a huge fan of Lucy Dawson, and I’m excited to share that The Secret Within is her best book yet! With a gripping plot, dark and twisty characters and a setting full of shadows, The Secret Within is a thrill ride of threatening secrecy and surprises. The nail biting suspense kept me hanging on to every word, gasping in surprise and clinging to the edge of my seat! It is definitely worthy of 5 stars, and I’d rate it higher if I could! I felt drawn into the story from the very first page and was desperate to find out what happens next. The anticipation of discovering the unknown was immeasurably powerful! It was so compelling that it was impossible to put down! I was so fully absorbed while I was reading that I didn’t even notice the passing of time! Clear your schedule because once you start reading you won’t be able to stop! The epic shocks and dangers lurking throughout the book blew me away! Filled with jaw-dropping twists, Lucy Dawson has created a masterpiece that is the pure definition of psychological thrillers! The Secret Within was a mind blowing experience that kept me spellbound and captivated, and the explosive ending left my mind reeling! I was shocked to my very core! WOW! Lucy Dawson NAILED IT!

After news of sordid and scandalous revelations destroy life as Julia Blythe knows it, she moves with her family in hopes of getting a new start. Julia is fully aware that it’s more important than ever to impress the gentlemen who are interviewing her if she wants to work alongside them at Devon Exeter Memorial Hospital. The interview goes better than she could’ve imagined and she was offered the job on the spot. Her husband, Ewan, is hired as the head of a department teaching too, so they are finally able to start trying to settle in. Julia strives to meet the expectations of her colleagues Hamish, Tanveer, and Nathan. Although her children Alex and Cassia are struggling for different reasons, Julia does her best to help them adjust and is optimistic.

As hard as Julia tried to put her past behind her, she knew it would follow her. She wasn’t prepared for (or aware of) the dark and sinister motives for being hired at the hospital. Initially Hamish and Tanveer are easy enough to work with, but her first impression of Nathan is negatively harsh. Since they are all doctors performing on equal levels though she is determined not to let it interfere with her work. Nathan surprises Julia with his generosity when he goes out of his way to deter her ex from causing problems. Realizing she was wrong about him, Julia befriends him and life continues to move in a positive direction. Julia and her three fellow colleagues are getting along well and she feels at ease working with them. She’s introduced to people in town and even her children start to become more relaxed and involved.

It slowly becomes increasingly and dramatically obvious that her colleagues are not who she thought they were and neither are the “friends” she met. Nothing could’ve prepared Julia for what would happen on the weekend getaway, for the intentionally hidden discoveries she would find, for the position she would find herself in or for the threatening turn of events. Furthermore nothing could’ve prepared her for the tragic decisions, actions and consequences she would have to face or the emotional upheaval that would threaten to destroy the lives of everyone she loves.

Thank you Lucy Dawson, Bookouture, and Netgalley for allowing me to preview The Secret Within. My feedback is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

My complete reviews can be found on the links listed below to my group and page Booklovers’ Best and Ultimate List of Must Read Books. I will keep my reviews posted permanently so that they are always accessible. I also posted reviews on the sites I attached to this review.

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Julia is a successful plastic surgeon who has had a difficult past. At her former employer she was harassed, and she stood up to the good ol’ boy network only to have it cost her and her career while he quietly retired. Julia and her family are looking to move to a new area and a new hospital but first she must get through the interview. When Julia gets her job and her husband a teacher finds one as well, she starts to think things are getting better. But when her ex shows up on the first day of school totally intoxicated at her son new school, her new coworker steps into help her out of a bad situation. Julia is grateful to Nathan but at the same time she is unsure how this will affect her work.
Julia tries to be part of the team of men she works with and agrees to go on a weekend trip with their families. While Julia is out for a morning run when she come upon Nathan. Nathan tries to kiss her, and Julia pushes him away. Nathan declares his love for her, and Julia is totally disgusted.
When Julia’s son Alex goes missing, she is overwhelmed with concern. Where could he have gone? Did someone take him? Is he being held against his will? Could Nathan be involved in his disappearance?
This is a story really makes you over think just how the stories can be changed to meet someone’s individual narrative. It is amazing how the same facts can be presented, and different conclusions can be made. I enjoyed this story and if you like psychological thriller stories you will love this one.
Thanks to Netgalley for complimentary copy. The thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a compelling book that grabbed my attention from the first page and couldn’t stop until I reached the last page. This was my first book of this author and I look forward to reading more.

Julia was such a strong character, who wouldn’t afraid to stand up to her beliefs. Every character was intriguing and pace was perfect. I couldn't guess some of the twists and was blown by the reveals.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for sharing this arc copy with me in exchange for my honest review.

The subject matter was women competing in a male dominated workplace, and deviant sexual predators who happen to be plastic surgeons. A chilling thought.

For me this was too slow and I had to suspend disbelief more than once. It took me days to get through it. Albeit I was trying to read this in the midst of political upheaval news and Covid updates and it was hard to stay focused. Not an edge of your seat novel, at any rate. Even the end didn’t win me over.

I just couldn’t warm up to the characters and that surprised me because I’ve enjoyed Dawson’s work in the past. That’s why I requested the ARC. Thanks to:
#netgalley
#lucydawson
#bookouture

No! Just no.

I know my thoughts will be contrary to the majority. I normally enjoy a Lucy Dawson book so I was very surprised that this one did not grab me. Oh I know it was supposed to be all women fighting for recognition in male dominated workplaces, but I found the characterisations too stereotypical, men - bad. Ex husband - bad. Brave woman fighting workplace injustice - good. And I know Nathan was insufferable and Hamish was pure evil.

Frankly I found it slow, dreary and boring. The book took a long time to go anywhere. I gave it two stars because I did finish reading it to find out how it ended - but even the ending was a fizzier for me. Julia was a good character and the kids seemed like a good bunch. But the other adults, I just couldn’t find it in me to care about any of them. The plot started ok and could have had some potential but then it veered into the ridiculous with the kidnapping. Nathan would been a better character if he had just been a sexual predator, but trying to portray a sexual predator who has a desire to better himself...it didn’t work. Thanks to Netgalley for my copy for review. My opinions are my own.

I chose this book to read and review. The publisher gave it to me.through Netgalley.
This is a psychological thriller. The people in it are, for want of a better word, crazy. What you do learn is that keeping your friends closer should be what you need to do. Our friends know us. They know all about us. Our habits, likes and dislikes are common knowledge to our friends. Knowledge is power. And with power we can be hurt.
Great story, leaves you shaking your head!

I am sorry but this book was not my cup of tea. I didn’t like most of the characters which made it hard to keep reading and it was hard to stay interested in the story. Sorry.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy.

A wonderful main character: A strong determined female working in a male dominant role.
Such an important topic covered within this book (gender inequality within the workplace) and was so refreshing to have a character not afraid to stand up to her beliefs and the over bearing dominance of her male counterparts! True Girl Power!

Its clear to see that Lucy has done her research this was also clear to see in the in-depth way she explored the role of a consultant plastic surgeon.

Was a great read that gives me hope for a more equality within the workplace!

Fantastic read. I have been completely unable to put this one down. I cannot wait to read more by this author.
Full review to follow on publication.

Nathan is a smooth talking,good looking plastic surgeon who has all the nurses swooning after him,but when Julia arrives on the team having moved from her last job after whistleblowing Nathan is thrown a new challenge to get to know her better.But when Julia rebuffs his advances things start to take a dark turn for her and she finds out just what kind of man Nathan really is.He is also backed up by his best friend and colleague Hamish who also shares Nathan's ideals about women.With twists and turns aplenty this a well written psychological thriller once again from Lucy Dawson who seems to excell in this genre and with a surprise ending this book has it all,,a great
5 star read.

Julia Blythe is a plastic surgeon forced to leave her job following a much publicised whistle blowing case against male colleagues. To her surprise, she easily lands a job at Exeter Memorial Hospital and so the family relocate. Why do the surgeons want her there so badly especially Nathan Sloan? The story is told in alternating perspectives by Julia/Nathan and colleague Hamish which works well, providing good contrasting attitudes.

First of all, I really like the examination of gender roles in the workplace as a central theme. The characters of Nathan and Hamish are well portrayed in their creepy sleaziness and their attitudes to female members of staff especially those in a lesser role. Nathan is way too smooth an operator in a multitude of ways and it is interesting to see how female patients respond to this rather than the competent directness of female staff. There is plenty of underlying sexism in the hospital (who fetches the coffee?) as well as being evident in the surgeons marriages with some wives careers forgone. When it becomes apparent what some of the men are up to at the hospital it leaves a nasty taste in your mouth as their attitudes are simply appalling. They really do believe that surgeons are tinged with divinity. However, Nathan takes it to the next level, he’s obsessive, very controlling, extremely manipulative and immoral. His character is well portrayed though he makes your flesh crawl and it’s fair to say that the characterisation is a strong feature of the book. The author has clearly researched well as there’s a lot of detail about plastic surgery and I like how this becomes an intrinsic and integral part of the plot. The premise is good, relevant and a bit different which I like. The novel starts quite slowly but builds well with tension, suspense, some good twists and turns in a rollercoaster read.

However, although I like the book a great deal there are some parts that are overlong, with detail that isn’t entirely necessary and without these sections I think the pace would have been brisker and sharper.

Overall though, this is a well written book which highlights valid issues and keeps you interested. The end is good and leaves you pondering.

With thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the arc for an honest review

I love Lucy Dawson’s books and ‘The Letter I Wrote’ is still one of my fav books ever so its no surprise that I loved this
Literally from the first sentence you know you are in the hands of a great story teller and that a fascinating book is starting
This is a story of a Dr, Julia, starting again after a recent scandal and all she faces in her new role/town, now I meet some real narcissist’s in my reading life but the 2 in this book, Nathan and Hamish, also Dr’s, that cause her misery top all recent encounters, they are the worst ( and best ) characters and you will be fuming as you read what they are up to and their entitlement and how they think they are untouchable, I cant stress enough how vile they are...and when Julia takes them on she is opening herself and her family up to more problems that she could have ever imagined
The book keeps its pace throughout, no wasted paragraphs and just when you think the story cannot get any more WOAHHHHHH, it does, it ends as it begins, brilliantly
This is a book you will find hard to put down once started and you will invest in Julia and be rooting for her throughout
Fabulously well told, involving yet easy to read and one of those books that make you really pleased you read

10/10
5 Stars