An engaging book with themes exploring the treatment of women in the workplace and misogyny - Dr Julia Blythe is a surgeon and whistleblower - who after leaving her previous job under scandalous and distressing circumstances finds herself walking into a nightmare of epic proportions! 

Billed as a 'gripping page-turner' I would not argue with that! I am sure I will be reading more from this author.

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

I was so excited to read this new title from Lucy Dawson, her novels are consistently original and never fail to entertain.  ‘The Secret Within’ absolutely lived up to my hopes and expectations from an author I hold in high regard.

Surgeon Julia, having left her post at a previous hospital under a cloud of controversy, is optimistically anticipating a new start in Devon, and relocates her family accordingly.  When she meets fellow surgeon, and self-confessed hottie, Nathan, sparks most definitely fly, though not in any predictable fashion!

This is a real page turner with a truly outstanding plot.  Character development doesn’t let us down, with some pretty narcissistic characters, who, while being in no way likeable, certainly add interest.

The story is told through chapters alternating between Nathan and Julia and this works well -  both have very different perspectives and this makes the book all the more gripping.  The ending is quite spectacular - I couldn’t give this book any less than 5 stars!

My thanks to NetGalley, publisher and author for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley, publisher and author, for allowing me to read this book so I can review it. This book was fabulous. I was glued to the story, unable to stop turning page after page, from the very beginning. Narration style was perfect, just the way I like my thrillers. There were enough twists and surprises to make me happy. Every character was interesting, every story was easy to follow. This is a book a thriller fan will be happy to get lost into. I look forward to reading more from this author. Spectacular story!

Julia Blythe is a smart, widely admired and  thriving plastic surgeon having to start afresh at a small public hospital in the south of England where she recently relocated her family of husband Ewan ,son Alex and stepdaughter Cass..   Why.  Because Julie was a whistleblower at her last hospital revealing shoddy surgical work by a male colleague and the sexism of the hospital, exonerated, but not in public opinion.  Settling into the new position, Julia is romantically pursued by a good looking, suave and reportedly never spurned  colleague. Julia find this colleague Nathan, is sloppy at work and discovers more devious and disconcerting long running deviant actions by the male members of her department.   Can this really be happening again?  With a sense of dread and tension in the first few chapters, this  is a great read, the story full of good characterization of all participants.  We settle in and wonder where this story will go.   The odd title, revealed in the second half, is an equally odd plot twist that works and rushes us to the climax.   Any reader, along with all of the #MeToo women here should  cheerfully cut out the groin of this perpetrator using his own surgical knife  and be hailed as heroes.

The Secret Within (the title takes on new meaning once you've read it...) was an unusual read which I really enjoyed. Plastic surgeon Julia takes up a new hospital post in a new area after being hounded from her previous job for whistleblowing on a colleague. Julia just wants to do her job and settle her family - husband Ewan, teenagers Alex and Cass - into a new place, but it really is out of the frying pan into the fire with new colleagues Nathan and Hamish, who have their own agenda. Alcoholic ex-husband Dominic is also causing bother, frequently turning up out of the blue to wreak havoc.

I loved Julia's character - she's a confident professional woman (so refreshing in this genre) who lives by her principles and won't turn a blind eye to wrongdoing, whatever the personal cost. I really admired her resilience and courage.

We also see events from Nathan's viewpoint - he's a fellow plastic surgeon who runs a private practice alongside his NHS job - and he's a very strange character who apparently has a personality disorder of some kind, behaving in ways which are frankly bizarre at times. Then there's Nathan's old friend and colleague Hamish, who lacks Nathan's good looks and surface charm.

Lucy Dawson has clearly done her homework about the world of plastic surgery. The surgical operations were very convincingly described and had the ring of believability about them. 

Without going into detail, some of the characters here are so irredeemably awful that when one died suddenly, my only reaction was a feeling of satisfaction. There are numerous violations perpetrated by certain characters and a palpable anger at the inequalities still suffered by women in the workplace. It's a brilliant read though with lots of memorable moments (including one real punch-the-air moment between Dom and Nathan - you'll know when you read it). 

Loved it.

Starting off rather slow, with a lot of character building, hints and wrong doings and just getting to know all the key players, but then by around just after the half way point, it becomes rather unputdownable.  

There was so many shocks and moments which leave you scratching your head.  And that ending is rather intriguing. 

This though is a hard book to describe, as all the best bits would definitely be spoilers, and the rest although great, won't do the book any justice. 

I did though love Julia's character, and also that of her family, while here colleagues in her new job felt off rather early on.  But we do get chapters from both Hamish and Nathan's points of view too so we get to know three characters rather intimately. 

The characters even the dastardly ones were really well described and in the second half I just couldn't wait to see what would happen next. 

It was a fascinating setting, the world of plastic surgery, breast augmentation and mastectomies for breast cancer patients. As they are all surgeons, we often get rather graphic descriptions of the procedures, which I believe to be really well researched. 

I've read quite a few of Lucy Dawson's books now, and I'm always struck with how well they are written and how at some point during them, I just don't want to put them down, and just need to binge read to finish, as I need to know what is happening and have no desire to wait.  And this was no exception, and I was really happy to spot this on the release schedules. 

Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Wow just wow! This book will stay with me for quite a while. Excellently written, fast paced and full of edge-of-the-seat drama. You know there are twists but you absolutely don’t see them coming and the ending will just blow you away.

This is an unusual read, being based mainly in a hospital and with the lead character a female surgeon, Julia and her and her husband and 2 children are looking to make a new start. Julia previously was a whistle blower which has left her reputation tarnished and she's nervous about getting a new job.

One of the interviewees then becomes obsessed with Julia. I struggled to engage with any of the characters and found it to be, overall, an OK read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview.

I absolutely LOVED "The Secret Within" by Lucy Dawson. 
need the two men sitting on the other side of the interview table to trust me. My family’s happiness is riding on my getting this job. I smile, knowing that first impressions are key. There’s no link between having a friendly face and being trustworthy, but humans are built to think there is. Even us doctors, who should know better.

If only I could keep my past secret from these men, but they’ll have read about me in the papers – the court case, the threats, the lies that were told. But what’s important now are my son and daughter: a new house, new school, a new start away from the city. Away from my ex, my old job… and the scandal that nearly ruined me.

What I don’t know yet is that if I convince them to hire me, I’ll be putting my children in terrible danger. I’m trying to make things right, but this is when it starts to go wrong.

And when one of my precious children goes missing, I’ll realise that the nightmare is far from over. In spite of everything I’ve gone through, I will fail to recognise the evils a friendly face can hide. Sometimes it’s the people who want to be closest to you that you should be most afraid of. They’re the ones who know your secrets. Who want to make you pay

As with all her thrillers, the storyline was easy to be hooked and easy to follow. Plot twists were great and as a mother it was an emotional roller coaster at times too! 
Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for this advanced copy which was over far too soon for my liking!! I look forward to another Lucy Dawson Physcological Thriller asap!!

Having enjoyed this author’s previous books I was looking forward to this one and it certainly lived up to expectations.

Julia is a plastic surgeon whose reputation is in tatters after reporting a fellow doctor for being unethical. When offered the opportunity to start afresh with her family in Exeter, she jumps at the chance. Nathan Sloan is a high flying plastic surgeon who is charming and charismatic but beneath the layers of charm there is evil lurking. Nathan has plans for Julia but she is more than prepared for whatever he throws at her. Will Julia be able thwart Nathan's intentions and stop him in his tracks?

A great book with an intriguing storyline and great characters which makes for an entertaining read.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher.   I have liked everything this author has written and this was no exception.   Great storyline, great characters.   A thoroughly enjoyable read which will have you hooked from the beginning

i so enjoy this authors books always a good read .Julia and her husband and two children want to make a fresh start as Julia was a whistle blower and took hospital to court and was treated not so nice . so they move location and house .Julia has an interview .Julia is a surgeon .Hamish and Tan offer her the job .she Settles in the children start school and then she meets the other surgeon Nathan when picking children up her ex husband turns up drunk wanting to see Alex Nathan takes him to the train station . but Nathan becomes obsessed with Julie and things go out of control wont say no more. its so good

The book drew me in from the beginning and held my attention to the very last page. So much happening and written very well to keep you intrigued and wanting more. This author never seems to disappoint. Can't wait for more from her.

Thanks to the Author,the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

This book begins with a prologue which sets the pace for the rest of the book. Someone is being held against their will...or are they? These first few pages hold many more questions, which get answered as the book moves on. The main character, Julia Blythe is a plastic surgeon who has relocated recently to the Exeter area with her family following her 'whistleblowing' on a male colleague at her previous hospital. Securing a job at Exeter Memorial Hospital is a chance for a new start, but she finds herself yet again working in a male dominated team consisting of Tanveer Husain, Hamish Wilson and clinical lead, Nathan Sloan. Whilst agreeing to offer Julia the job, Hamish and Nathan in particular feel they should 'protect' themselves from any accusations, given Julia's history...

This was a completely original theme for a thriller, and one which I've not read about before. Julia Blythe is a great character, being a strong woman, good surgeon and having morals and standards becoming of any doctor, mother and person in general. I was so angry on Julia's behalf of the repercussions and consequences of her whistleblowing, and further incensed by how her new colleagues were behaving. Nathan Sloan, her main antagonist, is devilishly handsome and charming, leaving a trail of swooning women in his wake but he hides some dark, disturbing and downright creepy secrets. I initially saw Sloan as someone who was just a bit of a womaniser, when really he was obviously far more dangerous.

I have to admit, I did find the storyline a bit strange to begin with, wondering where it was going and why her new colleagues would need to behave like they did. I also found the complete adoration of her by one of her colleagues a bit hard to believe after only just meeting her. But, as the story moved on I began to understand why it had been written like that. There was a point in the storyline where everything turned around and suddenly...boom!! After that, I was completely hooked!!

It's definitely a book which has a multitude of twists and turns. As a woman, it left me feeling unsettled in so many different ways! Not just from the violations some of the women in the book experienced but how women are still treated differently in the workplace.  The author did a great job in keeping the tension and suspense high throughout and I was really intrigued as to how this book was going to end

Whilst it took me a few chapters to get into the feel of the book, from there on the rest of the story was fantastic!! I loved Julia's family dynamics and the introduction of her unpredictable ex-husband added problems for Julia which she could well done without. I loved the location, with some places being fictional but others being actual places that I know. I've been going to Exmouth since I was a child and know the large holiday park, Devon Cliffs well. I've never seen it mentioned in a book before, so when Julia was walking along the cliffs, amongst the caravans and referring to the Royal Marines rifle range I could picture it so perfectly! The story was deliciously dark, twisted and dangerous, invoking so many different emotions as I read.

Filled with lies, deceit and jaw-dropping shocking behaviour, the author has managed to make me squirm with unease and seethe with anger all in one go. This book had me gripped and left me with an epilogue which sent shivers down my spine!! Would definitely recommend!!

I need the two men sitting on the other side of the interview table to trust me. My family's happiness is riding on my getting this job.

Julia Blythe is a plastic surgeon whose reputation was ruined after whistleblowing on the unethical practices and behaviors of a fellow male surgeon. Desperate for a fresh start, she and her family relocate. Her family's future and happiness hinges on getting a job at Exeter Memorial Hospital. She just has to impress Tanveer and Hamish to get it. She'll soon find out, however, that this wasn't the fresh start she was hoping for and she may have placed her and her family in danger.

Enter Nathan Sloan. He's a devlishly handsome, successful and misogynistic a-hole who thinks he can get away with anything. This amoral surgeon is confident that Julia won't blow the whistle on him due to her past, and he has plans for her. Unfortunately for him, Julia is nobody's fool and she has plans for him too.

	I need the two men sitting on the other side of the interview table to trust me. My family's happiness is riding on my getting this job.

Julia Blythe is a plastic surgeon whose reputation was ruined after whistleblowing on the unethical practices and behaviors of a fellow male surgeon. Desperate for a fresh start, she and her family relocate. Her family's future and happiness hinges on getting a job at Exeter Memorial Hospital. She just has to impress Tanveer and Hamish to get it. She'll soon find out, however, that this wasn't the fresh start she was hoping for and she may have placed her and her family in danger.

Enter Nathan Sloan. He's a devlishly handsome, successful and misogynistic a-hole who thinks he can get away with anything. This amoral surgeon is confident that Julia won't blow the whistle on him due to her past, and he has plans for her. Unfortunately for him, Julia is nobody's fool and she has plans for him too.

This book opens with a bang that will leave you wondering WTF is going on (and may result in a sleepless night to find out exactly what is going on). This is a well-plotted, addictive and twisty story with fantastic characterization. Nathan Sloan's character, in particular, was well portrayed. He's a great villain who will make your skin crawl, have your gnashing your teeth in disgust and leave you wanting to punch him right in his pretty face.

Overall, this is a powerful piece of #metoo literature that highlights the abuse of male power while also shedding light on the need for woman in positions of authority to be seen and respected as strong, powerful and just as capable as men.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hmmm,  what a roller coaster ride with so much impressive, whirlwind twists that you barely see them coming to fool you at least twice! Shame on me! 

  This book is great approach to the gender inequality at work: especially the women doctors’ problems: hypocrisy, mansplaining, extra patronizing, biased manners, unfair attitudes against the work ethics! 

  After being banned from the hospital she’s been working, Julia needed a clean slate with her educator husband , two kids by moving a new place, getting a new job! It seems like she made the right impression and affected the decision makers ( even though they were men, they seemed like easy going guys who don’t care her about the public humiliation she endured thanks to the media outlets’ vicious intrusion to her life! ) to give her a new job! 

  But now her kids are missing and wherever she goes her past never leaves her alone, dragging her into more trouble she can handle! 

  I mostly liked Frank as soon as I start reading his POV! He’s my favorite kind of crazy antihero and it was too much fun to see how he gets more unstable, freakier! 

  I enjoyed the gripping story but there are so many details slow down the pace especially Julia’s family parts and kids were unnecessarily long! This book could be more fast pacing, exciting, action packed, medical thriller meets domestic drama! 

  It’s still four starred twisty, surprising, jaw dropping read with original plot line but it could be five blazing starred thriller with lesser pages! 
But I’m still happy this book put the author on my radar. I’m looking forward to read more works of the author! 

Special thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for sharing this arc copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

I really liked the premise of this book. Most of my jobs have been in hospitals so I'm quite partial to a hospital setting in novels and it was fascinating to focus on whistleblowing and male dominance in surgical departments.

I thought Nathan's character was great and it was brilliant to watch him grow more and more deranged as the book went on. 

My only issue is that I think the book was a bit too long and a lot could have been cut without losing anything from the story. For example there was a lot of focus on Julia's children and how they were getting on at school which wasn't very interesting to read and slowed the pace a bit. 

Overall I would recommend this book as it was a new and interesting story, and the characters were well-written.

#TheSecretWithin #NetGalley 
Addictive. I loved it. 
 My family’s happiness is riding on my getting this job. I smile, knowing that first impressions are key. There’s no link between having a friendly face and being trustworthy, but humans are built to think there is. Even us doctors, who should know better.
If only I could keep my past secret from these men, but they’ll have read about me in the papers – the court case, the threats, the lies that were told. But what’s important now are my son and daughter: a new house, new school, a new start away from the city. Away from my ex, my old job… and the scandal that nearly ruined me.What I don’t know yet is that if I convince them to hire me, I’ll be putting my children in terrible danger. I’m trying to make things right, but this is when it starts to go wrong. 
Lucy Dawson has done a wonderful job again with this novel. 
I loved it's characters and narration. 
I'm doing more promotion on its release date among my fellow Authors Bloggers, Friends, Family and Followers. 
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me an advance copy of this psychological thriller.