This was a fantastic book. This gripping thriller is a masterclass in tension, making each page a heart-pounding step further into the darkness of its secrets.

One of the best books i have ever read.
Its 1966 and Stephanie is 9 years old, her home life is difficult as is her life with her peers.
This story had everything for me, nostalgic, tense and edgy, humorous, and very sad.
I found myself laughing out loud and young Stephanie's descriptions of her young thoughts and then into her adult life i cried with her tragedy and pain.
I had my own thoughts about what had happened during her childhood but boy was i wrong.

I could have quite easily sat and read this in one sitting but i forced myself to last a day or two i knew it was going to be a really enjoyable read for me.
An easy 5 stars.
More like this please JANE BAILEY.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for leaving my honest review.
Was a real pleasure!

A brilliant read
It has all the emotions in this book
You will be hooked and not want it to finish
Thanks NetGalley

This is a full on. It has everything to it, part family drama, part coming of age story. It will make you smile, it will make you laugh and it will make you cry. It is a really well written book, with really likeable endearing characters.

This was a stunning read. Part mystery, part family study, part coming of age tale, I found it utterly compelling.

This was a novel that at times made me laugh, times made me cringe and at times was heart-breaking. The relationship between Stephanie and her mother was terribly sad, yet throughout you get the sense that it is not all it seems. The fact that it is all told from the viewpoint of one person gives it almost a voyeur feeling to the reading. You can sense how Stephanie is feeling but also have an external perspective on events that makes it such an absorbing read.

I really enjoyed the style of writing, I tend to read quite quickly and can be guilty of skim reading books (apologies to all authors out there) but this was just not possible with this book. So much of the action and reaction was that subtle it would easily be missed. The story jumps about all over the place and changes direction here there and everywhere yet personally I found it easy to follow. I was lucky enough to be able to read this over a couple of evenings away on my own as it really was impossible to put down.

Thank you to netgaly for an early copy of this book in exchnage for an honest review. I enjoyed this book which followed the story of Stephanie who experienced a trauma as a child and how that has affected her throughout her life. Ì did feel the book was a bit slow in places and seemed a bit too long but a good story and I liked the way it moved around timelines between the present and past to keep my attention. It kept me guessing until the end and would recommend to others.

In 1960s Gloucestershire 9 year old Stephanie spends her time trying to please her mother and escape from her friendship with her neighbour and schoolfriend Dawn. When Dawn goes missing during the World Cup Final Stephanie's life will never be the same again. Masterfully written, this novel will reel you in and hold you enthralled as the layers of story are revealed.

A fairly slow read with a dual timeline. The story is well told with maybe just a little. It too much build up time given to the characters when they were children. It did hold my interest but not a thriller by any means

I have to admit, this was a slow burn, but I really enjoyed it.
It was unlike any thriller/mystery I have read before - which is something I always look for - something new within this genre.
Jane Bailey writes so atmospherically and I really felt like I was there. I think this book would make an excellent tv series!

I was left guessing right up until the end, and the twist in final couple of pages was great!
I also loved the mysterious Mr Man too. I felt like he was a bit of a 'Boo Radley' (To Kill A Mockingbird) character. So may similarities.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, and will definitely read Jane Bailey again!

I really enjoyed this book. It was very original. The writing style was very different to what I have read before
We are introduced to Stephanie in this book. Her father didn’t believe in vaccinations, so she is left with a disability, due to an illness she got infected with when she was younger. She is short of friends and one day she meets Mr Man - who Stephanie believes is a good friend.
Then things start going wrong
The book was very fast paced and hard to put down. I really enjoyed this book and found it held the suspense right until the last page
I highly recommend this book and will be looking for more by this author

I liked the idea for this book but I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. sadly its told in multiple time lines and it felt jumbled and confusing at times. There were a few twists but I didn't find them exciting or well done. I found the main character to be boring and just the whole story felt a bit flat.

Unfortunately this book just wasn't me however, it is incredibly well written and really does paint such a clear image of the lives as they intertwine and proceed. The whole thing is so well narrated and described that it is like watching a TV series which I found remarkable. It's a really slow burn, very slow..... so there is a lot of narration just about every day life and kids being kids really. The plus side to this being you get such a clear idea of who the main characters all are and what their lives were really like and then of course you suddenly get to the twists! As I said, it wasn't my type of book but I really couldn't fault it for being amazing for its genre. And in saying its a slow burn, it never feels like its dragging or spends pages on the sane description etc, there's just a lot of normal, every day living going on to start with and whilst I wasn't born in that era myself, the account if life in the 60s really does seem to be spot on and will have you recognising the attitudes and thoughts of people back then. I'd definitely recommend!

As soon as I downloaded this book, I knew I had to read it in one sitting, and read it in one sitting I did! And wow was I glad I did, what an amazing book, it will stay with me for a very long time, so thought provoking, dark, disturbing, compelling or just three words I can think of to explain how amazing this book is, I actually felt like I was in the story. I would recommend it to anybody that loves a really good dark thriller!

It’s 1966 and nine-year-old Stephanie feels different. Having a ‘wonky foot’ due to polio when she was younger, she just wants to be loved but her strict church-going parents don’t make life easy for her. Her friend Dawn doesn’t help either so when she befriends Mr Man and his dog, Goldie, Stephanie finally sees a future for herself. When Dawn goes missing in the woods, someone knows more than they are saying and decades later, Stephanie wonders if what happened that summer is finally going to catch up with her.

The pace of this book was perfect, Jane Bailey giving us time to get to know the characters and allowing us to develop opinions of them. From the very start, my heart went out to Stephanie, a tragic character who just wants to be liked and appreciated, a theme which continues through to her adult life. Dawn, on the other hand, was a shocking character but there was definitely a hint of her also feeling the need to feel liked even though her methods of attracting attention were very different to Stephanie’s.

It is no spoiler to say that there is a major event in the book but what I liked was that it was not signposted in any way, leaving me constantly wondering what was going to happen. This slow approach certainly built up the suspense and I was definitely shocked when I realised where the story was going. There are several other shocking events throughout the plot that, at times, really tug on the heart strings and made me want to give Stephanie a huge hug.

This is very much a character-driven novel and Jane Bailey’s writing had me invested in the plot right from the start. A fantastic read.

Well, this was a surprisingly great book. The characters were interesting. The author subtly dealt with lots of complex issues. I particularly enjoyed the younger characters and their outlook on life.

Sorry Isn't Good Enough is absolutely gripping. It had me hooked immediately with all its twists and turns. I would definitely recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for my ARC.

A dual timeline novel told from Stephanie's perspective. Telling the story of her childhood and growing up in the 60's. Her father was religious and her mother never showed her any affection and always did what her husband said. She had a best friend called Dawn who really wasn't much of a friend as she always put her down. And she devoted the company of Mr Nan and his dog Goldie. On the day of the World Cup final Dawn goes missing and life changes forever for Stephanie.
In 1997 after a works conference she fears she's being followed and the past is going to catchup with her.
I enjoyed reading the early part of the book, the dialogue between Stephanie and Dawn was quite amusing, the way children misinterpret what they hear adults say.
A solid read, portraying the effects childhood can have and how it's taken jnto adulthood. Thanks to Netgalley and publishers for the opportunity to read this advanced copy my opinions are my own and I was under no obligation to leave my honest review

This is the first novel I have read by Jane Bailey and I found it to be a compelling and emotional read. In 1960s Gloucestershire 9 year old Stephanie spends her time trying to please her mother and escape from her friendship with her neighbour and schoolfriend Dawn. When Dawn goes missing during the World Cup Final Stephanie's life will never be the same again. Sorry Isn't Good Enough moves between the 1960s and 1997 and is a sensitive and empathic coming of age story that beautifully and heartbreakingly portrays the world of the young Stephanie. Bailey really brings the 1960s to life and captures the lives and prejudices of the families on Napier Road. I absolutely loved this novel and was completely caught up in the characters lives, I know it will stay with me for a long time. Highly recommended.
4.5 stars

I was immediately gripped by this book and read it in a few hours. There’s a lot of tension, twists and also a real sadness to this story. But at the same time it’s beautiful.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

I was gripped from the first to the last page. Fast Paced, full of tension and suspense with plenty of heart in your mouth moments. This book ticked all my boxes, almost five stars. I can't wait to read more from this author.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.