This was another exciting story by Nina Manning. The pace was rather slow at times, but because we only know that Kit has done something bad that she is running from, but we don't know what we keep reading. The story moves between then, a few months ago and now after things have started looking up for her. The good luck seems short lived as strange, inexplicable stuff starts happening and Kit is pretty sure her past is catching up with her. This means while reading the book we are constantly trying to find out what was the really bad thing she did and who is out to get her now.

I had correctly guessed what the bad thing was and also some of the other stuff going on, which is quite rare for me. Unfortunately I didn't feel like I had Kit really figured out and I didn't love her, but overall this was a good psychological thriller.

I look forward to see what Nina Manning comes up with next.

Kit has secrets she hopes will stay secrets. After she wins a fabulous prize she is hesitant and does not believe her luck. Are her instincts right?

This dual timeline POV story is very engaging. I wanted to keep reading to uncover the clues from the present to find out what secrets Kit is hiding from her past. The descriptive writing made me feel like I was in the book and it was easy to picture the scenes. I've read Nina Manning's earlier books and really like her writing and characters. It is a quick read with a great story!

I really wanted to love this book but it just didn’t do it for me! It was a slow burn and I had a hard time getting into it. It switched back and forth between then and now, and I’m usually fine with that but for some reason this one kept me a little confused. I kept having to go back and figure out where we were. However, I did want to know how it ended so I kept going!

When I first read the description of this book, I thought it was right up my alley but it fell flat.

I don’t necessarily think this is a bad book, just not for me personally.

A slow burning, suspenseful read with a shocker of an ending.

WHY was there no trigger warning that there's the death of a dog? This stuff really plays on my mind for days after 😢

The story is told in past and present format, we hear of how Kit gets to where she is and then in the now is about when things start going bump in the night and accidents, that add to her already fragile mental state.

The house made for an atmospheric, haunting backdrop and was the perfect setting for her this story.

Kit is a highly complex character who is assuaged in guilt, but what is it she's trying to hide?

Many thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for my tour spot.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Waitress by Nina Manning
Waitress Kit Lowman knows that people look down on her and her job. But being anonymous offers Kit safety and security, allowing her terrible secrets to remain hidden.
And then Kit's luck changes, and she suddenly faces a terrible dilemma: reveal her true identity and accept that life will never be the same. Or stay in the shadows where she hopes she'll be safe?
Nina Manning is one of my favourite psychological thriller authors; I have read all of her books to date and thoroughly enjoyed them.
The waitress is no different; it is an accomplished, compelling, addictive chilling thriller.
I enjoy Nina's writing style, and how she eases you into the story, the tension slowly starts rising, and then suddenly, you are in the thick of the plot.
I enjoyed this story as much as the ones that came before, and I am certainly happy to recommend it.
I want to thank publishers Boldwood Books, author Nina Manning and Rachel's Random Resources for the tour invite and a copy to read and review.

The Waitress is one of those slow burning book that leaves you desperate to know what has happened in Kit's past - it was like that one friend on Facebook who posts one of those vague status's leaving you hanging, I did feel the dragging out of the past to be a long, I was slowly putting the pieces together, and had guessed her reasonings as to why she had to change restaurants early on but what I didn't expect was that ending! That is where Manning really had me going "what!?"  I loved it!

Kit has won a house, the competition guy who passed over the keys and paperwork seemed off to me and I couldn't put my finger on why and then as the story progressed it all became crystal clear, she has also left her job and boyfriend Tom and moved to a new waitress potition cutting ties with him. Why? What happened between them that lead to Kit making such drastic changes. You will just have to pick up a copy to find out and get to that twist of an ending!

4 stars

The Waitress was not the book I thought it was going to be. I was disappointed in the writing style and the slow pace of the novel. Sadly this book was not for me.



*thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.*

A slow burn initially, but leaves you wondering throughout where it could be going and what is happening? Something doesn’t seem right but you can’t quite put your finger on what exactly it is until the end! Such a good read, I really enjoyed this book!

The Waitress is a slow burn with a shocking ending. Nina Manning sets up intense, creepy, atmospheric scenes that captivated me. I think the slower pace adds to the scary feel to this novel. There were quite a few times that had me creeped out, which is definitely up my alley.

Because of the slower pacing, it did take me a bit to really get into this story, but as I already stated, once I was hooked, it added to the story in a great way.

We stay with Kit throughout the story but switch between then and now. I found this interesting. At first, it was a bit jarring, but as the story continued, it really helped me understand Kit and understand her decisions throughout the story.

Overall, I enjoyed The Waitress. It is atmospheric with beautiful writing and the surprise ending is worth the slow burn plot. I recommend giving this a shot.

Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for the free review copy and tour invite. All opinions are my own and unbiased.

This was a really tough read. And to be brutally honest, I’m not sure it even qualifies for the one star. This might have been the worst book I’ve ever read. Ever. It took me almost a week to trudge through it and that’s highly unusual for me to take so long to read a book. If I was able to DNF book, this would have been it. It never gained my interest and the plot was incredibly boring for 98%. Even what was considered action scenes fell considerably flat. The book is written in really confusing time lines - three chapters of “now” and one chapter of “then” so it tries to do a flashback type thing, but miserably fails because it’s confusing as all get out. At first I was thinking it was just a really really really slow burn, but when the plot was revealed…boy what a let down.

While I appreciate the ARC from netgalley, I would not recommend this one.

A waitress with a past she'd like to stay hidden finds herself in perdicment when she wins a house, causing her to receive ample attention.

I struggled with this book. On one hand I loved the concept. So many of us have worked in the serving industry and can relate to the main characters insights on the profession and industry. This being said, it was a slow read that felt predictable at many points. Towards the end it was starting to feel like a monologue of a lonely woman....not ideal when it's supposed to be a gripping thriller/mystery.

The pace combined with the writing style didn't work for me and ultimately, the novel fell flat.

2.5/5 stars (rounded to 3)

There are some jobs people consider being lowly. Being a waitress seems to fit in this category perfectly, according to some anyway. What is a lowly job? A job you can do without having a diploma? A job that does not pay much? A job you do not need a lot of brain cells for?

Wrong, wrong, wrong. In my opinion there is no such thing. I admit some jobs are open to more people and don’t demand a lot of education, but every job is important. It’s high time people start changing their point of view.

Having a job you love is the most crucial factor. It does not matter whether you are a doctor or a post man. You spend a lot of time working and having amazing colleagues is a great bonus.

This is how Kit feels about her job. She does not care she does not earn fortunes, but she is happy being a waitress. At least until that day…

A day she will never forget. A day that has put a black veil over about almost everything she does and feels.

When her luck suddenly changes, this should be the first step to climbing out of the dark pit she finds herself in. It seems though someone is not going to allow this…

I was confused in the beginning. I did not quite understand what was going on. It felt a bit all over the place. I guess the author did this on purpose, using this to show us the mindset the main character was in.

It took be a bit to get into the story, but suddenly I saw the light. The author alternated the present with the past in order to give us the backstory.

I picked up two of the hints giving me ‘AHA’ moments, but no way I had figured everything out. So room enough for a few ‘WHAT?’ moments too.

I enjoyed the story and will be looking forward to reading more of this author’s books. 4 stars

Thank you

Kit loves being a waitress. But something that happened in her past is threatening to reveal itself again and Kit is determined to let it not be addressed again. Can she keep her secret hidden?

I enjoy my thrillers fast paced and exciting. This book was fairly slow and I was sad that the ending was so flat. This book also contains a small section of animal cruelty so if this is something you don't like, please be aware. I feel this book would suit those who aren't comfortable with overly graphic or twisted thrillers or someone who is reading a thriller for the first time. I did enjoy the author's writing style though and I would still be interested in reading more by her.

Thank you Boldwood books publishers and Netgalley for this arc.

The main character is a waitress that meet a guy that change her life. We get to know her after she won something and move to a new house alone. She says she has done something and she is afraid noone will forgive her. But it turns to ne a drama more then a thriller and it takes some time to know what really happened and who is behind this strange and also cruel things that happened and are happening in her life and to people around her.

Thanks to my buddy reader Farah to get through this with me.

Kit Lowman, 31, is a waitress and prides herself on doing a great job. She recently entered a contest and has won a large house valued at two million pounds, plus furniture and an additional cash prize of twenty thousand pounds. The home is called Willow Cottage with extensive grounds and a pool. Kit is a bit wary of staying in the large house by herself, so when she meets a neighbor with a puppy looking for a home, she adopts the puppy. Soon, some strange things start to happen in the house which causes her concern.

Kit seems to be running from something in her past causing her guilt for what she did. The story switches back an forth in time. She has been seeing a very wealthy man named Tom who simply wants to marry her and have lots of children. This is not what Kit wants. She loves to work and her waitress job makes her happy. But there is still the guilt that she cannot overcome.

What did she do that has left her with such guilt? Can she ever get over it and be happy again?

This book had me guessing up to the very end. It is edgy and scary with some sad events. Lucy - so sweet and that made me cry. You have to read the book to see what I mean. Enjoy, readers.

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

4.5 stars
This was the type of book that took a little time to get into but then I was hooked. It became a real page turner. Kit, the main character has a number of issues with her family and a past relationship. There was also a trauma in her recent past. There are flashbacks that tell her story from the past. This had me thinking as to who was the perpetrator and it was only towards the end that I realised who it could be. The author created some tense moments. I did like that Kit was determined to maintain her independence and not to feel ashamed of her job. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Kit is a waitress and loves it. She does not aspire fro greater things like many others would. She just wants to continue what she is doing.

Tom, her boyfriend, would like her to quit and have babies. He does not understand her joy for the job.

There is an aura of mystery throughout the story. Something happened to make Kit leave her job at her beloved Mirabelle.

When Kit wins a huge home in a raffle, she looks at it as a chance to start over. Will she be able to put the past behind her and live with her guilt? When strange things start to happen she wonders if she ever will.

A slow burn of a book, but interesting. Not my favorite by this author but I won't hesitate to read another one from her.

Thanks to netgalley and Boldwood Books for the arc.

I found The Waitress to be an OK read as I found it quite slow going and I did not like the main character. It had some unexpected twists and was definitely not a predictable story but it just fell short for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my ARC.

I received this ARC via Netgalley one chance for an honest review

What a thrilling book it had me on the edge of my seat , I couldn’t recommend it enough

*3.5 stars*

Kit is a waitress that wins a 2 million pound estate in a housing raffle along with some cash. Her story is broken up into "then" and "now" chapters and the reader navigates through her depression, relationships with others, and mysterious past. Nina Manning did a wonderful job creating a creepy atmosphere and also leaving clues for the reader to try to figure out why Kit is trying to live an anonymous life.

This sure was a slow burn, but by the end I was hooked! Some of the plot was predictable but overall I enjoyed reading it and I would recommend to others.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.