This is quite a dark psychological thriller, following the story of Cassie, a personal trainer and fitness fanatic. Cassie narrates the story of her ex, now blind, turning up at the gym where she works to enrol in sessions for the disabled. Seizing the opportunity to exact revenge for her suffering during their abusive relationship, Cassie slips between past stories and present day. Overall I found the whole thing rather unsettling and uncomfortable reading. I couldn’t feel sorry for either Cass or Liam, and felt like she was perhaps a somewhat unreliable narrator. Who was the true bully and who was the crueller of the two. And yet I had to keep reading to find out what happened, although I still felt equally undecided about the two characters when I finished. I’m sure it’s a book that everyone is going to be talking about though.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Random House UK, Cornerstone for a copy in exchange for a review.

I’ve spent quite a bit of time reflecting on my feelings about this book – and I’m still conflicted. It’s a gripping, multilayered story that challenges you to sit with the complexities of toxic relationships, control, and revenge. Healey’s writing is immersive and sharp, pulling you into the intense dynamics between Cassie and her ex, Liam, and leaving you questioning your sympathies at every turn.

The story is told through a dual timeline, shifting between the past, when Cassie and Liam were together, and the present, where their paths unexpectedly cross again. As a personal trainer, Cassie takes on a new client – only to discover it’s Liam, who is now blind due to a brain tumour. The shock of this meeting reignites buried emotions and sets the stage for a tense, psychologically charged narrative. Healey skillfully unravels their past, revealing the insidious nature of Liam’s control: from dictating Cassie’s food intake and exercise regimen to isolating her from friends and gaslighting her into submission.

In the present timeline, Cassie wrestles with the temptation of revenge. The power dynamics have shifted – or so it seems – and she begins to push boundaries, taking subtle actions to regain a sense of control. But as the story unfolds, we’re forced to question whether anyone truly holds the upper hand. The dual timelines work brilliantly, with moments from the past and present echoing each other, highlighting how deeply the scars of abuse can run.

What stood out most for me was Healey’s nuanced exploration of trauma and its aftermath. Cassie’s life has been shaped by Liam’s coercion, and even in his absence, she continues to push herself to extremes – a haunting reminder of how abuse can linger long after the abuser is gone. The narrative dives deep into themes of body image, diet culture, and the addictive high of self-discipline, making the book not just a psychological exploration but also a social commentary.

That said, Sweat is not an easy read. It touches on heavy, triggering topics like domestic abuse, coercion, and eating disorders. For readers who are sensitive to these themes, it’s worth approaching the book with caution. While the tension and pacing kept me hooked, there were moments where the characters’ decisions left me frustrated, particularly Cassie’s increasing impulsivity in the present timeline.

Emma Healey is no stranger to intense storytelling. Elizabeth is Missing had me in tears with its raw portrayal of memory and loss. While Sweat didn’t strike the same emotional chord, it delivered a gripping and thought-provoking experience in its own right. The ending left me stunned – it’s unexpected and ambiguous, yet fitting for a story this layered.

If you’re looking for a book that challenges your perceptions and keeps you on edge, Sweat is worth the read. It’s a dark, claustrophobic tale that doesn’t offer easy answers but will leave you thinking long after you’ve turned the last page.

So after reading this book and giving it a few days, in still not sure what I feel about it!

A little warning that this book covers calorie counting, diet culture, coercive abuse and a toxic relationship. Cassie has started working at a new gym and due to issues with the CEO the gym is offering a discount to people with the disabilities, a colleague of hers asks her to take over his client and low and behold the client is her toxic ex who has recently become blind due to a brain tumour! The same ex who was abusive towards her and harassed her several months after finally leaving him.

Let's start with what I liked - I thought it was clever how the author wrote about what happened in the past and the sympathy you have with Cassie is strong (initially). I thoughts the twists were well done too.

what I didn't like - I felt like this book would have been better being slightly shorter tbh. I also found as the book went on, the less I liked the MC. I also feel that the rage the author was creating took away a little from what the book was trying to say.

So yeah, not sure if I enjoyed it or if you're supposed too but would say give it go?

Sweat is a very claustrophobic read, covering a lot of sensitive topics.
Cassie is a personal trainer, she hasn’t always been but has been since her ex boyfriend got her in shape. Liam is a fitness fanatic and is a controlling and manipulative person. Cassie has to get away from him for her own good and when she did she did her best for her path never to cross his again. Liam is stood in front of her at the gym she works at but now she holds the power and she’s going to use it.
This was a book that took me a while to get into, it is a very toxic relationship, Cassie and Liam used to have and is upsetting at times. The storyline is very different to what I have read before and as the scales evened out I enjoyed the book more. The book runs on a dual timeline which helps trying to figure out these complex characters. The book moves a long at a good pace and you get to know the characters well, which helps with the storyline.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

I actually have no idea whether I liked this book or not. It is the story of Cass/Cassie and her ex Liam. They had a very bullying & controlling relationship that saw Liam controlling every aspect of Cassie’s life. Cassie eventually summons the courage to leave and two years later is a Personal Trainer in a new gym. Liam then arrives as a new Client at the gym under a “disability incentive” offered by the management. Here the story tends to split into then and now chapters. Initially I felt sorry for Cassie and as the story went on soon lost any nice feelings I had. I found all the characters immensely dislikeable with few redeeming features.

It does have triggering aspects such as coercive relationships and domestic abuse.

This is so different from Elizabeth is Missing and has two characters that you feel sympathy for/you don’t feel sympathy for. The book really twists the emotions. It’s told in two timelines. In the past we have Cassie and Liam as a couple. He wants Cassie to be the best she can be and he controls every aspect of her life - what she eats, when she eats, when she exercises etc. Under his control her body changes, her musculature and fitness improves but… This is a toxic relationship and the level of coercive control is scary to read. But Cassie finally makes the split. The second timeline is in the present. Thanks to Liam’s ‘control’, Cassie is now a personal trainer, she monitors her food, her exercise and is just as hard on herself as Liam ever was. Then one day Liam walks into her gym, but he is different. He is blind and Cassie now sees that she has the opportunity for revenge. She is the one in control now - or is she? Neither character is likeable and while I might begin to sorry for Liam and how Cassie was treating him in the present day timeline, when the timeline switched back to the past - that sympathy vanished. And it was the same with Cassie - I might have felt sorry for her in the past but her behaviour in the present … There is a lot in here about not only coercive control but also eating issues and body image. The ending - didn’t expect it. A tense read at times.

All Liam ever wanted was to help Cassie reach her full potential; to push her body to new extremes. Exercise, determination, being the optimum versions of themselves together forever. And Liam always knew what was best.

Wow, what a book. I think everyone has known some degree of Liam but he is extreme. The story is scary but absolutely brilliant. It got me so wound up I wanted to intervene. Great writing to invent characters that I hated but couldn’t look away from the page. Some parts tense, some claustrophobic. Great ending. I loved it.

Sweat is the third novel by award-winning British author, Emma Healey. Cassie has been working at the gym for about a year when the CEO makes a costly gaffe on YouTube that sees people with various disabilities taking advantage of a half-price offer. When a workmate asks her to take his new blind client, she’s shocked to see it’s her abusive ex, Liam.

A million thoughts run through her head: she should refuse to take him as a client, explain to her manager why; she should get as far away from him as she can. But the overriding one is that this is her chance to be in control: she can do to him what she likes, get her own back.

She alters her speech, wears a fragrance a client has left behind, checks that his vision impairment in genuine, and feels safe enough to continue with his weekly gym sessions. When she shares this development with her closest friend, Tanya is aghast: she’s seen how Liam broke her, had been there to support Cassie, and warns her that she can’t cope with a repeat.

Liam’s control began so subtly, and its incremental increase was so insidious, his gaslighting so polished, Cassie second-guessed herself into believing his intentions were good, were always for her benefit. And when she finally left him, the stalking and harassment continued mercilessly for months. Perhaps Cassie’s need for payback is understandable, but is it wise? Because, as Tanya says, “he’s still hot, only now he’s all vulnerable and needy and apparently non-threatening.”

Healey paints a vivid picture of the addictive nature of the high that exercise and diet can offer: “We want this. We like it. We like to be sore and we like to be stiff and we like to be tired. Everywhere in the Western world these feelings are being cultivated, and PTs and their clients are bruising and tearing and hungry and aching and high. So high.”

But there are limits: “Going hungry because of someone else is not the same. Just as pain inflicted by someone else is not the same. I loved my next-day muscle ache, even the very worst kinds. But I didn’t want to be hurt. I liked fasting because it was an achievement and I could feel proud of the results. But I didn’t want to be starved.” Gradually revealed, readers will find the level of Liam’s control jaw-dropping.

Tension builds as the reader waits to see what Cassie will do next and observes the danger into which she puts herself. The climax is a nail-biter and the resolution to this dark and powerful tale is very satisfactory. Once again, Healey does not disappoint.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Random House UK Cornerstone

Wow – this was a one reading session to grapple all that goes within this twisty novel. Cassie’s ex-boyfriend Liam wanted to ‘improve’ her – he wouldn’t call it that, but certainly he made much effort to ensure her body was pushed to its extreme in terms of exercise and diet. She quite literally changed in front of his eyes. But it gets too much and Cassie walks away, though finds comfort in a new role (in part thanks to her ex). When Liam walks into her place of work two years on, she is the one who is in control… and much more than she even realises initially. It’s her turn to put pressure on Liam. Quite, quite different from Emma’s brilliant book Elizabeth is Missing, this was worth reading in one go. It’s been described as pulse racing and there are certain moments where you’re unsure where it’s going but that makes for an exciting read.

Sweat follows Cassie as she works as a PT in a gym. Her newest client? Her ex boyfriend who has recently lost his sight due to a brain tumour. Cassie wants to see what she can do with the situation presented …

I liked the premise of this story and thought it sounded really interesting. I liked that it was a back and forth between present day and the past. I also liked the way the events flowed throughout the book. I felt like it wasn’t really something I had read before!

I would have liked more about the relationship between Liam and Cassie before the break up! I felt like the coercive and abusive behaviour could have been explored further to help with more of a build up.

I felt the beginning and end kept me really invested!

I’d recommend if you love the gym 😂

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars because I liked the ending.

A tale of two of the most toxic people I've ever read about & their car crash of a relationship & breakup. It's so hard to root for the protagonist, despite what she's been through, as she keeps making the most unhinged decisions imagineable. Overall though, a compelling read - I was always eager to see what would happen next, even if the ending felt a bit rushed.

A really complicated and compelling read. It would make a great book club read, who’s side would you take?
Our main character is a personal trainer who, two years ago, escaped an abusive relationship. She’s rebuilding her life and trying to reclaim her sanity when she gets a new client. Things start to go downhill rapidly for her, and we start to learn about her past and her abuser. This will probably be a tough read for a lot of people.
I spent a lot of time trying to understand her choices, but although I can appreciate how anger and trauma can cloud a person’s judgement, it was difficult at times.

This book was wildly different from what I was expecting - in a great way. I've never read anything quite so oddly captivating and spine tingling, while also being incredibly frustrating. It's the type of book that makes you want to shake the main character until she's awake (and eats a nice snack!)
I did find the first few chapters to be extremely slow, to the point of me almost giving up - but it absolutely picked up in the second half. My main critique, though, is that while I found the main character of Cassie to be incredibly fierce and powerful, I didn't understand her "why" until it was clearly revealed until about 2/3 of the way through this story. As much as I was invested in what was happening, I also really just didn't get along with her actions.

This book deserves every trigger and content warning under the sun - but if you can get past that... highly worth it for as satisfying an ending as you could hope for, I suppose. I'll be thinking about this one for a while...

The opportunity for pay back presents itself – do you take it or not? Two years after escaping the toxic relationship with the uber-controlling Liam, Cassie encounters him again. Now that he is blind, the temptation to make him suffer in small ways is irresistible … and the tempo escalates. Her work as a personal trainer enables small accidents and as her confidence increases, she takes greater risks. Come uppance for both parties threatens. The ending was something of a surprise, but Cassie is a survivor, despite the crushing impact of Liam’s relentlessness.
Some shining insight into how and why people (women) stay in unhealthy relationships, the value and importance of friends – and a warning not to play games with a determined controller.

This book hooks you in from the start.
The main character has a complicated past which the book explores alongside her current activities.
The ending was slightly underwhelming hence the 4☆

It’s a difficult book to review as I can’t say I found it enjoyable as it involves many difficult themes, such as domestic abuse and self-harm. However, it was an interesting read and I did care about the characters.

This is a dark and heavy read about an abusive relationship, narrated by Cassie who is in the present day, looking back. The two timelines flow well together and this is something that can often not work out for me, but in this book it worked really well to progress things. I found it to be a bit slower paced but still extremely gripping and had me thinking.

Abusive relationships and coercive control are quite rightly much discussed topics at the moment. However, I do feel there are a lot, maybe too many, fiction books around at the minute with this at their centre and it can be a trope rather than a well explored issue. Ms Healey did manage to inject a different perspective by introducing a now visually impaired ex boyfriend and allowing thoughts of revenge to play out questioning "what would you do?"
The ending was unexpectedly dramatic, but the eventual outcome probably the tight one.
Thank you to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars

Cassie has had enough with Liam and their toxic relationship focusing on food and exercise. But after she’s left him for good, he turns up blind at her gym and suddenly the roles are reversed. Is it a trap? Or will she finally be able to get her revenge?

I’ll say off the bat that Sweat is not a light read and needs trigger warnings to eating disorders, compulsive exercise and orthorexia, as well as abusive and toxic relationships. We first meet Cassie as a personal trainer at a gym where she meets Liam, but the narrative slowly reveals how they know each other and their history – which can be quite a tricky read at times. The switches from present day to flashback are done really well, with something in the present narrative sparking a memory which links to the next chapter set in the past.

The plot is a slow-burn thriller and feels claustrophobic and tense throughout. You are unsure on what is happening – whether Liam is as helpless as he makes out and whether what she is doing to him is entirely justified. As a reader you are kept off-balance and stretching out for the solution which is kept just out of reach until the very end.

Characters around Cassie - from her mother to her best friend, are so frustrating as they struggle to see things from her perspective. It makes a point on how easy it is to ignore what’s going on around us and makes us question if we would see the signs and believe our friends as well, especially in a society where romance and obsession are very easily confused. This does make it quite difficult to find a character to grip onto though, especially as Cassie can be unreliable and frustrating. At times she seems unstable, impulsive and bad at making decisions, but the more that we learn about her past, the more we empathise with her. I could not see how this book would end, and it gripped me as we went along, wanting to find out. The ending itself really surprised me, I’m still not really sure how I feel about it - I do think it’s the most realistic conclusion though, sadly. It certainly made me think about it long after I’d put it down.

Overall, Sweat is a claustrophobic, tense thriller designed to have your heartbeat racing but keeps you off balance and reaching out for the conclusion throughout. Thank you to NetGalley & Random House UK, Cornerstone and Hutchinson Heinemann for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh I do enjoy a messy thriller. A personal trainer is covering for one of her colleagues when a new client comes into the gym. The client is her ex-boyfriend. Who is now blind. Their whole backstory is mixed in with the current day narrative & it all unravels.

It’s pretty clear right away that Cassie and Liam did not end their relationship on a good note. Actually the entire thing was pretty terrible for Cassie. So of course revenge seems appealing.

I had a good time reading this. Some of it is tough to read, I would imagine even more so if you have experienced an abusive relationship. It is pacy & engrossing if you’re up for it though!