Thank you NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review. I love a cult themed, plus the added bonus of quick short chapters made this even more better.

A journey of breaking free from your past..and oh boy what a past. I've watched enough documentaries to form an opinion on cults and their power over their "followers". Ruth is ready to break free of the chains when her daughter gets sick, and the rules don't allow for what seems to be her 'proper care'. I really enjoyed the story, albeit it was a bit slow at times, but it built up and the small chapters helped to keep me turning the pages. I've had mixed emotions through Ruth's journey, things I considered she should do, she didn't, and they were all consequences of her upbringing. Murphy has created a story that explores the complexities of escaping one's past and the challenges of starting anew. Trust, deceit and the consequences of past traumas, all shape Ruth's ability to navigate the new world away from the Messengers.

Many thanks to the author and Netgalley for a copy for an honest review

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator books for the ARC in exchange for my review.

If you are into cultish themes, scientology and the like, this will be up your alley. Beth annoyed me and Ruth seemed a bit naïve, but then again, I didn't grow up in a cult so...
It's a quick read and while some parts are predictable, you did need to keep reading to determine if you were right. Overall it was enjoyable adn I will look for other titles from Ms. Murphy.

3.5 ⭐

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

This book ended up having too many religious overtones for me. Wouldn't have picked this one had I known. It was a bit slow to start for me but it did get better as time went on. Sadly, the story was just way too predictable for me which took away from my enjoyment. It is quick read but I did also find it difficult to connect with the characters. Slow and scattered.

It’s been three years since Ruth’s marriage abruptly ended. Now, along with her young daughter Beth, she’s ready to move on with her life.

And there’s something else that Ruth wants to forget – her previous connection to a sinister religious cult, The Messengers.

Despite her troubled past, Ruth is ready to embrace the future. So when a new man enters her life, she’s excited to go on a date with him.

But a series of unsettling incidents suggest that nothing is quite as it seems. Is this the Mr. Right she’s been hoping for? Or does her new man have his own secret agenda? And are The Messengers really ready to let her go?

Soon Ruth is forced to confront the ghosts of her past as they become the terrors of her present. Will she ever be free of what happened back then? Or is someone determined to drag her back down into the darkness?

I really enjoyed this book from start to finish.

I do enjoy a cult read!!! This one was great!!! Full of unexpected twists & turns that kept me engrossed the whole way through!!!

Definitely quite a few unexpected twist and turns along the way in this story. It will keep you attention and draw you in.

First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.

Fascinating! A look into a cult, and how it influences your mind, and how much of a grip it has on your life. This book creeped me out, and had the hair standing up on my arms. I didn’t know who to trust. Although I found some of the twists predictable, I had fun reading this book! Every character seemed to be harboring a secret

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'He Loves Me Not' by Lorraine Murphy.

'Be Careful What You Wish For' discusses some topics that may upset some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Lorraine discusses/includes religious cults.

This book is very well written and had me hook, line and sinker from beginning to end. The descriptions were so in depth and vivid that the hair on my arms was standing on the ends and my heart was pounding throughout. The synopsis, title and cover were perfect for the storyline.

This book is a fascinating and thought provoking thriller that grips your attention from the dark prologue all the way to the fantastic epilogue!! This is the second book I have read by this brilliant author, the first being 'Be Careful What You Wish For' and I would highly recommend them both!! They have also both been published by Inkubator books which is a fantastic publisher that has never let me down when it comes to psychological thrillers!! As previously mentioned this book discusses cults which have always been something that intrigued me since I was a child and I had a friend whose father was actually in a cult and was trying to draw me in from a young age. Thankfully I am extremely close to my parents and spoke to them about it and I was told to avoid him. Anyway, it has always fascinated me how people are not only drawn in but kept in these cults for so many years. Anyway, sorry I went off on a bit of a tangent then, back to the storyline!! In this book the main protagonist Ruth is trying to rebuild a life for herself and her seven year old daughter Beth after running away from a cult known as 'The Messengers'. Ruth was widowed three years ago and is now dating a man with the hopes of rebuilding her life. However, is he really who he says he is or has he got a hidden agenda? Are 'The Messengers' still trying to draw her back in to their fold? With a storyline filled with secrets, mystery, cults, tension, suspense, suspicions, romance and everything you could ask for in a page turner I would highly recommend you grab your copy of this book to find out more!! I promise that you will not regret it!! Lorraine's vivid and evocative writing skills ensures the reader feels that they are right next to Ruth feeling her heart pound and seeing and feeling everything that she is feeling and doing!! It is one of those books where I was continuously found myself second guessing myself which is a rarity in books considering I have read so many over the years!! I just did not have a clue who was telling the truth and who was hiding what so a huge congratulations Lorraine!!! I ended up completely devouring this book in one sitting as each time I went to put it down to get on with some work something else happened which made me unable to put it down as I just had to know exactly what happened next. It has a dark, creepy, intriguing and addictive storyline filled with twists and turns you will not see coming!! I can't say any more than that as I don't want to spoil it for future readers. With realistic, strong and unlikeable characters that make you want to shout at, sympathise with and more this book will keep you glued to the pages. My heart completely went out to Ruth for what she went through as a child and it really does make you think even more what these cult members are thinking of, if they are even thinking at all to bring such young children into their lives! Lorraine has created a strong, realistic group of characters each with their own personalities, flaws, strengths and weaknesses that you will root for or hate!! regardless of whether you do love them or hate them, each and every character works together perfectly to create a suspense filled and addictive page turner that you will not want to put down so make sure you clear your schedules before even taking a single peek into this book! I'm definitely looking forward to reading more books by Lorraine to see what else she has up her sleeve!!!

Overall an absolutely captivating, creepy, dark, gripping and heart racing addictive psychological thriller!!!


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He loves me not by Lorraine Murphy.
Omg. This one did surprise me. I loved the cover. I don't normally like cults. I find them creepy. This was a gripping and twisty read. I read this in two sittings.

Sometimes slow but enjoyable.
Short chapters which I love and a good storyline. Thanks netgalley for my ebook arc

This was an interesting book..

There were times when this book was very slow moving and details are kind of scattered throughout it. But once you start to put all of those tiny pieces together it had you hooked. I would say that I wasn't quite invested until I hit that 30-40% mark though.. But stick with it!

You learn so much about the Messengers and how they operate, and it is so twisted ad different from every day life. But there is a character near the end who makes it clear that she wants the Messengers and the other people (non-messengers) to speak to each other and learn more about each other. Because in the end, we are all people. I do think that was a very important message to put in this book after everything that happens.

Goodreads states that this is book #5, so I may go looking for the other books of this series and see if there is more information, or family history/stories that lead up to this one. I am hoping that there is, because it was an interesting read for sure.

Characters I think were all written quite well, except for the child.. I found her right bratty and annoying. I understand that going from being homeschooled to public school can be a huge change, even going from one parent from 2 is a huge change. But the way she was portrayed ruined it for me.

The FMC coming from the world of cults is very intriguing. You feel for her, am happy to see her strength showing through and get frustrated at the same time. Almost every character in the book has at least 2 extremely opposite sides to them and have to wonder which one was the fake. There were so many slow-moving moments in the story which made my interest wain more often than desired. If you prefer and slower build in your books rather than being kept on your toes, then this one will satisfy you. You are given an ending requiring you to guess how it'll end up for her next, but I think it's the best choice the author could have made in this case.

So I Loved the Story line, It is different than I have read before. The book is about a women that was in a religious cult and their beliefs severely limit what the parents can do in a time of an emergency. Ruth, the main character has to choose between her daughter and her religion. Ruth makes her choice and attempts to out run her past but is unsuccessful. The author has some twist to the end that you will never see coming! If you like psychological thrillers than definitely check this one out

Overall this was an enjoyable read. It was quick and easy with short chapters and a writing style that flowed well.

The premise of this book drew me in as I love to read books about cults , they are so fascinating to me.

Just about all of the characters in this story had secrets and I didnt know who to trust , it had me turning pages wondering what was going to happen next!

This book was a little predictable at times , but a few of the twists did take me by surprise and were well done!

I recommend this book to lovers of twisty thrillers!

After escaping from a religious cult with her young daughter, Ruth is attempting to start over and become part of society. But when someone starts sending her threatening messages, she wonders if she will ever be able to outrun the Messengers of the Messiah. This was a gripping, page-turning thriller with several twists and turns that kept me guessing! I highly recommend this one for fall. I really enjoyed the setting (winter, in Ireland), which added to the eerie mood. Definitely snag a copy when it comes out on August 25!

Despite being told her whole life that women should be submissive to men, Ruth had strength of character and a powerful voice. Even though we are not supposed to trust all of the characters in a thriller, I found many of them to be charming. Ruth was dimensional and intriguing, facing several moral dilemmas throughout the book. I love ambiguity in characters - it can lead to great discussions with book friends!

The plot was fast-paced and kept me on edge - just as a thrilled should be! I actually couldn’t read this one before bed because I would get so tense, and it took me a bit to unwind after reading it. Which is exactly what I want in a thriller/suspense novel!

Murphy’s writing was crisp, clear, and not repetitive. She created vivid, heart-pounding scenes that really pulled me in. 5 stars, no notes!

“It was God’s will. You see we… we were Messengers.”

Who else here is fascinated with cults?

If you are or have an interest this book is for you.

He Loves Me Not by Lorraine Murphy.

I am someone who has always been fascinated with cults. So when I saw this book on NetGalley I had to read it.
I’m also obsessed with Ireland, reading and listening to any book that is set there. And this one is set in Ireland and if it comes out on audio I will definitely listen to it.

This story had me gripped by the end of chapter 1.
Ruth is a single mother running away from her old life. She had been married before and lived within the religious cult (The Messengers) but she had to run….

She is now ready to embrace her new future with her little girl. Ruth finally feels settled, she has a friend, a job and a new man in her life.
But will the ghost of her past catch up to her. Will the massagers let her go.

If you want to find out read this book.

It’s a great psychological thriller read. With a few twists. I did guess one of them but the rest I didn’t see coming.

Thank you netgalley, the book overall was enjoyable and an easy read. Short and quick although the outcome was very predictable.