Oh, the twists on twists! I absolutely loved this read. It gave major “this tea is piping hot” vibes the entire time. I found myself completely invested in the friendships and relationships, and just when I thought I had everything figured out “I knew it!” I was immediately hit with a WHAT?! moment. The shock of that twist was so good! Definitely an unputdownable book for me. Full of suspense, heart, and an ending that served absolute perfection on a silver platter.

S.E. Lynes delivers a masterful psychological thriller with Valentina, a story that grips you from the very first page and never lets go. Shona and her partner are living an ordinary, contented life—until the enigmatic Valentina appears. An instant friendship forms between the two women, but as tensions rise and cracks appear in Shona’s relationship, unsettling questions about Valentina’s true nature begin to surface.

The slow, deliberate build-up is handled brilliantly, creating a thick sense of suspense that keeps readers on edge. Lynes’ skillful writing ensures every detail feels purposeful, steadily intensifying the feeling of unease. The story culminates in a twist that is both unexpected and immensely satisfying, leaving a lasting impact long after the final chapter.

With nail-biting tension, deeply drawn characters, and a shocking yet seamless twist, Valentina is a standout thriller that fans of the genre will not want to miss.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC opportunity!

This was just okay to me. It has a very slow build to it, and there were quite a few points that were obvious. There were still a few twists that popped up, but all in all, it just didnt land the way i think it shouldve. It felt like something was missing still.

3.5 stars

Love birds, Shona and Mikey, move to the countryside with their toddler, Isla. Mikey's offshore job keeps him away from home for extended periods, and Shona is lonely. Enter Valentina, a woman Shona befriends. Valentina has a baby around Isla's age, too. She's just the kind of friend Shona needs in her corner. Or is she?

While the plot seemed predictable, the details leading to the twists shocked me. It was an enjoyable story. The ending was satisfying, and the narration was fantastic.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the free copy of the book.

A brilliant plot! Creepy, sinister and twisty, totally absorbing and shocking!

When Shona and Mikey move to a remote location with their baby, for Mikey's offshore job, Shona feels isolated, so when she meets Valentina, who has a baby of a similar age, she seems like the perfect friend. Oh, if only it were that simple! I had a good idea of where this was going and I was right, but did it affect my enjoyment of the book? Not one bit! S. E. Lynes writing is superb and the narration by Tamsin Kennard and Helen McAlpine was excellent, bringing the characters to life so vividly that I felt like a fly on the wall.

As the story races to it's reveal and conclusion, it became so tense and I really didn't know how many more secrets were going to be revealed or who was going to make it through to the end. Trust no one.

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, S. E. Lynes and Bookouture, for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Title: Valentina
Author: S.E. Lynes
Publisher: Bookouture Audio
Genre: Thriller
Format: 🎧
Narrators: Tamsin Kennard and Helen McAlpine
Pub Date was: April 24, 2025 (Originally published July 1. 2016)
My Rating: 2.7 Stars
Pages: 280

Story starts with Shona McGilvery and Mikey Quinn a young couple with baby daughter Isla who have just moved from Glasgow to Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The Aberdeenshire countryside is beautiful but their cottage is located in a very isolated area.
Mikey recently accepted a new job on an oil rig which requires working two consecutive weeks a month away offshore.
Shona was a Journalist when she lived in Glasgow. Now a new mother and loves her little Isla but is lonely and needs adult contact. She decides perhaps a part-time job is the answer but needs to enroll Isla in child care. She meets Valentina, who has a baby son Zack who is around the same age as Isla.

I have read other Susie Lynes stores and loved them. In one of her stories story she told us wanted to explore how a loving relationship could be blown apart by failure to communicate.
This story was published back in 2016 –the ones I read and enjoyed were more recent.
The story has good reviews but I am wondering if because it was nine years ago.
.
I really had a hard time with this story as I found these characters so unlikeable. I wanted to sympathize with Shona- however, her belligerent, immature attitude got annoying- she was unable to complete a sentence without an f-bomb. She is near thirty and worked as a journalist for several years so should have some common sense as well as a filter.
Valentina wasn’t much better and then there is Mikey ……

On the bright side the narrators were both great!!! I have listened to other audiobooks narrated by Tamsin Kennard so I knew she would be good in this one as well! And she was!

Although this was a disappointment and not as good as I expected, I definitely will read another S.E. Lynes story!!

Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for this audiobook.
Publishing Release Date was April 24,. 2025.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC in audiobook format.

Valentina by S.E. Lynes is a captivating novel, and when you combine Lynes writing with the ideally matched narration of Tamsin Kennard and Helen McAlpine I can guarantee you won't want to stop listening 🎧.

A 5-star audiobook - Valentina by S.E. Lynes

S.E. Lynes’ "Valentina" is a psychological thriller that thrives on atmosphere, manipulation, and the slow unraveling of trust. The audiobook format amplifies these elements, turning the story into an immersive experience that grips the you from the first chapter.

The audiobook’s success hinges on its narration, and fortunately, the voice work does justice to the novel’s eerie tone. The narrator captures protagonist Shona McGilvery’s growing unease with subtle shifts in pacing and inflection, making her isolation in the Aberdeenshire countryside feel tangible. The contrast between Shona’s vulnerability and Valentina’s enigmatic charm is heightened through the performance, adding layers to the psychological tension.

'Valentina" explores the fragility of trust and the dangers of misplaced confidence. Shona, a journalist who moves to rural Scotland with her partner and child, finds solace in her friendship with Valentina—until that friendship takes a sinister turn. The novel’s pacing is deliberate, allowing the reader (or listener) to sink into the creeping dread that builds with each revelation. The audiobook format enhances this slow-burn tension, making every pause and whispered doubt feel weightier.

Lynes crafts a setting that is as much a character as the people in the story. The bleak beauty of Scotland’s countryside mirrors Shona’s growing isolation, and the audiobook’s narration ensures that listeners feel the chill of the landscape. The sense of place is so strong that it evokes comparisons to Nordic Noir, where the environment plays a crucial role in shaping the psychological landscape of the characters.

"Valentina" is a haunting novel that thrives in audiobook form. The narration elevates the psychological tension, making it a gripping listen for fans of slow-burning thrillers.

If you enjoy stories that explore manipulation, trust, and the unsettling realization that not everything is as it seems, this audiobook is well worth your time.

Thank you Netgalley, S E Lynes and Bookouture audio for the audio arc of Valentina.
Narrated by Tamsin Kennard, Helen McAlpine

I have.read a few of S E Lynes books before so I was excited to listen to this one. What I enjoyed about this one is our MCs, Shona, her partner Mikey who move up to rural Scotland with their young baby so Mikey can work offshore and not travel so far to get home. Shona meets Valentina, a beautiful mysterious friend with a child not much older than her own. But something feels off, and Shona slowly starts to piece things together to find the secrets that people hide.

All 3 characters are interesting, make no mistake, you will probably figure out early on to the direction of the book with the foreshadowing ( and if your used to these sorts of domestic psychological thrillers ) What the plot concentrates on is the effects of what happens when you are continuously gaslighted. That what you perceive as real, people think you're crazy. Something will give! I like the twists and the two POVs of Shona and Valentina, both in first person. which really throws you into the minds of both women. It's a great, engaging psychological thriller.

Both Tasmin and Helen who narrated this book were outstanding. I love Tasmin Kenner's voice and even Helen McAlpine is a new narrator for me, her voice suited the pace and themes of this book.

4 stars

Valentina was an enjoyable read. I found the book to be predictable but there were a few small twists that I didn’t expect in this psychological thriller. One word kept coming to mind as I was reading this book was gaslighting, everyone was gaslighting Shona. I like S.E. Lynes writing style and Tamsin Kennard & Helen McAlpine did an excellent job with narration.

Thank you to NetGalley & Bookouture Audio for letting me read this ARC.

Actually, I had originally downloaded the audiobook, but I had to switch to the ebook. Just to be clear, this had nothing to do with the quality of the narrator, but rather with me. Let me explain. My native language is Dutch, not English, and although I have no problem reading English books, it’s a different story when it comes to audiobooks. The story takes place in Scotland, and the narrator read it with a Scottish accent. For me, it was sometimes too difficult to follow, and I had to concentrate so hard that the enjoyment of the story was lost. But the ebook provided the solution.

Sometimes moving is necessary because of one partner’s job. It means that both partners have to leave their old life behind and start anew. For Mikey, the working partner, it’s easier because he’s surrounded by colleagues, but for Shona, who as a non-working partner sits in a house in the middle of nowhere with only her baby for company, the days are long. Add to that the fact that Mikey is often absent because of his job, then it’s understandable that Shona grabs the opportunity for a new friendship with Valentina with both hands.

Valentina is pushy and doesn’t reveal much about herself, Shona seems to have lost herself and gets overwhelmed, and Mikey just goes about his business.

The book is divided into two parts: the first part mainly tells Shona’s side of the story, and in the second part, we see everything through Valentina’s eyes. A lot is cleared up here—things the reader might have suspected and now are either confirmed or not.

I thought the idea on which the story is based was very clever, but on the other hand, it also became clear fairly early on in which direction it was heading, and I had already figured out certain things. However, I'm always pleased when there are still some surprises in store.

The story shows that if you try to have the best of both worlds, you may often end up empty-handed.

This was a very promising debut by this author, who now already has a whole stack of great books to her name. 4 stars.

Thank you

I enjoyed this tense and twisty psychological thriller set in Aberdeen. There were a few improbable moments eg letting a 4 month old scrape the bowl while making cakes! Aside from these, it was good and very gripping. Excellent narration too.

Enjoyed this book!
I thought I predicted what was going to happen, but there was a small twist I did not see coming.
If you are a Freida McFadden (think The Wife Upstairs) or Lucinda Berry fan, you are going to enjoy this book.
There are some time jumps throughout the plot, but it is written well enough that I was able to keep myself in check!
As per my previous remark, the plot is well-structured. The pace was well done, there was a tiny part of the middle of the book that slowed a bit for me, but it didn’t last long.
Characters were well-developed.
The ending was certainly interesting, but still enjoyed it!
If you like a psychological thriller, definitely check this book out!

I suspected what was going on the whole time (eg that Valentina was the ex) and started to find it boring and wished we’d get to that reveal sooner. I did enjoy reading them though and really found both women interesting. Once the reveal happened I couldn’t put this book down and was desperate / very curious to find out how the situation resolved with both couples.

This is a favorite author so I will read more. The narrator did a great job.

This was a great audio book. Some major surprises throughout. The ending was just wow. This was a pretty unique book and narration was great. Well written and keeps you wondering.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this audiobook for review.
Holy moly! What an absolutely wild experience this was!
This is my second book by this author and both have absolutely blown me away!
I will definitely be recommending to all!

Valentina is one of those slow-burn thrillers that quietly pulls you in and then gets seriously dark. Shona’s life in the Scottish countryside seems peaceful—until she meets Valentina. Their friendship spirals into something tense and creepy, and you’re never quite sure who to trust.

The audiobook narration is spot-on and adds to the suspense. It lags a little in the middle, and some twists are predictable, but overall it’s a well-written, atmospheric story that stays with you. A great pick if you enjoy psychological thrillers with a moody, rural setting.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture Audio for the Arc.

Holy Crap! I think I have whiplash!!!! What a wild roller coaster of a ride full of secrets, lies, and manipulation! S.E. Lynes blew me away with this gripping and thrilling tale! Just when I thought I had things figured out, S.E. Lynes pulled the carpet out from under my feet! I listened to the audiobook and the narrators did a fabulous job of bringing this book to life!!!!

Shona McGilvery has moved with her boyfriend, Mikey and their baby to a home in the Aberdeenshire countryside. It's isolated and quiet and with Mikey going away to work offshore, Shona begins to feel all alone. That is until she meets, Valentina, a lively and fun yoga instructor. They bond, have drinks, and spend time together. It's just what Shona needs as she is feeling lonely, abandoned, and lacking in companionship.

Wowza! I had no idea what I was in for when I picked up this book. I had a lot of fun listening to the audiobook. I loved the tension, the unraveling of the plot, the twists, turns, and shocking reveals which crept up on me along the way. The characters were fantastic and so well done. I loved how the author had me changing how I felt about them throughout the book.

Entertaining, dark, thrilling, gripping, shocking, and deliciously good!

Valentina by S.E. Lynes
Narrated by Helen McAlpine, Tamsin Kennard

When we meet city girl Shona she has been living with Mikey and their just months old baby girl in a very remote cabin, far away from her old job, friends, and family. Little did she know that as soon as they moved to this remote location that Mikey would be working two weeks on, two weeks off at an offshore location. But even when Mikey is on shore he's busy working and Shona is alone with her baby girl and her loneliness is going to overwhelm her. It it by chance, the first time Shona leaves her baby at a nursery for a few hours, that Shona meets wild and crazy, hippy-ish Valentina, who has a son the same age as Shona's baby girl.

Valentina is the friend that Shona needed...or at least she first appears to be what Shona needed. But Valentina isn't very reliable, she's quick to take advantage of Shona's time and friendship, and she's very evasive at the oddest of times. Friendship with Valentina seems like a very bad idea to me and I felt sorry for her little baby. He seemed more like an accessory than someone Valentina loved which is probably why Valentina was so prone to foisting him off on Shona.

But then I don't think much of Shona's decision making skills. After all, Mikey turned my stomach from the first time I met him while Shona is madly in love with the guy and all ready to jump him every time he came home from anywhere. So from all these bad decisions, plus exhaustion from caring for a baby (or two) all on her own most of the time, and missing all that she left behind when she met Mikey, Shona isn't in the best frame of mind. Guess what Shona, life is going to get a whole lot worse, take my word for it. The narration by both narrators is good and you can always count on a horribly bad time for the characters when Tamsin Kennard is narrating. Prepare for wild and crazy times and this time it's not in a suburb.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you Netgalley for the gifted copy of the Audiobook. I rate this book a 3.75/5.

The book was enjoyable, but I knew right away that Valentina was involved with Mikey. I figured she was the ex girlfriend that they talked about at the beginning of the book. I was a little surprised that Shona was actually the side piece.
She was one terrible friend.

Hated Mikey from the start, he seemed so arrogant, I knew he would be a piece of shit.

The narrator was who made the book very enjoyable to me. Even with her thick accent (I am Canadian), she was very easy to understand. I give the narrator a 5/5.

Valentina by S. E. Lynes
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the ARC!

Valentina is a slow-burning psychological thriller that sneaks up on you with a disturbing intensity. Set against the haunting beauty of rural Scotland, this story follows Valentina as she moves to a remote cottage and forms a friendship that quickly takes a chilling turn. The themes of obsession, isolation, and trust unravel with subtle tension and creeping dread.

The audiobook narrator was outstanding—she didn’t just read, she performed. From authentic Scottish tones to emotional sighs and character immersion, her voice pulled me into the story completely.

While Valentina isn’t about motherhood, I personally related to the early chapters as Valentina struggled with identity and isolation in the early years of parenting. That slice of realism gave her character even more weight for me.

The twist? Wild. Just when I was leaning in and feeling secure—boom! Everything shifted. And the dual POV after that reveal made the entire story snap into place beautifully.

The pacing is slow in the beginning, and the audio excerpts from a second voice were initially confusing. Still, once the threads started to tie together, I was hooked. If you’re into thrillers where the vibe is eerie and the stakes are emotional and psychological, Valentina will satisfy.