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.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.
This is the first time I have read a book by this author and it won’t be my last!
“Valentina” was filled with twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end.
I really enjoyed all of the secrets and lies. The author takes us on a wild ride that kept me interested and wanting more.
I highly recommend this book!

This book is broken down into three chapters. Listening to the first I wanted to throw something at Shona but then when I got to part 2 and 3 I saw how part 1 linked into it and all were needed to fit into the story. Once I got into part 2 I couldn't stop listening as it was so addictive.

Another dark and twisty thriller from S.E. Lynes. This slow burner had me hooked from the beginning. The narration was stellar and made the story even better. Another dark and twisty thriller from S.E. Lynes. This slow burner had me hooked from the beginning. The narration was stellar and made the story even better.

Wow 🤩 I have post audiobook blues, I am sad this is finished…!!!

This was absolutely fantastic. Firstly I have to admit I am a fan of Helen Mcalpine as a narrator from listening to her on previous audiobooks however this simply was an added bonus for me! Also narrated by Tamsin Kennard again who also is fantastic in her narration and delivery making all characters come alive allowing the listener to really feel into what is being said by both these narrators.

I believe this isn’t the first I’ve came across SE Lynes if I’ve not already read any books by this author I’ve definitely looked and bookmarked and will be listening to more in the future.

So some of this storyline at times may seem a little obvious and predictable however it also is so open to interpretation that it had me really questioning but could it be this or maybe that so actually imo this is another part of what made it so good. I really enjoyed all the characters and felt an ease with knowing them and their parts in the story.

It is a really enjoyable, fast paced story that had me fully engaged from the beginning till the very end so much so I was genuinely excited when I seen I still had another 2 hours of listening to go and safe to say I definitely did not anticipate what was coming in part 3…

Huge gratitude and appreciation to NetGalley & Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to listen to this ELC in return for an open honest review. With best wishes for publication on 24th April 2025. I’m sure this will do really well! 📚🙏🏽🎧❤️

4.5 rounded up.

Premise - A new mother, Shona, leaves her friends, journalism career, and city life behind to move to an idyllic cottage in rural Scotland with her boyfriend, Mikey, and their new baby. She's hopeful at first, but the isolation soon gets to her. Mikey works long hours (/weeks) away from home in the oil industry and she struggles to make friends with the standoffish locals.

When she meets Valentina, a larger-than-life yoga instructor with a baby around the same age as her own, Shona thinks her new life has finally turned a corner. Valentina adds sorely missed fun and dynamism back to Shona's life, but Shona soon realizes that all may not be as it seems with Valentina. Things start to spiral out of Shona's control...

Both of the main women are sooo much fun - not in a let’s-be-friends way, but in a delicious-to-watch-from-a-safe-distance way. Pick this up for:

✨ unstable baddies
✨ obsessive female friendship
✨ protagonists who plot as hard as the author
✨ postpartum/new mom thriller
✨ revenge
✨ domestic boredom gone deadly

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Tamsin Kennard and Helen McAlpine. Whenever Tamsin Kennard narrates anything, much less a fun S.E. Lynes romp, I am powerless to resist. It's inevitable that I'll have a listen. McAlpine absolutely held her own, though, which is quite a feat across from a legend like Kennard! The audiobook was a real treat and I highly recommend it to anyone - run, not walk, to Audible and get a copy.

Thanks, NetGalley and Bookouture Audio, for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sometimes you can figure out the what, but the how and why can be more elusive and unexpected than you can imagine. I got part of the story, but the rest...? Listen to find out, it's fabulous.

Whilst I will always seek out audiobooks narrated by Tamsin Kennard, both narrators did fantastic jobs in bringing the characters of Shona and Valentina to life.

I received an ALC through NetGalley of this audiobook.
Picture you moving to the countryside with your boyfriend and new baby. You're isolated but happy. Making friends is trial and error until you meet an enthusiastic Australian named Valentina. They hit it off immediately, but let's say she has some...quirks. Is she weird or is she just Australian?
First, I want to give the narrators the credit they deserve. Tamsin Kennard and Helen McAlpine do a fantastic job. As a narrator myself, I know it can be tough to give each character distinct differences and make them unique. Both Kennard and McAlpine do a phenomenal job at this. Each character sounds like a real person.
There are times when you are sucked into the narrative only to have them break the fourth wall and tell you that they're joking or that they have to stop telling you something. This, combined with a subtle dual timeline, makes the book particularly captivating.
This book does a great job at capturing the intricacies of friendships where you love someone so much but also resent them to an extent, as well as how far things go if one doesn't want to feel rude.
As far as psychological thrillers go, this twist was solid! It was a good twist on a very common trope for the genre. My only complain is that it was a little slow for me.

Valentina by S.E. Lynes (Audiobook)
HOLY HELL. The narrators were incredible. The accent and voice work were superb. The talent that danced upon my eardrum throughout this novel was top-tier incredible.

Portions of this plot made me so angry. One, because I hate seeing women described as so naive that they miss what is right in front of them, but also because human nature can be so damned ugly.

Shona was easy to like and empathize with. You couldn’t help but want her to get the happily ever after she longed for. And Valentina, though weirdly evasive, didn’t seem too bad. Mikey was a dirtbag who didn’t deserve anything.

This story is told in a unique way, and the narrators bring the characters to life. I really enjoyed the accents and various voices that differentiate everyone.

This fast-paced, twisted thriller will hold you hostage from the moment you press play. I cannot recommend this audiobook enough. Katy Approved!

Publication Date: April 24, 2025
Publisher: Bookouture Audio
Narrators: Tamsin Kennard and Helen McAlpine

I did predict the biggest twist, s one does, but it did not detract from my enjoyment and it was no the only twist.
I love the narration!
I can't say much more without revealing things. It is important not to spoil things.
Absolutely read this one.

Talk about a psychological thriller... WOW!!!
This one had my head spinning, and me holding on for dear life!

Shona is a city girl who is also a journalist. She meets Mikey following a local play he'd been starring in...and they kind of hit it off. But it's not until a week or so later that they meet up and start dating... It's a real whirlwind romance, and Shona soon realizes that she is not alone. When she tells Mikey, he is at first concerned, then thrilled! He'll get them a little home and the three of them will be together!

They then move to a remote little area and Mikey sets off to work on the 'rigs'... where he's offshore for 2 weeks, and then home for 2 weeks. Initially Shona thinks this will be ok. BUT, when she actually has to live it, she realizes that it is NOT ok.... and she's not sure how she'll get thru this.

In walks Valentina.... to the rescue. She is beautiful and smart and now has a baby boy just about the same age as Shona's baby girl. They hit it off immediately! And become the best of friends.

BUT, Shona doesn't understand why Valentina's husband is so mysterious... and missing all the time. As time goes on they grow closer and closer, but Shona starts to have some doubts.

🛑🛑. I'm stopping right here! 🛑🛑. I will say that I had some ideas throughout the book... some were spot on. Some were totally off. But, it was a great read that kept me on my toes throughout!

4 1/2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 for me, rounded up to 5!

#Valentina by #SELynes and narrated nicely by #TamsinKennard and #HelenMcAlpine.
I should also not that this looks like a re-release for the audiobook! 😬

*** SOON TO BE RELEASED ON 4/24/25...SO A FEW DAYS AWAY!! ***

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and & #BookoutureAudio for an ARC of the audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.

You can find my reviews on: Goodreads,
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Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️

Oh, Valentina by S.E. Lynes — what a ride! I really enjoyed this one. The writing style is just so smooth and compelling, it pulled me in right from the start. There’s this really intriguing, slightly eerie vibe running through it that kept me flipping pages. The characters were layered, the tension built really well, and it had that psychological edge I love in a thriller.

If I had to nitpick, I’d say it maybe dragged just a touch in parts — like, it could’ve been a little tighter. But honestly, that didn’t take away from how gripping and well-written it was overall. Definitely one I’d recommend if you're into dark, twisty stories with strong character work.
Really fantastic narrators for the audiobook

This novel follows Shona, a Glasgow native and reporter, as she meets and falls in love with her partner Mikey. They move in together, get pregnant, and then move to a remote village so that Mikey can be closer to his work.

Shona is not adjusting well to being in a remote cottage and having her partner be on an oil rig 2 weeks of every month. She is lonely and isolated, until she meets a fellow new mom, named Valentina, who becomes her new bestie.

Shona and Valentina spend a significant amount of time together, and while Shona never 100% trusts Valentina (her stories just don't add up), she does enjoy her time with Valentina, and relies on her when emergencies happen.

Usually Shona isn't bothered by Valentina's shadiness about her personal life (her husband is a loser, she is sleeping with another man, etc.), but eventually she can't shake the feeling that Valentina is not being truthful...about *anything*.

The last 1/2 of this book was insanely fun and crazy. You just can't believe what you are reading! I couldn't put this (audio) book down and listened to the last 4 hours straight because I needed to know how it ended.

Shona was such a lovable main character. I was rooting for her the whole time. Five Stars!! I will definitely be reading more books by S.E. Lynes!

Thank you to Blackbird Digital Books, NetGalley and S. E. Lynes for my ARC!

I couldn't understand the audio of this. The person reading the book has a strong Scottish accent and I couldn't understand what she was saying.

Initially I was a little confused as this seems to be an older title, which isn’t unusual. however i discovered that it hasn’t just had a change of publisher but a revamp on the audio narration that had me desperate to press play.

Get this in your ear holes as soon as possible. It’s excellent. I was completely gripped by the story, I was in love with the characters and there were twists that completely blew me away. This is one of the best thrillers I’ve read in years!

You’ll never believe me when I tell you that my adored Helen McAlpine AND Tamsin Kennard are the narrators and they gave a stellar performance.

All the stars 🌟
#Jorecommends

Huge thanks to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧