Gemma na dher husband win a trip to a luxury resort but not all is as it seems.

The 'win' is contrived and as we see the reasons why Gemma was chosen this read becomes creepy and sinister.

Gemma is a flawed charactrer with a past she wants to stay hidden and when it is exposed the drama and twist are amazing.

I was really creeped out by this read. and it shows how discoveries of your secrets can destroy a person..

brilliant to read.

I just finished I Want What You Have by Hayley Smith, and I was completely hooked from the first page. The pacing is brilliant—fast, sharp, and relentless. It pulls you in quickly and doesn’t let go, making it one of those books you can easily devour in a single sitting.

Gemma, the winner of a luxury resort getaway, seems to have it all. But the woman who chose her has a hidden agenda. As the week progresses, it becomes clear that this isn’t just a holiday. It’s a carefully orchestrated plan to expose Gemma’s past and make her pay for what she did. The black lilies, the unexpected guest, the poetry—it’s all part of a revenge plot years in the making.

What really stood out to me was how captivating it was to watch Gemma’s life slowly unravel. The tension builds so well, and it’s all driven by her own decisions. There’s something fascinating about seeing a character self-destruct, especially when they’re not particularly likable. Gemma isn’t someone you root for—she’s manipulative, selfish, and often cruel—but that’s exactly what makes her story so compelling. You’re not reading to see her redeemed; you’re reading to see how far she’ll fall.

Hayley Smith does a great job of creating a character who feels real in her flaws. You don’t feel sorry for Gemma, but you do feel intrigued by her. The writing is sharp, the drama is intense, and the psychological tension keeps you turning the pages.

If you enjoy domestic thrillers with morally grey characters and a fast-paced plot, this one’s definitely worth picking up. It’s messy, dramatic, and addictive—perfect for fans of stories where the protagonist is their own worst enemy.

Reading in Between the Wines book review #89/125 for 2025:
Rating: 3 🍷🍷🍷
Book: I Want What You Have
Author: Hayley Smith
AVAILABLE NOW!!

Sipping thoughts: I love it when I think I have a story figured out, and it completely fools me. I also enjoy a revenge book, especially when you don't know which protagonist to root for. I know one thing, the lesson here is to be careful of new "friends".

Cheers and thank you to @Netgalley and @Bookouture for an advanced copy of @IWantWhatYouHave.

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Wowee! Another fabulous read by Hayley Smith! Gemma wins a giveaway for a week to a fertility retreat (nutrition, relaxation and romance for couples trying to get pregnant) with her husband through her favorite Instagram influencer. And she gets to invite her best friend and her husband too! It sounds almost too good to be true … but what awaits them on their incredible getaway?

Hayley Smith is amazing at crafting twisty, gripping, exciting psychological thrillers. She is an automatic read for me. This would make a great tv mini series or movie with many jaw dropping and soap opera moments. There’s catty drama, physical and emotional threats, eerie situations, tense personalities, past and present secrets and more. Who is right? Who is wrong? Many seem culpable. My one quip - do people really physically give up their cell phones during a week away these days? I can understand agreeing not to use them except in the case of an emergency, but handing them over to someone they don’t know seems a bit much. Oh well. I still really enjoyed this book, and as usual, I will be anticipating Smith’s next release. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the digital ARC.

I couldn't put this book down. The story centres around something that happened years ago that ended in tragedy and when this person it affected has the chance at getting back at those involved she stops at nothing to make then pay.
Brilliant storyline that hooks you in straight away.

When Gemma wins a trip for four to LunaBliss, a fertility retreat, from her favorite influencer Addie, she can't wait for the trip of a lifetime. Gemma, her husband, Gemma's best friend Sophy and Sophy's partner all can't wait for a relaxing getaway. But right away, LunaBliss seems to hide dark secrets, and so does Addie. As memories resurface and tensions rise, it becomes clear this isn't a vacation... it's a trap.

I Want What You Have is a dark and twisty psychological thriller that pulls you in from the first chapter. Hayley Smith really excels at crafting a chilling atmosphere at the luxurious resort, where nothing is as serene as it seems. As the story alternates perspectives, secrets unravel and so does your trust in everyone on the page. The pacing is steady with short chapters making it entirely too easy to stay up way too late to finish. The layers of obsession, betrayal, and manipulation are expertly handled, creating a tense cat and mouse game where you're never quite sure who the real villain is. A couple of twists were a bit predictable but others genuinely caught me off guard. One critique I had was a few character motivations felt a tad underdeveloped, but it didn't take away from the overall thrill ride. Overall, I Want What You Have is a compelling story of envy, secrets, and how far people will go to get what they want, even if it means losing everything!

Thank you to NetGalley, Hayley Smith, and Bookouture for this eARC! Publication date was September 2nd 2025.

I Want What You Have by Hayley Smith was a excellent psychological thriller that gripped me from the very beginning and it was so addictive I ended up reading it most of the day. It was excellent and I really enjoyed it, especially as it was full of brilliants twists and turns all the way through.I loved the way it was told by multiple POV's, they defiantly kept you on your toes, Plus, great quick chapters which was great. I could not turn the pages over quick enough to find out what happens next! Superb book.

I recommend this book. 4 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I am in awe of how the author put this together. The characters draw you in from the start and wont leave you alone until you have uncovered their story.
You do ask yourself who really wants what from whom and how are they women interconnected and why?
Gemma was with Reuben and was desperately trying for a baby with no success.
Sophy is her best friend, she has an adorable baby with her husband Tom.
Addie is an influencer who has reinvented herself, she is popular and is followed and admired by Gemma and Sophy.
Gemma now happily married to Matt, still desperately trying for a baby and looking more and more like her Instagram idol, wins a two couple, weeks stay at a fertility retreat in the middle of nowhere.
Addie’s plan starts to come together and lives start to unravel. Secrets long buried come to light.
A Gripping page turner, Hayley is incredibly good at leading you up the garden path, a highly recommended read.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I can always count on a Hayley Smith book to keep me on the edge of my seat!!
Gemma wins a trip for four from an online influencer, Addie. She brings her husband Matt, best friend Sophy and her husband. It seems perfect- a weeklong retreat to help with your fertility. We learn right away that there’s more to Addie than meets the eye. There’s a lot of secrets and when they are revealed- OH. MY. GOSH.
This was my kind of book- short chapters that I flew through. I was flipping through the pages to figure out the connections between every one. I loved all of the twists and turns. Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
#IWantWhatYouHave #HayleySmith #NetGalley #Bookouture #BooksOnTour #BookLove #Bookstagram #NewBook #ILoveBooks

This was so good! I found the plot and characters unique and that’s rare with all of the psychological thrillers I’ve read!

I was hooked from the beginning and it really held my interest the entire time

Gripping and suspenseful! The writing was amazing and I look forward to reading more from this author!

So thankful to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC

You would think I would get fed up with psychological thrillers, the amount I read. Well, when I read a book like I Want What You Have, it reminds me that every book I read is unique in characters and plot. This book did not disappoint in any way, shape, or form!

Gemma wins a competition to go to a fertility retreat. it's for 4, so she invites her best friend, Sophy, too. The competition was run from Addie's instagram page, which is a social media influencer. This is going to be the retreat of a lifetime, but not in the way Gemma anticipated!

Told from the three women's point of view, the story unfolds, and we are taken back 20 years to events that will change their experience of the retreat and the coming times.

Twisty and well written, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story seemed pretty clear until it didn't! Hayley Smith does a great job building the tension, to the point of me being sat up straight and turning the pages at a speed!!!

The final chapter just finished me off, too! I just didn't expect that at all! Every emotion runs through this book, and boy, it is intense!

I Want What You Have by Hayley Smith is a pyschological thriller that blends obsession, revenge and buried secrets.

The writing draws you in immediately as we follow Gemma who is obsessed with Instagram influencer, Addie. Gemma is thrilled when she wins Addie's giveaway of a free getaway at a fertility retreat alongside her husband Matt and friend Sophy and Sophy's husband, Tom. Soon she is joined by Addie and her husband Reuben.

While the premise with the revenge and influencer trope did not bring anything fresh to the story, the short chapters, the multiple Povs and dual timelines kept me hooked as they slowly reveal the connection between the three couples. Though the characters were highly unlikeable especially Gemma, I breezed through this one because of its fast pace and decent twists.

Overall an entertaining thriller but I was looking for something more to make it a standout read for me.

Thank you @bookouture for having me on the #booksontour and @netgalley for the digital ARC to read and review.

Only my 3rd book by Hayley Smith and yet another 5 star read! I am never disappointed when I pick up a book by her and I know I am always in for a great psychological thriller with a twisty storyline. Once again, absolutely deserved, 5 star rating!

When Gemma wins an all inclusive weeks stay at LunaBliss, after entering a competition of a social media influencer she follows, Addie’s Five-a-Day, she is thrilled. LunaBliss is a luxury fertility retreat in the hills of Wales and sounds idyllic and a baby is exactly what she and her husband Matt want so it seems like perfect timing. She is even more excited that the prize is for four people so she can also invite her best friend, Sophy, who she has known since their school days and also Sophy’s husband, Tom, along for the break too. Both women are excited for a nice relaxing all expenses paid trip away, Gemma is hoping for her and Matts’ first baby and Sophy and Tom would like a little sibling for their 10 month old daughter. Gemma and Matt are also newlyweds and never had a proper honeymoon so they both feel this will also be somewhat of a honeymoon for them. However, once at the retreat, which is beautiful but extremely isolated, Gemma starts to feel uneasy and wonders if she may end up regretting winning the competition after strange things start happening which remind her of her past….. a past she would rather forget and definitely keep hidden, especially from Matt. Will the retreat be the relaxing experience Gemma and Sophy are looking forward to or will it be the chance for someone to exact some long awaited revenge?!

What a twisty tale this was and so very enjoyable too. I thought Hayley Smith captured the isolation of the retreat really well, it sounded beautiful but also a little bit too much “off the grid” but I did really enjoy the descriptions of the beautiful scenery and general ambiance of the retreat. I really enjoyed the three POV’s and it was really interesting to hear the story from the three main female characters. I didn’t really warm to any of them, but this didn’t ruin my enjoyment of the storyline one bit. I didn’t see the twist coming in chapter 15 and I did find myself open mouthed as I wasn’t expecting it- sorry this is a little cryptic, but my reviews are spoiler free. I thought the life threatening circumstances in the last part of the book was, again, written really well and it was described so well I could almost feel it and the characters panic at being in that situation. The story kept me guessing at all times and I really had no idea where it was heading which was just brilliant. There was a lot of late night reading happening and also “just one more chapter” being said- which for me is always the sign of a good book! And the ending was brilliant, so clever but also so very ironic!

Ultimately this was a fantastic wicked twisty tale that kept me guessing right until the very end. I definitely recommend it for anyone who loves psychological thrillers, and I can’t wait to see what Hayley Smith writes next, please keep the books coming!

Thank you to NetGalley, Hayley Smith and Bookouture for my advanced reading copy. Out now.

I Want What You Have is a gripping psychological thriller full of obsession, secrets, and jealousy. With every page, tension builds toward a heart-stopping twist that leaves you breathless—addictive and impossible to put down.

I’d give this one 3.5 rounded up because it held my attention and I really wanted answers. I really like how Hayley gives unique storylines. A fertility retreat isn’t your typical thriller setting and yet it worked perfectly. I loved the revenge theme and I loved Gemma slowly going crazy over it. What I didn’t love was the ending. I’d like a more definite ending for Gemma, especially with what gets revealed at the end. It seems too heartbreaking to leave her with that.

I Want What You Have by Hayley Smith
Holy. This was like Mean Girls for adults, plus a 20-year grudge and secrets galore! The diabolical level of petty plus revenge is wicked!

This was twisted in the best way. It’s hard to decide if I liked any of the characters, because they are all shady and have ulterior motives.

The way this unraveled was delicious, deceitful, and kept me glued to the page. We always covet what we don’t have, right? Yikes!

This book takes a hard look at life through other lenses and slaps readers in the face with perspective. I devoured this story. There were so many twists, turns, and secrets.

This may be coming out towards the end of the summer of thrillers, but it will not disappoint. Prepare yourself. You are about to question everything and everyone you know.

Publication date: September 2, 2025
Publisher: Bookouture

I Want What You Have
Explosive and absolutely addictive, this jaw-dropping thriller will have you devouring the pages! I couldn’t put it down.
Featuring jealousy, secrets, revenge and lies. A 5 star read for sure!

I Want What You Have by Haley Smith, I have read all of Haley Smith‘s books in this one I must say is my least favorite her books are usually Stella reads with twisty and interesting characters but in this one they were all so IDK unlikable maybe. For one thing there is so much I want to say in this review that I’m not going to so as not to give spoilers away, but This whole plot just seems unbelievable I mean for one person to do all that because of something that happened when they were children and although quite devastating no doubt it just really seems like a bit much. Not only that but then what her lifelong best friend did at the end was eye rolling inducing and again unbelievable. there’s also a part in the book where someone dies and where most people would be devastated and shocked that not only they witnessed a murder but their friend is dead there was no such vibes I feel like I was more upset they died than the people who should’ve been upset about it. they made it seem like Addie became an influencer just to get back at Gemma and how did Gemma and Sophie not know that they went to school with Addie especially since they supposedly bullied her and her friend. I know a lot of people love this book and I usually am a big fan of the authors books but I just couldn’t invest myself with this one it just seemed way too ridiculous. I would still recommend it and it is twisty and most people will enjoy it I just I don’t know why I just didn’t. #NetGalley, #Bookouchur, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview,#haleySmith, #IWantWhatYouHave,

BLOG TOUR REVIEW


Review for 'I Want What You Have' by Hayley Smith.

This book is fantastically written with vivid descriptions that absolutely grip the readers attention and puts them right in the middle of it all feeling the hair raise on your arms and feeling the sweat run down your back.

WHAT did I just read!!!! WOW!!! I mean seriously Wow!! I was NOT expecting that lot fair play!!! This has GOT to start with a MASSIVE WELL DONE HAYLEY!!! Ooopps sorry, yes, needed a minute to get over that but I've just left you hanging there... Sorry.... Let me tell you more...

Firstly let's start off with the writing style, etc!! This book is an extremely well written book by this amazing author and had me gripped hook line and sinker!!! It is so smoothly and fantastically written with vivid and evocative descriptions I completely forgot I was even reading a book a few times. The synopsis, title and cover really fit the storyline. Hayley's storytelling skills creates an absolutely explosive and addictive storyline that had me hooked from the gripping first chapter to the absolutely shocking ending!!!

As you can tell I LOVED the storyline. I found it to be realistic, very fast paced and I read it in just several hours!!! I loved the setting, characters, atmosphere and just well... Everything!!! Twists after shocks after turns!!! Arggghhh... Its so hard to NOT say anything about them as it will give too much away and spoil it for future readers but it definitely left me speechless over and over!!! I have read hundreds of psychological books and it gets harder and harder to keep my interest and to shock me but these fantastic authors managed it hook, line and sinker Just brilliant fair play and all links in and wraps up perfectly!!! During the book Hayley builds the tension and suspense perfectly and lead the readers up to some extremely explosive twists that I would never have seen coming. I cannot remember the last time I flew through a book so quickly. Each and every time I went to put it down to do something my fingers were itching to pick it back up as I just HAD to know what happened next!! Hayley's evocative writing skills ensure you are sucked deep into the storyline seeing everything that is happening and feeling the tension, stress and suspense that each of the main characters are going through. Hayley does an absolutely brilliant job of weaving multiple protagonist perspectives together along with multiple timelines without causing any confusion to who is saying, doing and feeling what. My heart was in my throat throughout reading this fast paced, gripping and gritty psychological thriller! I just cannot wait to get stuck into more books by this absolutely epic author and I have added all her previous books to my wish list already and look forward to what she come out with next!! It is ram packed with family, lies, twists, drama ,heartbreak, secrets, twists, tension, stress, suspense and everything you could ask for in a psychological thriller. I can't say more than that as I don't want to spoil it for future readers so if you want to know you'll have to grab yourself a copy!! You won't regret it!!

Just like with the storyline the characters come to life with Hayley's fantastic and evocative writing skills. Every one of the characters are well rounded, well filled out, realistic and strong making them all the more believable. They all have their own flaws, strengths, weaknesses and secrets. They were also all very complex and the further I got into the book and the more I got to know them it felt like I was discovering more layers the more I read. Hayley really did a brilliant job in giving them their own unique and individual personalities, ensuring they all came to life at the turn of a page. Regardless whether I loved or hated them I was invested in them all and they all created this fantastic and nail biting page turner. I cannot say anymore about them as I do not want to risk giving anything away as this really is a gripping book that you must read yourselves!! I guarantee that you will not regret it! Hayley really has done an amazing job constructing an addictive and explosive psychological thriller with fantastic and varied characters that you just won't be able to put down!!

Congratulations Hayley on yet another absolutely explosive success!!! This is the exact reason that you are in my favourite author club!! Here's to many more successes 🥂!!!

Clear your schedules before picking this up as you will not be able to put it down!!!

Overall an absolutely page turning, addictive, gripping and explosive must read that will keep you addicted from the very start to the fantastic ending!!!

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I Want What You Have by Hayley Smith

Impressive storyplot and great writing style. This thriller didn’t involve lots of characters but it created a complex and vivid scene in front of you. I enjoyed much the various POVs in the book. It started by an Instagram follower that won a chance from a KOL to spend a week in the luxury villa. Then the plot got thickened by revealing more secrets behind.

The story moved quickly and it kept me guessing what happened next. The twist at the end was a thumbs up.


Many thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and the author for my copy.