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Rachel and Jack meet by accident but quickly fall into a relationship. Rachel discovers she is pregnant but then her happy world suddenly falls apart when she sees an email notification on Jack's I-pad . This sets her on a path of enquiry leading to the theme of the book. How well do you know and trust anyone. Both characters have a history bringing them to the current point in their lives. Rachel is relentless in her task of trying to find out about Jack whereas he is so busy keeping on top of his secret that he accepts Rachel for who she is. It is left open to why she left her medical career behind. The story moved between the present and a year previous and it is there that we discover the influences that affected Rachel. In location it moves between Newcastle and Oban. The characters were believable and well drawn. They both did what they did for what they felt was morally right. I enjoyed the book. I was drawn straight away into the story and coped with twists and turns along the way.
My thanks to Netgally and penguin For allowing me to read this ARC in retrench for an honest review
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This was a different type of book and I enjoyed it. You knew that there were deep puzzles within the story and it made very interesting and fast paced reading.
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A story of trust - if you found out that your partner was lying, how far would you go to learn the truth? Do you trust anyone with your darkest secrets?
Some interesting turns of perspective made this an enjoyable read.
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Jack and Rachel have a whirlwind romance but when Rachel discovers an email she questions if she really knows this man . As things start mounting up against Jack she starts to dig deeper into his past to find out what he is hiding but then Rachel had a secret too . A book that makes you question .. does anyone ever really tell the truth and how well do we really know a person . Fantastic debut novel and I look forward to hearing more from Gillian . Thanks to netgalley for my arc which I have chosen to review
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This is such a well-written, accomplished debut domestic noir and I very much enjoyed it. I loved that it is set in such a normal, every day situation so that this story initially felt like it’s something that could happen to any one. Rachel sees Jack’s iPad light up with an email notification late at night and she feels compelled to glance over and read it. From then on she tries to find out what the email meant and skirts around the issue with Jack, as she doesn’t want to outright admit to reading his emails. I felt for a while that Rachel was reading too much into things, and was being a little paranoid but then I started thinking that Jack was acting a bit strangely so switched to thinking that he must be hiding something major. I was kept hooked by my inability to pin down what was going on.
On top of this Rachel is also hiding the reason why she quit medicine. This part of the plot was also great to read. I did work out early on what might have happened with her patient but I really liked that in the build up to the reveal we got to see her thought process and to really understand why she did what she did.
My relationship with my husband started off in a whirlwind – we’ve pretty much lived together since the very day we met – so I totally understood how Rachel and Jack had connected so quickly and how they fell in love so deeply in such a short space of time. It seemed strange to me at first that they weren’t sharing their pasts with each other but then as I read more I could see how that could happen. Rachel was grieving for her mum, and for the loss of her career and adjusting to being pregnant; while Jack was only meant to be living in Newcastle temporarily for work and is really busy with his career plus trying to make time to get back up to Oban to visit his family.
I did find Rachel’s actions quite shocking at times, it was hard to think of someone behaving how she did but within the context of the plot it kind of made sense. Of course you’d want to know if the man you’re having a child with has skeletons in his closet, and because she had time on her hands and was in a stressful mindset she became quite fixated on having to know at any cost.
This book started off quite slowly and then it just builds and builds and builds until you simply can’t put it down. I finished it really late at night because I just had to know what was going on! I highly recommend this book, it’s such an accomplished debut and I really can’t wait to see what Gillian McAllister writes next.
This is an incredible debut that will have you staying up all night to find out what happens next. Don’t miss it! Everything but the Truth is due to be published on 9th March and can be pre-ordered here.
I received a copy of this book from Michael Joseph/Penguin via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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Everything But The Truth is one of the most well written books I have read in a long time. It must be said that the concept isn’t brand new: there are many books that are about a woman whose partner has a secret. However, this book is head and shoulders above just about all of them, even Liane Moriarty’s. and I don’t say that lightly.
McAllister’s writing is perfectly balanced. It’s descriptive without being laborious and nuanced without being trivial. As a reader, I cared about the relationship between Rachel and Jack, and that was essential to the book’s credibility and addictive nature. There are endearing in-jokes between them that include rather than alienate the reader. There is wit, pathos, sadness, and beauty.
The central mystery is unravelled at a tantalising pace that neither rushed me nor kept me waiting too long. The research was meticulous, the settings vivid, and the final denouement satisfying. It was the ending I wanted.
In Jack, Rachel has everything, except the truth.
Gillian McAllister has a long and bright future and i look forward to her next book.
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Everything but the Truth is well written, well plotted, characters are well developed. And yet I didn't connect with this story. It could be how I was feeling at the time because I can see see it's well written, but Rachel seems like your typical nosey girlfriend and that annoyed me, perhaps because that type of neediness in a woman is irritating, it was however compounded by the fact that Jack is not all he seems. I'm going to to give this book another try because I can see has promise but I might not be able to forgive the idea of this type of woman being a protagonist.
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A story of deception and betrayal and one woman's need to uncover the truth, Everything But the Truth is a gritty thriller.
The story follows Rachel, pregnant with her first child. She loves Jack but how much does she really know about him? Why has Jack been lying about his past and what actually happened?
This book is well written. It took me a couple of chapters to get into it, but once I did I really enjoyed it.
Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Michael Joseph and Gillian McAllister for the chance to review.
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How much do you trust the person you love?
Rachel loves Jack. She is pregnant with his child. She trusts him. But the Rachel sees an email. She did not mean to look. But it's started off a chain of events she can't forget. Why is Jack lying about his past.?
The story keeps flipping back and forward from the previous year and the present. We also find out about Rachel's past before she met Jack. The characters are realistic and the storyline gripping. A well written, thought out plot.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and the author Gillian McAllister for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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An entertaining read full of twists and turns in which two people fall passionately for each other but then find that "knowing" each other properly is every bit as important if a relationship is to last. Shall the unplanned pregnancy be sufficient to keep this couple together or shall Rachel's relentless, almost compulsive, probing of Jack's past be their undoing.
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I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is about Jack and Rachel. They are in a newish relationship and found themselves expecting a baby. It becomes clear that both Jack and Rachel have secrets that they are keeping from each other. It is also clear that Rachel suffers from anxiety so we are unsure whether Jack has a secret at all or has a glance at an email been blown out of proportion?
I really enjoyed this story. It made a really nice change from my normal psychological thrillers. I have not read many books that tackle the subject of anxiety. I suffer with anxiety myself so I could totally relate to Rachel. The book alternates between past and present. I felt that I knew Rachel's character a lot better than Jack's. It kept my interest all the way through. I would definitely pick up more books by this author. (less)
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Rachel has a past. Not your average girl meets, boy. Fast forward girl meets perfect boy, gets pregnant, both are very happy. Of course not all is as it seems. Jack, or should it be John, also has a past. Rachel begins to doubt him, and the past eventually is revealed. But Rachel too has skeletons in her cupboard, about which she is reluctant to open up. An interesting story about love, trust and of course skeletons in cupboards. I enjoyed it.
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I struggle with a book when I find the main characters verging on the edge of annoying and unfortunately this was how I felt about this book. Would be interested in reading a book by this author again as I enjoyed the writing style hence 3 stars
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Wow what a debut book! To say I couldn't put this down would be an understatement.
The chance meeting of Jack and Rachel , the whirlwind romance and the baby to follow will resonate with many readers. Do you ever truly know someone ? When you look deeper at your relationship and wonder as it moves at such a fast pace should you explore or allow nature to direct you?
Jack and Rachel both have secrets. Secrets that shape who they are now.
I loved the exploration of Jack and his past and how Rachel became obsessed with this but also had conscious conversations with herself about what she was doing,was it one dimensional? Could it lead her to the truth and when she knows it,does she really? Is the world so black and white because her secret wasn't .
The relationship between all the characters in the book led you to form your own judgements,challenge your own opinions and lead you to one of two conclusions. Did you want the final outcome of the book or would you have gone the other way?
Rachel's secret is something many will have sadly had some exposure to in one way or another,not with the outcome that occurred but the exploration of this,the feelings and the impact of the outcome were true and heartfelt .
I loved the inclusion of a Howard and his footsteps in to their lives and what woman could resist a man who takes care of his cat in such a way.
I loved this book,many twist and turns but it kept you interested and keen to know all the answers.
Thank you to a NetGalley,the publisher and the author for allowing this review.
I hope a further book is in the not to distant future.
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Oh my goodness. Surely this cannot be a debut novel. It's awesome! If you do nothing else on 9th March, make sure you buy this book when it's published. You won't regret it!
The cracks soon start to appear in what seems to be the perfect relationship between Rachel and Jack. At least, she thinks his name is Jack... What else is he hiding from her? And what secrets does she hold herself? I was blown away by this book. It is so cleverly written, and the web of deceit so cleverly spun that I failed to spot any of the clues until the truth blew up in my face. And amongst all of that, I was rooting for this couple because they were so meant to be together.
Brilliant stuff. A very easy 5* rating. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Penguin Random House UK for the advance copy, and most of all to Gillian McAllister for this stunning read.
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Everything But the Truth is a bang on target domestic noir, a page turner of the highest order and, thank the book Gods, manages to avoid all the dull as ditch water standard cliches of the genre whilst playing brilliantly into all the reasons why we readers love this stuff.
Jack and Rachel have not been together that long, but for Rachel it has been one of those “this is right” life moments – so an early in the relationship pregnancy does not seem as daunting as it might have done. Preparing to settle down to domestic bliss, one night Rachel catches a glimpse of an email, one that suggests there may be horrific hidden secrets in Jack’s past.
Now here’s what I loved – we all have secrets and that is true – Gillian McAllister uses that to great affect, Jack may be hiding something but so is Rachel and the yin yang of how much honesty is actually required for a successful relationship was at the heart of this for me. Rachel becomes obsessed, perhaps even going slightly mad in her quest for the truth but her own truth lies hidden in the mire also. Everything But the Truth is a beautifully drawn character study, a love story with a twisted path and an occasionally haunting glimpse into human psyche.
There is real depth to the plotting, exploring all the layers underneath that one thing we are waiting to find out, this is not a novel that sets out to shock with THAT moment (the one that, lets face it, most of us see coming a mile off these days) but more a slow unwinding of the personalities involved until they face themselves head on. It is that gentle yet utterly gripping unravelling that will keep you reading this long into the night. Cleverly done, genuinely compelling.
Excellent. Really excellent. Highly Recommended.
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Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book I ready it all in a very time period as it was well written and fast paced. The book is told from the perspective of Rachel, she is newly pregnant bu her new partner after splitting from her long-term boyfriend. Jack her baby's father is loving and charming but you can feel he is hiding something! The book follows Rachels journey of discovery we find out about Jacks past as well as discovering Rachels skeletons. I won't divulge too much more of the plot but what I will say is this wonderful book is well worth a read!
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Everything but the truth Gillian McAllister
This is one of those books that has you shouting at the main protagonist, Rachel, at the top of your voice.
Just like watching a film when the young girl enters the dark lodge, in the middle of the woods, then decides to explore the basement, without a torch.
It’s been a long time since I got so immersed in a story that I shouted out loud, but I did, more than once, in this one.
Rachel is an ex-doctor who is now working as a researcher. She is pregnant and living with the man of her dreams, Jack, the big, bearded, Rugby player from the wilds of Scotland.
She hasn’t known Jack that long but moved in with him after becoming pregnant.
Is Jack too god to be true, Hmmm.
Rachel also suffers from memories, not quite the dreaded flashbacks of many recent books, about a young lad who she diagnosed and treated for cancer. The memories haunt her and she suffers silently as this part of the story unfolds whilst it intertwines with the main thread.
The main thread is one for the psychological thriller fan.
Rachel and Jack are living in Newcastle, where Jack is a journalist. All is going well until one morning Jacks IPad lights up in the middle of the night. Rachel picks it up and reads the message as its displayed on the lock screen. That’s when things begin to change.
Rachel has never visited Jacks Scottish home till this point, but she’s about to.
When she arrives, she realises that she doesn’t really know that much about Jack.
Why do his friends appear to be keeping a secret?
Why does Jack seem to have a nickname which occasionally slips out, but then everybody denies or makes up a bad excuse for?
As Rachel spends more time in the Scottish village the more warry she becomes, what is the secret, or is it just Baby-brain paranoia, because it wouldn’t be the first-time Rachel has fixated on a boyfriend and become paranoid about his behaviour and fidelity.
When in Scotland Rachel and Jack stay with his family, and they’re strange. In fact, everything about Jacks life in Scotland starts to look strange to Rachel.
Starting this book I was looking for reasons as to why Rachel would behave like she does, could she really be that naïve.
Then I went through a stage when I thought, it’s everybody else that’s normal and Rachel is just being paranoid and it’s her with something to hide.
These swings went on all the way to the end. Are we reading through the eyes of a victim, listening to her legitimate worries, or are we reading through the eyes of a paranoid young lady who is being protected from herself by people who care for her?
Is it Jack with the secret, or is it Rachel, or could it be both?
You’ll have to read this book to find out.
Some books can be a bit of bubble-gum for the brain. Some can take your brain for a ride in a tumble drier.
This one will take you for a spin.
If you work out the finish before you get there, well done, I didn’t
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Everything but the Truth is a beautifully crafted debut from Gillian McAllister. It is an absorbing and brilliantly intimate examination of a new relationship where the couple must come to terms with events from both of their pasts that they are keeping hidden from the other.
The story centres around a relatively new couple - Rachel and Jack - who have only been together less than a year, yet already they are utterly committed to each other, and Rachel is already pregnant. Only it seems the speed of this relationship means they may not know each other completely, and both have secrets from their pasts - ghosts - that they have kept hidden in the heady early days of their love.
Told from Rachel's point of view, the story follows Rachel as she uncovers a cryptic message to Jack from one of his friends that infers he is keeping a secret from her. Yet too she is hiding a painful memory from Jack. So, as Rachel uncovers more about Jack's past, it begs the question, should she judge him on his past and his cloak and dagger act when she is doing just the same to him?
So, given that this all sounds great, why have I only given this three stars?
Well, my main concern is with how this book is being marketed. This book is categorically not a thriller. It is being marketed as some form of domestic noir, a thriller to put it alongside Gone Girl, Paula Hawkins and Clare Mackintosh. This willfully misconstrues the book for me. This is a delicately balanced and slowly unfurling examination of a relationship. No one is in danger here, no one's life is on the line. The stakes are not life and death, but truth. There are no twists and turns - the path in this book is pretty linear and there are few surprises, and certainly no shocks.
For me, it doesn't meet the criteria for a thriller at all. Rather, it considers whether we are defined by our mistakes, whether we can forgive ourselves, and whether we have to learn to let go of the past on order to face the future. Like I said, a beautifully intimate drama - but absolutely not a thriller. I cant help feel the ominous book cover design and the suspenseful text used to promote this book is trying to coat-tail off the back of the popularity of crime fiction, when this is not a thriller in that mould.
And then following from that, if the publishers are going to argue this is a thriller, then the stakes are way, way too low for it to pass as a successful thriller.. Like I said, no life is on the line here. No one is in danger. Simply, the stakes are all wrong if this is to be marketed as a thriller.
It's a shame as i think the beauty in this book should have been left to sell itself. It had the potential to be framed as an emotional drama and, had it been left at that, and edited to that end, it would have been a terrific book. I really enjoyed this book - beautifully written, compelling and a genuine page-turner. But, for me, the marketing has let this book down.
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Gillian McAllisters debut novel is a good thriller about betrayal and deceit and the levels to which a person will go to, to find out the truth. Rachael is in a relationship with Jack and pregnant with Jacks baby who she doesn't really know that well. When she see's an e.mail on Jacks phone it sets off a chain of events which Rachael can't control as she is fixated on finding out about her boyfriends past at any cost.Scarred by her mothers infidelity and her previous job as a doctor she soon comes to realise that maybe seeing that e.mail was not such a good idea.A good book that had me turning the pages and if Gillian McAllisters next book is as good then she won't go far wrong.