An easy read with some twists and turns.
But not my favourite, thought it got daft near the end & I found it irritating.

Thank you netgalley, Bonnier Zaffe and JS Carol for allowing me to read and review this book.

I really enjoyed the start of this book then seemed to lose myself somewhere in the middle but enjoyed it towards the end. Zoe was in a marriage, she wanted out before her child was born. Her husband wanted her dead. They both plot to get what they want, only one winner and then do they have the life they want?

I struggled with this book but that might have been because I do not read many psychological thrillers. It was well written with a lot of detail and thought put into the book.

Lots of twists and turns in this suspenseful thriller focusing on domestic abuse.
Zoe married the man of her dreams who turned out to be a monster, she tries to escape but gets brought back by him and it seems there’s just no hope.
The plot is told from Zoe’s perspective and then her Husbands which keeps the story interesting and rolling along at a decent pace.
I didn’t find either character particularly likeable, but I did warm towards Zoe and the incredible bad luck she suffered from.
A good solid thriller, with plenty of surprises.

Daniel was everything Zoë could have hoped for in a man. Why wouldn't she marry him? If only she knew then what she knows now!

From being a charming and supportive man, Dan has morphed into an obsessive, abusive, controlling and paranoid monster. Her only hopes are focused on escaping the horrifically dreadful situation she is in, especially now that she is pregnant. But will she be able to get it right this time around?

The book jumps from Zoë and Dan's perspective as well as the past and present. I really can't reveal much more, but know that this is not your straightforward wife escaping her abusive husband story. It is so much more, with the author stupefying the reader with unexpected twists and turns, taking the plot in a direction that I wouldn't have dared guess.

Although some turn of events seemed somewhat far-fetched, I enjoyed reading this fast-paced, emotional psychological thriller that had me in its grips to the very end.

Many thanks to J.S Carol, Netgalley and Bonnier Zaffre for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Before they were married, Zoe thought Dan was the man of her dreams, but after their wedding, Dan becomes controlling and brutal. Zoe has tried to escape but Dan has caught her and brought her back. What can she possibly do? Before you think this is another “woman in peril and can’t save herself” story, think again. Carol plants plenty of surprises and twists for readers who will find themselves wrapped up in a web of deceit

I wasn’t expecting this book to have so many twists and turns when I read the blurb.
The book starts off from Zoe’s perspective, and we learn that her whole life is being controlled by her husband. He even decides what she eats and drinks, and makes her weigh herself in front of him once a week.
Zoe is not allowed money or a phone and her attempt to escape Daniel ended up badly so she is hesitant to try again.
I really felt for Zoe and just wanted her to get the hell out of there!
She starts to make plans to escape again and then this is when the book switches over to Daniel’s perspective. Because I’d read how badly he’d treated Zoe I really didn’t want to hear his view on the situation.
More twists and turns then kick in and head towards a great ending.
Thanks to Bonnier Zaffre and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

The prologue of this book set the scene, describing the controlling nature of Zoe and Daniel's relationship. It very much put me in the mind of BA Paris' novel Behind Closed Doors with the emotional and occasional physical abuse which went on.
We then go back and see how Daniel and Zoe met, when Zoe was a lowly waitress with her room mate Lizzy. Daniel and his business partner Josh visit the restaurant as diners and there Daniel sets his sights on Zoe. His motives however we find out later on are not what Zoe interprets them as, a romantic liaison where she finds The One. Daniel sets up various situations to make Zoe think that he is her knight in shining armour. If only she knew all that went with it...
Then we move on. Zoe is in a living hell and desperately trying to escape her marriage. Her first attempt has already failed and has made her situation worse than she originally experienced. Again Zoe only knows half of the story. The people she confides in are possibly the worst choices (in some ways) she could have made.
Daniel and Zoe both make decisions to change things in their lives, and their plans collide quite spectacularly with tragic consequences. I could feel the desperation in Zoe's actions, but Daniel always seemed to be one step ahead of her and I was genuinely shocked at more than one point in the way the storyline progressed.
I really didn't know who to trust by the end of the book and quite expected even more twists late on. Zoe is on constant high alert, regularly seeing faces in crowds that aren't really there. Even as I turned the last page I was on tenterhooks just waiting.... but I won't tell you whether I was justified to be so. You'll have to read it for yourself.
Another excellent edge of your seat thriller from this author.

When Zoe met Daniel she couldn't believe her luck. He was everything she was looking for in a man, until they were married,

This book is divided into three different parts. In the first part we learn how Zoe met Daniel while she was at her work, got married and the physical and emotional abuse she has suffered ever since. Of how she is no longer allowed contact with her best friend, Lizzie. The second part we are told things from Daniels point of view. The third part I can't really tell you about as it would contain too many spoilers.

Although I have given this book four stars there are parts of this book (especially in the first part) that I found hard to believe. I do like the authors style in writing and I have read and enjoyed some of his books before. The book is well written with a believable storyline, though some parts are far fetched. In parts this story is quite gripping. We are told the story in the present though we do get flashbacks of the past. I did prefer the first half of this book.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bonnier Zaffre and the author J. S. Carol for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As always J.S Carol does not disappoint. Not my favourite of his books, but a great read none the less.
Gripping and suspenseful. You need to read this

Having read Kiss me, kill me twice now I can confirm I am still on the fence with this one. I felt like I was reading different books without realising it
This is nothing like his other books and I hope this was just a blip (I LOVE the Jefferson Winter series and nothing will stop me reading them)

Thanks to Bonnie Zaffre for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review

I would firstly like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows Zoe, who thinks Dan is everything she is looking for in a man - intelligent, charming, supportive. At least that's what she used to think. It's only after they're married that she realises that he's controlling, aggressive, paranoid. And there's no way out. Or is there? Zoe knows she can escape, but Dan's found her once before, and she knows he can find her again. But Dan has plans of his own. Plans that don't necessarily include Zoe.

This one wasn't what I was expecting at all. The book started off with great potiental and I was really enjoying it up to a certain point but the story took a rather abrupt turn and I honestly got so lost and confused. I had to go back and read chapters again because I honestly thought that I had skipped bits. Honestly I don't think the second half of the book was that bad but I just wish that the writing introduced it better and eased into the sudden twist rather then just changing the whole story without any warning.

I also really struggled to understand and justify the actions of some of the characters. I felt that the characters were underdeveloped, and honestly most of the behaviour shown was borderline unbelieveable. I had so many questions by the end of the book that was never answered. And that ending didn't satisfy me at all.

Overall, this book disappointed me. I enjoyed the story and it had the potiental to be great but it was honestly ruined by bad writing and poor structure. Shame really.

A great story with unexpected twists throughout. A book that once began you just have to keep on reading. Zoe is a normal person who is just looking for the right guy and she thinks she has found him in Daniel. Life feeds some people lots of negative forces and poor Zoe picks them all up. All her plans to sort her life out go astray and she seems to go from bad to worse throughout the novel.
I felt so much pity for Zoe and wonder how many Zoe clones there are out there suffering.

So this is one of those novels that I really think may divide opinion. For now, I’m firmly on the fence.

I loved the first part, wasn’t so sure about the second, and wondered what the hell was going on by the third. So you can see why I’ve had to settle somewhere in the middle...

When Zoe meets Daniel, she is certain that she has found the one. He comes into the restaurant where she works and virtually sweeps her off her feet.

Their subsequent engagement and marriage would seem too quick for some, but Zoe knows that Daniel is the one.

Now he is the one that she cannot get rid of.

Daniel is obsessive, paranoid, controlling and violent. Everything that you don’t want your husband to be. Zoe has tried to get away from him before, but somehow he has always found her.

This time, it’s different, Zoe is pregnant.

She cannot give her baby up, but she cannot have a baby whilst still married to Daniel.

So she starts planning.

Here we see Daniel pick up the story, and that’s where things take an unexpected twist.

I can’t go into too much detail about that because it would spoil things going forward, because this is where you will either love the unexpected twist or read what follows with suspicion and disbelief.

This is my first book by J.S. Carol - in fact coming across this book was the first time I heard/saw the authors name! I am going to grab all of James Carol's other titles today and am excited to dig right in! I agree that fans of M J Arlidge and Angela Marsons would enjoy this immensely as I did.

From page one I knew I was going to love this one. Sometimes you just get that feeling, you know. Boy, was I right about that one! I was thoroughly invested from the very beginning. I felt his writing style really suited me and made it an easy and fluid read. I was so under this books spell that I finished it in one day and swiftly searched the web for the author and his other titles for me to get my hands on!

Most of the twists and turns were not ones I could predict beforehand which gives the story a fantastic shock value when situations do arise. The book is told from two different perspectives - Zoe's and Daniel's and also flicks back and forth between the past and present. This is rather a difficult review to compose as a lot of the content cannot really be disclosed as it would be considered a spoiler and I hate to alter the experience of other readers so my review will remain spoiler free.

For those who like to read quality psychological thrillers - This is well worth your time!

Thank you to J.S. Carol, Bonnier Zaffre & NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest and impartial review.

Kiss Me Kill Me by James Carol is a standalone psychological thriller, I have previously read Jame Carol Jefferson Winter series and enjoy his writing style so I was interested in reading other books by him.



When Zoe met Daniel she thought she had met the perfect man, a true fairytale romance. But not long after they are married Daniel shows his true colours, he is controlling, aggressive and paranoid. Zoe feels like she can not escape, she has no money, friends or family she is stuck. Until she realises that she is pregnant, Zoe knows that Daniel will never let her keep the baby she has to escape she has no choice.

Zoe has left before but Daniel found her, this time she must find away where he can't find him. But Zoe plans don't mix with the plans that Daniel has for her, and his plan for her future on his own.



I was so gripped by Kiss Me Kill Me, I finished it in one night. I just couldn't put the books down.  James is amazing at taking a story into a direction that I wouldn't have guessed.  As I was reading the book you think that you are getting to the end of the story, but there is like 50% of the book left so you are on tenterhooks trying to figure out what is going to happen.

The book flicks from Zoe and Daniel perspective as well as the past and present . I really like seeing certain situation from Zoe and Daniel perspectives. It was unsettling how Daniel was controlling Zoe and who he did it.The more I read about Daniel the more I disliked him, he didn't have one redeeming feature.

I don't want to say too much about this book, as I do not what to spoil it for anyone but if you like psychological thrillers with a good dose of mystery I would advise you to pick up this book.

I give this book 5 out of 5.



The book is already out as an ebook, but if you would like as a physical book it will be available from 31st May.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bonnier Zaffre for sending me a copy of the book for a fair and honest review.

Thanks for reading

A fast-pace tense story that keeps the reader turning the pages.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

I am big fan of this author, especially his Jefferson Winter series but this book didn't quite meet my expectations. In fact, tell the truth, although it did keep my attention nicely throughout, it left me feeling a little flat.
Zoe is married to Daniel and, from the start of the book it is obvious that things are not going well for her. We follow her and Daniel in the present and then see glimpses into their past in flashback. She then falls pregnant and, knowing how Daniel feels about them having children, she decides that she really needs to get away. But being as she tried before and he found her, she needs a better plan this time. But this is only the first part of this book. Part two follows Daniel, again in past and present and we see his side of things. And then we come to part three and I am saying no more about this as to do so would be spoilery.
Parts 1 and 2 were going swimmingly for me. The scene was set, the action building up nicely, the characters were easy to get to grips with and they were developing nicely. And then we went to the third act of our story. Here is where it all went a bit strange for me. But I was willing to take one for the team and see where we were going, I mean, I had enjoyed where we came from but what happened next just didn't quite do it for me and the ending, when it eventually came, did leave me a bit flat and unsatisfied. That final part also dragged for me and wasn't nearly as substantial as the first parts had been. It was easy to read but that's probably cos there was a lot less happening compared to what had gone before. This meant that for me, the book wasn't as balanced as I would have preferred.
Characterisation was interesting. As with most books that start off as this one did, there are clear indicators of how a reader should feel about certain characters. But, as with most psychological thrillers, things aren't always how they seem and, even though certain characters needed to have some comeuppance, what actually transpired left me with mixed emotions.
I also had to suspend my belief a little at times. Again, to qualify this would include spoilers but, there were times where I just couldn't quite buy into the whole story as it was being played out.
But, all that said, I read it start to finish in only a couple of sittings as I was interested throughout, especially how on earth the author would conclude things. Sadly he didn't quite manage that to my satisfaction but, up to then, it was a solid read nonetheless and my thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I enjoyed this book very much, it was a different kind of story, but one that really drew you in and caused you to think about the demise of the girl. The oppression she suffered was unbearable to read about.
There were one or two points where one had to suspend disbelief but one the whole it was a great read and I would look forward to more books by this author.

2.5 stars
What happened to James Carol? It's seems that Kiss Me Kill Me has been written by a different person. I have read and enjoyed all his other books, but found this one almost unreadable. Ridiculous, far-fetched plot; one-dimensional cliché characters; slow and at times even boring writing... Frankly, I struggled to finish it. I'll still read Mr Carol's next book in the hope that he is back to his witty one-liners, fast-paced action, unexpected twists, original story lines and memorable characters.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

A book of two halves. Sleeping with the enemy meets........ well, I'll let you make up your own mind as I don't want to write any spoilers. I really really enjoyed the first half of this book. I love reading about situations that could and actually do happen but in which [hopefully] I'll never find myself! You might say that the controlling husband thing has been done to death but I always find this fascinating and have known women personally whose lives are totally dominated & restricted by the [sociopathic/twisted] men they choose...or were they chosen? Ok the second half, at first seems like a totally different story and it certainly seems to veer away from the domestic abuse scenario. However, appearances can be deceptive, has our heroin jumped from the frying pan into the fire? You’ll have to read it and find out for yourself.