Emily is a people pleaser who tends to fall for the controlling types of man.
She witnesses an "accident" but isn't sure whether it actually was an accident or, if not, whether she might have been the target. I got really drawn into her character whilst feeling slightly exasperated by her.
The only disappointment for me was the ending, which is why I'm rating this 3 rather than 4 stars

Here is one of life’s lessons. Things aren’t always what they seem. If you think life behind those glossy filtered Facebook pictures is all flowers and sunshine, think again. A smile can hide a multitude of things.

Emily witnesses a young mother being run over and killed instantly by a joyrider. Her name was Rose and she’s left a vacancy. Because Rose has everything Emily dreams off. A charming and handsome husband, a stunning home, a great job and a cute baby. Maybe Emily could take her place. But we all know the grass isn’t necessarily greener on the other side, don’t we?

Emily is damaged, carries quite a lot of baggage from a previous relationship and is slightly naive. Yet, despite often rolling my eyes at her actions and decisions, I found myself firmly on her side, hoping she’d find a way to move on and find happiness. We are also introduced to Rose via diary chapters, revealing the truth behind the Facebook updates. And then there’s Rose’s husband Cian, who is dealing with his grief, trying to find a way to move on and raise his baby son on his own.

Full of suspense and intrigue, this addictive page-turner had me hooked from start to finish. My Name Is Rose is an intensely gripping psychological thriller, which I found remarkably hard to put down. I did worry about a certain level of predictability and figuring a few things out, but I felt that was always the author’s intention. Even if it wasn’t, it didn’t bother me because the story remained fabulously tense and had me on the edge of my seat. There were enough surprises and twists that completely threw me off and kept me glued to the pages, not at all able to figure out how things would end.

This is Claire Allan’s first foray into the psychological thriller genre and hoo boy, does this promise brilliant things from her in figure! I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next but if this is anything to go by, I have no doubt it’ll be fantastic. One to watch for sure!

This novel follows Emily as she embarks on stepping into the shoes of the seemingly perfect Rose but "is the grass always greener?", can anyone really have it all? We gain flashbacks of Rose's life throughout the novel and these glimpses reveal something is amiss. Expertly creating an increasing sense of foreboding for Emily and the trouble she has found herself wrapped up in, Allan had me hooked from the first page and some of those twists I did not see coming! Brimming with secrets, jealousy, and lies - look no further for your binge-worthy summer psychological thriller.

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for sending me this in exchange for an open and honest review.

I Absolutely loved the book! Great characters and story plot. Very engaging and hard to put down! It combines a bit of mystery and drama and comes across as very real.

An engaging psychological thriller with the usual twists and turns. A novel about whether grass truly is greener on the other side and whether those social media displays of life really tell the truth.

Emily witnesses a hit and run accident in which a young mother is killed and slowly begins to develop an unhealthy obsession with the victim, Rose , stalking her on social media , taking her old job ....

Without giving anything away, I did find it difficult to empathise with the main character, Emily - a bit too crazy maybe ? I think the character of Rose was maybe better developed.

Still well written and engrossing!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy !

As soon as I saw the blurb for this one I was intrigued and then after seeing that fantastic cover I knew it was a book I would definitely need to get my hands on!

I love a good psychological thriller and settled myself in to read a few chapters of this book and I found myself reading in to the early hours – I had to finish to see where the author was taking us! It has some fantastic characters that are really well developed.

It was an engaging read from the first to last page and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I did feel quite emotional at times when reading the book and there were a few twists I didn’t expect – four stars from me – a really enjoyable story that had me on tenterhooks!

A psychological thriller that has really good promise but the ending was wrapped a little too quickly - the epilogue really unbelievable.

3 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Her Name was Rose is a thriller about a woman named Emily witnessing a deadly car accident. The woman she let step out in front of her is killed and Emily is overcome with guilt. She is certain it was supposed to be her.
While still struggling with that traumatic event she loses her job and takes the opportunity to slip into Rose’s life, take her job and meet her coworkers, become friends with them. She wants the happiness she is sure Rose had. But was everything really that rosy?

I couldn’t put this book down. It took me completely by surprise how much I loved it right from the first sentence. Emily had a hard life, went through some pretty traumatic things in her past, abusive relationship and struggles to find a healthy balance in her life. It was very raw to read about her self-doubt, her anxiety and how she deals with all of it. Her thoughts rang very true and sometimes were word for word what a friend of mine had said to me. This made it all the more personal and emotional for me.

I wanted to simultaneously shake some sense into Emily, to make her see, and wrap her in a fluffy blanket and protect her from the world. But I could always understand her.
This book features some heavy topics, such as depression, suicidal thoughts and an abusive relationship. It treated those topics very carefully and showed perfectly how easy it is to slip into something you have no idea how and/or no energy left to try to get out of again.

I loved the writing style. It sucked me right into the story, made me understand and care for Emily. It was so uncomfortable at times, in a positive way. Some lines were very raw and definitely packed a punch.

I enjoyed how everyone was allowed his flaws. How Emily made some questionable choices, even if everything was understandable. How the book showed that sometimes we don’t want to see, we want to believe.
I especially enjoyed the middle part of the book, where the reader already knew at least a part of what was going on, even if Emily didn’t. It was nervewracking to read.

I did appreciate the end, though I didn’t love it as much as the beginning and middle part of the book. I don’t wanna say more than that as not to spoil anything. (Even though it is probably not that hard to guess how it ends. This book isn’t necessarily about the end, but more so the journey.)
All the major characters felt real and fleshed out. Owen, Donna, Emily and Cian. Their reactions were plausible and I could really see them all while reading. (Towards the end it was a tiny bit more cliche and over the top, but still all possible and believable)

Overall, couldn’t recommend this more. If you like Thrillers then this one is for you.
I’ll go and order the book now because I want that one on my shelf. I can definitely see myself rereading this.

Emily witnesses a hit and run, panic and leaves the scene because she is afraid her past is coming back for her. Emily then becomes obsessed with Rose, the victim of the hit and run and interjects herself into Rose’s old life. Emily steps into Rose’s old job and tried to befriend her husband. Is this the life Emily has been waiting for?

This book starts off with a bang, the hit and run being the very first chapter, you get to see how Emily lives her life and is in a constant state of panic. I loved Emily’s character, but I did find her gullible and easy to manipulate. I did read this one quickly because I wanted to see where they were going with the novel and I enjoyed imagining Emily stepping into Rose’s life and interacting with her friends. I liked the way that every few chapters there was a chapter from Rose’s point of view, like a diary entry. It slowly leads us to see her life and lead you to think you know what is going on in the novel.

I did see some of the twists coming, but I didn’t find that I enjoyed the novel any less because of that. I still didn’t see the big reveal coming and I really did feel at the edge of my seat in the last few chapters and I couldn’t read it fast enough. I loved the writing in this one and once I found out the ending, I realized that when you look back it was all there in front of your face but you didn’t want to believe it! I love that! Overall, I really enjoyed this novel; it was full of suspense, gripping and tense!

Pick it up now!

Emily is trying to get her life back together after an abusive relationship, one day she shares the lift with a young mum and her baby boy, when they exit the lift she lets them go first, only for the young lady to get hit by a car as she leaves the building and is killed, sacrificing her own life for that of her child. Emily is convinced it should have been her and that her ex is behind it all. She then becomes obsessed with Rose, the victim, and the life she had and even goes so far as replacing Rose in her role at the dental practice where she worked. As she becomes more involved in the life Rose had, things aren't all they seem and the accident appears to be more than it actually was.

This is a story of abuse, obsession and jealousy and shows how far a person will go to step into another person's life without a thought of how it will affect those around them and the far reaching consequences of their actions. It's the first book this author has written in this genre, having previously concentrated on women's fiction, but I have to say I would love to read more of her books in this genre. It's a fast paced, well written edge of your seat thriller which kept me hooked throughout. Great read!!

I would like to thank Avon Books for the approval and will post my review on Amazon & Goodreads

I really enjoyed this book. Emily witnesses a young mother being killed by a hit and run driver. She finds herself rather obsessed by the woman, whose name was Rose, and she attends the funeral and follows Rose's Facebook page. She becomes Rose's replacement at a dental practice, and soon finds herself becoming involved with Rose's husband, Cian. But when the police decide that the hit and run was deliberate, all the lives of Rose's family and friends start to unravel. Who can Emily trust? A real page turner that will keep you guessing til the end. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

When Emily lets a stranger step out in front of her, she never imagines that that split second will change her life.

When Emily sees a car plough into a a young mother, killing her instantly, she finds it hard to move on. The woman's name was Rose, and Rose had everything Emily desired. Emily starts looking at Rose's social media, learning all she can about her. Emily's life is not how she would like it to be and she is quickly convincing herself that she can take Rose's place. But did Rose have the life that Emily longed for.

This is another one of these books I feel you can't give too much away as it would definitely spoil the plot for you. It's tense, gripping, and you just have to keep turning the pages as you want to find out more. This roller coaster read will have you on the edge of your seat. Loved it from beginning to end. This is the first book I have read by this author won't be my last. I read this book in one sitting.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Avon Books and the author Claire Allan for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved his book. It had me gripped from page one and surprised me even in the last sentence. A very satisfying ending. The characters are rich — flawed and layered and so believeable. Everything about this was well written.

Rose has the perfect life; the perfect husband, a gorgeous house a beautiful child and a great job. Unfortunately, she was killed in a recent hit and run accident to which Emily was a witness. Emily’s life isn’t so great; she’s working in a crappy call centre job, she lives alone in a rented flat with no friends and doesn’t really know where her life is going. When Rose dies, Emily starts to wonder if she could fill the spot that Rose has left; get her great job and maybe eventually her husband and gorgeous son and lovely house. But obviously, things aren’t always what they seem . . . .
This was the perfect example of a book where you were meant to feel sorry for the main character and I actually did! I have read so many books where you’re obviously meant to feel sorry for the main character, but they just come off as being whiny and annoying, but I really liked Emily in this story. She had been through a lot with her ex-boyfriend and the story of what happened does get revealed through the book and he sounded like a complete idiot and I understood how she managed to go downhill so quickly and also stay in a bad place. This also helped account for why she was so willing and perhaps gullible later in the book because she was completely broken from her previous relationship.
This is told from both Emily and Roses’ perspective which I loved. As Emily integrates herself more and more into Rose’s life and we start discovering more, it was nice to also see Rose’s life being told by her. We see Rose’s perspective from before the accident {obviously!} and it was just really interesting to see what her life was actually life and we get to start to draw parallels between Rose’s old life and then with Emily integrating herself into Rose’s life and getting to know Rose’s husband Cian.
The actual main story was great, and it didn’t feel like any of the situations were forced to happen which is one thing that I hate. As mentioned above, this is a story where you’re meant to feel sorry for the main character and I did, and it meant that all I wanted for Emily was a happy end for her! The inclusion of social media within the story really helped and it was very modern, showing that just because someone’s life is perfect online does not meant that its like that behind the computer screen. The plot twist and the reveal was a bit meh; it didn’t make all that sense to me and felt a bit anti-climactic but it was a shock and I didn’t see it coming so that was a plus. Emily’s ending also my jaw on the floor and squealing like a little girl and I loved that twist

While I enjoyed reading this book, I really wasn't bowled over by it. I didn't feel enough for Emily to care much about what happened to her, and her stalker tendencies bordered on contrived for me - somethning to fit the plot rather than plausable as she made one stupid decision after another. I never really got the character of Cian (the grieving widow) either: he was so psychopathic is was almost pantomine. 

An easy read, and fairly enjoyable but not one I would heartily recommend 'm afraid.

Deliciously Tense

This is a deliciously tense psychological thriller that had me in its grip from the opening page.

Emily’s narration gives us access into the very core of her tortured and tumultuous mind - her anxious thoughts spilling from the page. I found it fascinating that our introduction to Rose comes after she has drawn her final breath and largely by the way of interspersed social media announcements that provide a snapshot of her perfect life. The
grieving Cian Grahame is enigmatic, devilishly handsome and utterly captivating.

As Emily’s desire to become Rose’s replacement grows stronger the tension ratchets up and the twists will have you gasping out loud.

Her Name Was Rose is an accomplished and cleverly plotted book that will have you turning its pages long after bedtime!

I found this book really easy to read, and it was quite absorbing. Although I did come to like the main character, I found the other characters quite hard to care about and quite 'unreal'. The plot was a little too implausible at times, and the ending a little unsatisfactory. I would certainly read another book by this author as she has a talent for suspense and dialogue.

Imagine you see someone die right in front of you.
It could be you.
What if you feel hunted, are always full of anxiety.
How would you react?

Emily, the protagonist in 'Her Name, Was Rose', is already labelled as a troublemaker, unstable even though she is the victim, is her Ex taking revenge, or is it all in her imagination? Emily wants someone to love, someone to care for, to be part of a family, that's why she tries to step into Rose's old life. She feels connected to Rose and longs to have the perfect life she enjoyed.

Emily is an unreliable protagonist, reliant on prescription medication and alcohol to keep her anxiety in check. Told from Emily's point of view, the reader can't be sure if Rose's experiences are real or imagined.

Well-paced the plot adds additional characters and twists, throwing doubt on Rose's life and the manner of her death. Cleverly built tension among the cast of characters, particularly at Rose's former workplace increases the suspense. Emily's vulnerability and lack of insight increase the story's menace until the reader doesn't know who to trust and realises appearances can be deceptive.

The ending is adrenaline-fuelled and has a surprising twist or two.

I received a copy of this book from Avon Books UK via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Emily is a lonely soul. She is recovering from a broken relationship. Her best friend is in America & she feels very vulnerable. Coming out of a lift she lets Rose, a young woman with a small child go ahead of her only to see this woman killed moments after in a hit & run accident.

The thought, "It could have been me!" seems to take over and she become obsessed with Rose. She haunts her Facebook page, scrutinises all the news about her. Rose seemed to have all Emily wanted. A loving husband, beautiful child, friends and a job where her workmates are friendly & caring,

Emily continuing with her obsession, gets Rose's old job. She tries to make Rose's friends her friends. She meets Cian, Rose's husband, and when they seem to get along she wonders if she can have it all.

But extracts from Rose's diary that pepper the book make the reader suspicious that all is not as it seems and Emily may not have her happy ending.

I did feel sorry for Emily even while I kept wishing she'd show a bit of sense! It was a good read & will look out for more from Claire Allan.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

Some of you may be familiar with the authors previous books but this is her "thriller", and given that I'm on a bit (OK more than a bit at this stage) of a psychological thriller kick, I was delighted to receive a copy from Netgalley.
Our story focuses on Emily, whose life is a mess. She suffers from anxiety, has a drinking problem, hates her job, all of which stems from her horrible relationship with her ex. And then BAM! The woman who she held a door for gets killed by a joyrider.
Through the process of a bit of Facebook stalking Emily finds out as much as possible about Rose and her family, and becomes jealous of their perfect life, culminating in her applying for Rose's old job, and hoping to meet her dream man, Rose's husband.
Of course, all may not be greener on the other side.
As Emily slides into her new role she uncovers a lot of secrets, but who can she trust? And which Rose is the true Rose.
The story that follows is brilliant, with a well constructed protagonist and cast of supporting characters. I felt completely drawn in to the story here and was (once again) reading this book into the wee small hours. I have to say I find it hard to think of any real negatives about this. It ticks all the boxes for me (Including the Irish box ;-) )
I certainly recommend it to fans of thrillers or those who are looking to get lost in a book by the pool this summer.