I was looking forward to this book after thoroughly enjoying a few of A.J. Waines other psychological thrillers, particular ‘Dark Place to Hide’.

Unfortunately I was left exceptionally underwhelmed. I hate being so negative but the book read like a b-grade film. From the outset the plot felt forced and the character interactions almost staged.

Thank you NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for a review copy.

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.

Rachel reacts violently when she thinks her daughter is being attacked in the cellar of a pub. Unfortunately all is not as it appears and Rachel and her daughter Beth are catapulted head first into a nightmare.

Beth is an aspiring actress engaged to an older man and Rachel is a barmaid that is financially struggling after her partner dies and leaves in her debt. I liked the character of Rachel but wanted to give Beth a shake. She is a spoiled selfish little madam who thinks the world revolves around her. The fact that the mother and daughter were very close in age added to the story as we learn of long buried secrets.

I enjoyed the writing style and the pace of this book but like other readers I don't like the title. It suggest very little about the books subject and feels disconnected.

This is my first but definitely not my last read by this author. I inhaled this within a day.

We are told the story through two points of view- Rachel and her daughter Beth’s. When Rachel walks in on her daughter Beth being pinned down by a stranger she reacts with dire consequences. They dispose of the body and keep it a secret.

I gotta say I did prefer Beth to Ruth. The mom came across as over bearing.
I thought this was a well written gripping read with twists and turns I definitely didn’t see coming. I’ll definitely be recommending this:)

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers that are centered on characters and their relationships. This story balances the relationship of the main characters with the blow of a death and a mystery that plays out after. Each chapter dives further into the main characters, giving a well-rounded picture of who the women were before the incident as well as how they’ve changed after.

Okay, I wasn’t thinking about committing any murders but this book still convinced me that it would be a terrible idea. I would die of nerves or just turn myself in for even entertaining the thought.

The book begins with the murder of a man at the pub where Rachel works. Rachel and her daughter, Beth, decide to hide the body and conceal their involvement in the murder. The two try to carry on as before and immerse themselves in planning Beth’s wedding. However, they soon discover that getting away with murder is not so easy.

This was a suspenseful read. I was tense with every turn of the story. My heart raced with each reveal and I dreaded the moment the police would discover everything. Seriously, trying to get away with murder is nerve wrecking! The author portrays this vividly through alternating narrations by Beth and Rachel. I was tense just like the characters waiting to see how events would unfold. Will they get away with it? Will the police unravel the mystery and send the two to jail? These questions were running through my mind all the way to the last page.

This was a captivating story about secrets, lies and murder. It is also a story about a mother- daughter relationship which I thought was very realistically portrayed. I loved how the tension developed through the chapters making it hard to put down the book. There were sections around the middle of the story that slowed down a bit but this didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book. The ending and especially the final chapter were befitting of this suspenseful read although I was left with some questions that made me wonder if there is a second book coming. I definitely recommend Don’t You Dare to fans of psychological thrillers.

Don't You Dare starts off with a murder when Rachel discovers a man she believes is assaulting her daughter Beth. Through a rash action, she sends their lives into a tail-spin with both of them covering up a crime and telling one lie after another. All Rachel wants is for her daughter to be happy and make a good life for herself (with the right man).

The perspective goes back and forth between Rachel and Beth, including a past view of when Beth meets Peter, her fiancé. Both mother and daughter keep secrets from each other, with each of them wanting the other to be happy... however, as we discover the secrets are what is keeping everyone from being happy.

The author gives a huge hint about the action/suspense toward the end of the book and who is behind it, however there are some really good twists in this book that made me enjoy the ending so much more.

Rachel and Beth have always been close, this mother and daughter duo struggle to survive on mom Rachel's salary. When Peter walks into Beth's life things really start looking up as he is a professional in the movie scene. However, when Rachel walks in on her daughter and a strange man it looks like to Rachel that her daughter is being attacked. When Rachel lashes out, both of their lives become cracked eggshells and nothing will be the same again. Rachel really wants this marriage between Beth and Peter and goes to extreme lengths to make sure that happens. She doesn't take into consideration how her daughter feels only what she wants. I found some of this predictable, however when I got to the end it was not what I expected. It's hard to keep a secret when someone out there knows what you did. You won't believe what Rachel goes through to get her daughter married.

I recommend this book by A.J Waines.

thank you Net Gallery and Bloodhound Books for the opportunity.

Cherie'

I found it difficult to empathise with either of the main characters which I'm afraid made me care very little about what happened to them. Even the title just didn't seem to "fit". Both women appeared to be very self-centred and shallow. Even when the mother Rachel (who was clearly a much better actress than her daughter could ever hope to be) was making out she was doing everything for the sake of her daughter Beth, it was clear that financial security for both of them was her main priority. Most of the other characters were not described in enough detail to get to know them much - quite honestly the only one I felt anything for was the Grandad! The story was rather improbable in places (such as Rachel thinking she could pass herself off as her daughter to the finance) but it did keep moving, picking up the pace towards the end and I was left feeling that some sort of justice had prevailed. I'm sure a lot of readers will love it but not deep or dark enough for me.

Thankyou to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this new book by AJ Waines.
What a rollercoaster of a novel!! I could not put it down. From the first page until the very last, I was hooked. This is this first time I have read a novel by A J Waines and it certainly won't be the last.
The characters were so engaging and the plot, well, I didn't see it coming. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a face-paced thriller.

Rachel finds her daughter, Beth, pinned down by a stranger in a pub cellar and without thinking she lashes out at the man. He falls, hits his head and dies there and then. But is everything as it first seems ?

Rachel convinces Beth that they shouldn’t go to the police and as a result they attempt to keep everything a secret and hide the body. Can they both hold their nerve ? Is there another reason why Rachel wants the secret kept ?

The book is writtten in alternating chapters told by Rachel and Beth. We travel back in time as we discover the events that led up to the night in question and also discover the problems that arise when Mother and Daughter try to cover up what really happened.

This is a brilliant book that I really enjoyed. There are a few twists and turns in the story but I was already hooked right from the first page. The characters are brilliant although slightly unhinged and scary in places.

A great read if you love psychological thrillers. I read this book in 2 sittings in less than 24 hours, as I just had to find out what happened in the end !!

What a great read! Single mom Rachel and her daughter Beth have been more like best friends while Beth was growing up. Beth studied acting and is trying to make it big when she meets Peter, a former dancer, who has connections and they soon become engaged. Beth has a fling with Carl, Peter's best friend and soon to be best man. Rachel finds Beth and Carl together and Carl ends up dead. From there, the plot takes many exciting suspenseful twists and turns with a totally shocking ending. I highly recommend this fantastic book to anyone who loves a great thriller.

My first book from this author and has inspired me to read all her others. One of the best books in this genre that I've read this year. A well deserved 5 stars.

The only way to keep something secret is to not tell anyone about whatever it is ... not your family, not your friends, not the stranger you meet at the bar.

Book Blurb -- When barmaid, Rachel, discovers her soon-to-be-married daughter, Beth, pinned down by a stranger in the pub cellar, Rachel lashes out in panic and the intruder ends up dead. In desperation, Rachel convinces Beth they should cover up the crime and go ahead with the planned wedding in one month’s time.

It doesn't take long for Beth to become a liability. The lies she has to tell to her fiancee, her friends, the police is slowly driving her crazy. It is always so much harder to remember the lies you've told ... one mistake can be fatal.

Rachel is just plain devious. She's trying to cover for her daughter but it's getting harder and harder. The enormous number of lies she has to tell is weighing her down. And there's a reason she won't go to the police to explain ... she has another secret that her daughter doesn't even know.

This is a well-written psychological thriller that shows the dark side of a mother-daughter relationship. Characters have been carefully constructed with a lot of credibility. I found it hard to decide if I liked the characters or not. There are twists and turns that kept me glued to this riveting story.

Many thanks to the author / Bloodhound Books / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of DON'T YOU DARE. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

This was my first read by A.J. Waines and it is a 4/5 star book for me. This first few paragraphs of the book really intrigued me and sparked my interest as to what type of mischief the main protagonist, Rachel, and the second protagonist, her daughter Beth, were getting themselves into. Throughout the book there is a lingering mystery surrounding a twenty year plus family secret and I found myself trying to figure out what it could be as I read more of the story. The story's pace dragged some by the fourth chapter for me while it was still building a background to set the story's pace, but it picked up really quickly again and I found myself engrossed in a twisted web of endless lies.

This story really shows you how everyone isn't always who they appear to be and I found myself being happily surprised that the true "culprit" in the tale of deceit was a character some may not even begin to think of being one of the villains once the book ended. While this will not be up there in ranks as one of my favorite "go to" stories, I did enjoy it and will recommend it to those who enjoy reads involving crime, murder, mystery, and psychological twists.

The story flicks in alternating chapters between Rachel and her daughter Beth. The opening chapter of Rachel finding her daughter in what looks like a dangerous situation had me absolutely hooked. I think any parent in the same position would do the exact same thing. After that though, who knows how any of us would react with the consequences.

Rachel obviously loves her daughter but I did find her over bearing at times. Wanting what she thinks is best for her and her daughter and not thinking about her daughters needs. She has to be in control at all times. There is obviously also more to her past of which I was very intrigued to find out more.

Beth I really liked. She is a normal twenty three year old who is trying to make it in the acting world. She is being torn every way but which and doesn't know which way to turn. She is trying her best to keep on top of everything but life just seems to be dealing her one knock after the other.

This is one of those reads where you can feel the tension building. I was on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. The author certainly knows how to weave a story that will have you gripped through out. Whilst I found Rachel over bearing, the bond between both was very much believable and touching at times.

Don't You Dare is packed full of tension and a definite page turner of a read. An absolute must read for fans of psychological thrillers that will keep you entertained right up until the very last page.

This book is amazing. 5/5 stars.

I honestly saw nothing about this book coming. I picked it up two nights ago because it was almost due out for release, and the next thing I knew some time had flown by and I had read almost half the book. Zero regrets on that, for the record.

Rachel and Beth have the type of relationship that I have with my daughter - open, loving, caring. Then stuff happens and everything gets flipped on its head. Then the two start to fight, pull away from each other. That was hard to watch, because I imagine that's what my daughter's teen years are going to be like. Then everything twists once again and it becomes clear just how dire the situation really is. Then everything is okay again...or is it?

I loved it. The writing drew me in, the plot was good, the pacing was excellent, the twists were insane (in a good way). I am definitely going to be reading more by AJ Waines, and I can't wait. If ever there was a book worth reading, this was it. Sincere thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Bloodhound Books, for the early copy!

First couple of pages I thought meh,but then it really got going,until the very last chapter I didn’t see the ending coming,fabulous I didn’t even have an inkling.im usually pretty good at knowing what’s going to happen.this time I got blown away.5 star review ,would definitely recommend this book.

Don't You Dare is a great thriller again from A J Waines but not quite as good as previous books by the same author in my opinion.Beth is getting married to Peter and Rachael her mother couldn't be more pleased,but when she discovers Beth in a pub cellar with another man things take a turn for the worst and they are soon covering up a secret that would ruin them both if revealed. It affects Beth quite badly and she goes off the rails refusing to talk to Peter and as the wedding draws closer Rachael takes over making Peter believe all is well when it quite clearly isn't ! I felt the middle of the book got a bit bogged down and was slow going but it picked up again with a great ending which i thought was a great finale.A good solid 4 star read.

When Rachel discovers Beth on the floor she says that Beth have to be married . Plenty of thrills and chills .
This was an ARC from Netgalley

When Rachel encounters her daughter in a darkened basement screaming help, her mother instincts take over and she attacks the man standing over her daughter accidently killing him. Little does she know that her daughter was a willing participant in the whole thing. Now what do they do?
I was hooked from the first page to the last. What a roller coaster ride. I didn't know what to expect and was all night reading it until I was finished. The pages flew by as I escaped into the world of the characters and found myself holding my breath many times. An awesome book to keep readers doing what they do best...reading!!