A slow burner rather than 'in your face' from the start type of book. I enjoyed the past and present elements of the story which helped to build up the mystery. I don't think I particularly warmed to any of the characters but overall, an enjoyable read.

3.5 stars! Well written thriller with great suspense and tons of manipulation. This was an enjoyable thriller; however, I found the pacing to be a little bit off and the characters hard to invest in. This book did keep my attention and I did not guess the “who done it” but, it was a little far-fetched for my taste. In my opinion this was not Hayes’ best book however, I would recommend it to those who want to start getting into the thriller genre.
Thank you to Netgalley for an e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ella likes to keep to herself at work, she doesn't socialise with her colleagues, as much as they try and include her she always has an excuse ready to avoid joining them.  What is Ella hiding and why is it turning her into a recluse?  One night after dashing out of work, she is cycling home in the rain and is involved in a hit and run collision with a van, she wakes up much later from a coma to be told by a nurse that her husband will be very happy to see her awake, there's only one thing wrong, Ella is not and has never been married, when she sees who her 'husband' is she realises her problems are only just beginning.  The question is next time she wakes up will she realise it's all just been a bad dream and everything will go back to the way it was before?

This is the first book I've read by Samantha Hayes, though I have all her others on my ever groaning tbr list on my kindle and although it didn't completely blow me away I was hooked from the start and intrigued to find out where the story was going, I kept trying to guess who the 'husband' was and got it wrong, I was completely floored when it was revealed.  I love how the story is told over two timelines, the present day and ten years ago before tragedy struck which gives the reader an insight into why Ella acts the way she does today.  I will definitely be bumping this authors other books up my list.

Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for the auto approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and on Amazon on publication day.  4 stars

This book had me gripped right from the beginning. Although parts of it were slightly unrealistic and I did start to suspect what the major twist was I still really enjoyed it!

This is a great psychological thriller that will definitely keep you guessing! Ella wakes up after being in an accident and has a husband by her side...who she knows she didn't marry. I enjoyed how Ella's past and present are weaved together (not every author does this well) and was definitely entertained by the twisted plot and surprise ending. If this is your genre of book I would definitely recommend it.

This isn't a cosy read, this is a heart bashing belter!
Oh boy this story is enough to turn any recluse into a social butterfly, as Ella had lived in her own little cocoon keeping herself to herself, going to work and living alone. No fella in her life and no friends bobbing in. So when she wakens in hospital, confused and dazed, she is more than a little taken aback when the nurse tells her that her husband will be back to see her soon. And what a lovely man he is. When this saint of a man arrives he only has eyes for Ella but Ella is like a rabbit in headlights. Oh she knows this man alright and he knows what she did, she has no choice, she has to play the dutiful wife.
The story runs on a couple of time lines as it dips between present time and Ella's Uni days. The friends that she had, her family and relationships that developed. In present day I was like 'TELL SOMEONE'. Oh wow, wow, wow, there are so many of those OMG moments when I had my heart in my mouth. The ones of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and that hand on a door handle ready to catch her doing something that is forbidden to do. I cringed so many times. Stopped at those, 'this is it' moments and put the kettle on, just so that I could gain some sense of control.
Bloody hell, when I think this is the worst it can get it clicks into over drive and opens up even more horrors. Samantha Hayes's characters have secrets, they have pasts and they have ways of getting even. Yoga exercises and controlled breathing methods are recommended by me for the second half of the book and ending, definitely the ending. It is superb!

Right from the start, we know that Ella, the main character, is someone with something to hide. Her days are ruled by routine and self-inflicted solitude. Though co-workers invite her out often, she doesn't want to engage with them, or anyone else. Work, home, sleep, repeat.

One night, after leaving work to return to her flat by bicycle, she is hit by a van from behind and seriously injured. The driver doesn't stop. She awakes in the hospital days later, to learn that she is seriously injured, and had been put in a drug-induced coma to help her brain heal. Her nurse tells her that her husband has visited faithfully and should be along soon. But Ella has never been married! "Here he is now!" says the nurse. When Ella sees who it is, she is both surprised and terrified, but know she must go along with whatever he says until she is well enough to make her escape. He knows her secret...

She tells her story in both present time and through scenes which occurred ten years prior.

A slow-burner, psychological suspense book, The Liar's Wife had me checking my Kindle's "time left" feature more than a few times. I did want to find out how the book ended, but s-l-o-w is the word to remember here.

For those sensitive to books dealing with abuse, you should avoid this read as there are graphic scenes that will disturb you.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read an e-ARC of The Liar's Wife in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions stated here are my own.

This book sucks you right in a you will not leave until you have finished this book,
It’s such a book that your gripped- you are taken on a time travel kind of something. From past to present and back again. Which is vital for the follow of the film.
You cannot predict how this story will end- which I just love. What an ending.
Thanks to both NetGalley and Bookouture for my eARC in exchange for my review

Gripping story of Ella that will have you tearing the paper apart to finish. Back and forth past to present, with a twist that will make your jaw drop. Incredible thriller!

My original rating was 6 or 7 out of ten. I felt how the secret of the videotape was written throughout the book was very irritating and brought the book down. I want to go on the journey to find out what the secret is and not just have them dangle it over my head until later on. The ending twist really helped with some of the problems I had with video type secret. It ended up being a good read where I had a ton emotions while reading. My final rating is 8 stars. I look forward to reading more of Samantha's books.

Wow. A real page turner. The story plays out in alternating times lines. I did not see the great twist at the end coming,,a big shocker. Only gave 4 stars because some of the things the main character was able to accomplish while healing from severe fractures was hard to believe.

Ella Sinclair keeps herself to herself. She blends in. Doesn’t want attention. Then one day she is knocked down by a car and wakes from a coma in hospital to be told that her husband has been visiting her daily. But Ella isn’t married. When her, “husband” appears Ella knows she’s in deep trouble. Ella’s life goes from bad to worse. Can anyone get her out of this nightmare?

A well written and gripping book worth a great ending.

Book Review - ‘The Liar’s Wife’ by Samantha Hayes ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookoture and Samantha Hayes for the chance to read and review this book.

Ella Sinclair is a loner who enjoys the routine of her life: Work, home, sleep. Work, home, sleep. She doesn’t date, doesn’t really socialise and prefers to live that way because of a dark secret from many years ago. While cycling home from work on a rainy night, she is hit by a van and wakes up in hospital. She has suffered serious injury but is reassured by the nurse that her husband has barely left her side the whole time. There is just one problem; she has never been married. Instantly recognising her ‘husband’ Jacob as someone from her past that she hoped she’d never see again, Ella knows she must do as he says and go along with the charade or risk devastating consequences. These opening chapters were riveting and full of terror and disbelief as you fear for Ella having to go home with this sinister character, knowing the hell that no doubt awaits her and hoping she manages to escape his clutches before she suffers too greatly. As she is made a prisoner in his home and becomes increasingly reliant on him not only physically but practically and financially, her chances of freedom seem totally hopeless.

Wow! This was one of the most intense, addictive and harrowing psychological thrillers I’ve read not just this year but in a long time. I devoured this book in less than 24 hours, something I've not done in quite a while, but it was just impossible for me to put it down. The suspense, foreboding, dread, desperation and sheer helplessness are all there on every page and create an atmosphere that has your heart pounding. Each time you think Ella is going to either save herself or be rescued everything falls apart and she’s back to having no way out. I honestly had many moments in this story where I doubted a good ending for her but I needed to get to the end and find out.

Our villain, Jacob, is honestly the most malevolent and vile example of a husband I’ve read. He is a sociopath who has planned his imprisonment of Ella to the last detail, making her chances of escape all the more hopeless by the minute. The level of delusion he has and the extremes he goes to in his quest to have this life he’s built for them in his head is astounding and frightening. He is well written and very believable.

As a survivor of abuse I could see myself in the situations Ella was in and believe that she was too scared to not go with him or ask for help and that others fell for his charms and believed him to be the dutiful and doting husband. The author has completely captured the dark truths of an abusive relationship and controlling partner. Thankfully security systems weren’t really available to most people back when I was in that kind of relationship as having that made him omnipotent and she was without a moment really alone. I thought the author used a fantastic analogy about why people don’t leave abusive relationships and there were many quotes that struck a chord with me on a deep and personal level.

The ending of the book was jaw-dropping. I never saw it coming and still can’t believe what I read. A few books I have read this year have had endings that I say I didn’t expect but this one was on a whole other level. I am still blown away by it and love that the author wrote the book so incredibly well that it surprises you in such a huge way. I was already a fan of Samantha Hayes after reading her book The Reunion in the summer but this has put her on my list of must-read authors. If you love psychological thrillers and gripping stories then this book is for you. Just make sure you’ve got a clear schedule as you'll not want to put it down.

I’ll finish this review with what is my favourite quote from this book, a line that sums up abusive relationships perfectly: "Freeing herself is going to take something way more complicated that simply escaping”.

Ella keeps to herself, refusing to socialize with coworkers after the work day has ended. After leaving work one evening, Ella is involved in an accident and wakes up in the hospital struggling to remember what the nurse is telling her...that she is married to the man who has been at her beside since day one of being in the hospital. The books journeys through the past with twists and turns along the way in this psych thriller. She’s made to be kept in a home with doors locked, security cameras watching her every move and a baby that isn’t hers.

I enjoyed reading this book. It had a good story to it. I liked the variety of characters in it. It is my first book by this author. I hope to read more books by this author.

I received a free copy of THE LIAR’S WIFE by Samantha Hayes in exchange for an honest review. Ella is content with her life. If she keeps her head down, does her job, and keeps her distance from her coworkers, she feels like she can maintain her perfect, quiet, single life. However, Ella’s life and limbs are shattered when she’s struck by a vehicle and left unconscious on the roadside. Ella wakes up from a medically induced coma and is told how lucky she is to have such a concerned and loving husband. When she sees who it is, she knows she’s doomed to return to an abusive relationship she thought long gone. What can she do but play along? Her abuser has a video that could put her in prison. As Ella’s situation gets worse daily, will there be a time when prison is the better alternative?

This was a page-turner. The author kept you guessing until the end about the true identity of the “husband.” I recommend this to those who enjoy suspense and psychological thrillers.

#TheLiarsWife #NetGalley

Ella is the kind of person who keeps totally to herself at work and at home. She rejects any and all invitations to socialize with coworkers. She rides her bicycle to work and one day on the way home, she is hit by a hit and run van. When she awakens in the hospital, the nurse informs her that her husband has been there daily. The trouble is, Ella has never been married. This is a fantastic read with lots of twists and turns and a totally surprising ending. This riveting book kept me on the edge of my seat and was truly one of those hard to put down books. I look forward to reading more of Samantha Hayes' books. This is one of those books that deserve more than a 5 star rating. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Net Galley and Bookouture for an early copy of The Liar's Wife. It kept my interest, a little far-fetched but the characters were interesting. The ending did really shock me but it wasn't one of my favorite books.

Ella has kept a dark secret for most of her life. She feels guilty and will not let herself live a normal, sociable fun-loving life. She is almost a recluse, but did work for a living. It all went wrong when she fell in love with Zach when they were students at Durham University. His family were wealthy and lived in Adlington Manor in Oxfordshire. She couldn’t believe her eyes when she arrived as a guest of Zach’s, there to meet his parents for the first time. Although she had seen photographs of his home, it was magnificent and even more opulent than it looked in Zach’s camera images. Already there were even more guests than she’d thought there would be, almost all of them Zach’s Uni friends. She was most surprised to see her brother Harry and best friend Meggie, who had been staying there for a while before she arrived. She thought back to her unhappy life in their humble home where she and her twin brother Harry were often abused emotionally, sexually and physically. Oh how hard they had worked at school, longing for the time when they could break free. Things were on the up at last.

That visit which started with happiness and lots of fun, ended in disaster. Since then and her graduation she had changed completely. There were no more parties, no more clubbing, no more enjoying life as a young graduate should, and especially no more friendships or boyfriends. She would never again allow herself to get close to anyone. She worked with flair in her workplace but seldom went out and joined in. Then when she was cycling on her way home one night she suffered another disaster. She was involved in a hit and run accident and woke up in hospital. She had been placed in an induced coma, allowing her swollen brain to recover from the trauma. Her lovely nurse Sue told her that her husband had been so worried about her and that she was so lucky to have found someone who was so devoted to her. He couldn’t wait to take Ella to their new house when she was well enough. Only Ella knew that she was single. Then when her ‘husband’ Jacob walked into her hospital room she immediately recognised him. He knew her secret and she knew he could expose her. She quietly played her part, knowing that she must go along with what he said for her own good. But secretly she planned her escape, patiently waiting for the right time to break free. She had done it once already and now she had been forced to do it again.

This novel is really chilling and dark. Ella’s position becomes even worse when her husband takes her home, keeping her hidden and locked up in the house. He holds the master card and she is forced to sing to his tune. The action ramps up with her husband’s barrage of lies. He introduces a new ‘family member’ and they begin socialising with their neighbours. Still wheelchair bound and with a badly broken leg and wrist Ella must pull on all of her reserves to beat him at his own game. Time and time again he outwits her. She is weak and vulnerable. She is deeply unhappy. Will she ever get free?

With excellent storytelling and a host of believable and lovely characters, this novel is a real page-turner. There are frequent jaw-dropping twists and turns that will keep you reading on. Ella is a wonderful character and I felt so sorry for her. I really rooted for her and wanted her to free herself.. I loved her caring neighbours who tried to make friends but were constantly thwarted. Most of all I loved the ending which was totally unexpected and a real heart-stopper. I received a complimentary copy of this novel from publisher Bookouture through my membership of NetGalley. These are my own honest opinions without any outside influences. It’s a top-notch read and it’s a 4.5* review from me. I’ve read all but the first of Samantha Hayes’ novels which is now out of print. I have never been disappointed and have always really enjoyed her impressive and talented writing.

The Liar's Wife is an excellent psychological thriller that skips along at a decent pace,Ella lives a hum drum life of work home sleep every day every month,but when she awakes in hospital after an accident when she was knocked off her bike she has a card from her husband but she's never been married !!! The story is told in flashbacks to ten years ago when she was at university and to her present day life.At uni she came out of her shell and led a party life style with best friend Meggie and her friends.until things took an unexpected turn,She now finds her self imprisoned in a relationship she can't escape all linked back to ten years ago,what follows is a well written,excellent thriller that had me gripped from page one and wondering who the mystery man who has appeared in her life really is ? Another superb 5 star read from Samantha Hayes