I tried to like this one. I really tried. I couldn't get past the first chapter. The characters are flat, the writing style is forced, in my opinion. Definitely not a captivating thriller. Sadly, this is a 1 star read for me because I just couldn't finish it.

Wow. This was a good book.
This book follows a woman who has been framed for the murder of her stepdaughter, she is imprisoned until trial. Surrounded by other women in prison she must keep her identity a secret because no one likes a child-killer, but it gets more difficult to keep to herself when she finds out she is pregnant.
Now I'm not quite sure how to rate this book and I have been sitting on my review for a while with the hope that my opinion would become more clear.
90% of this book was absolutely brilliant. I was truly gripped by the story, I wanted to know the true identity of the killer and her struggle to survive in prison with women that hated her guts was absolutely terrifying, made even more so by her pregnancy. It reached a brilliant crescendo at the end that had me on the edge of my seat but unfortunately I felt that at the end the main story line fell apart a little. Although I am satisfied with how it closed I couldn't help but feel that it just wasn't as strong as the book had been so far.
However, taking this into consideration, I still flew through this book, I could not put it down and I was so scared for our main character that I have to give it four stars. The author set the scene and the atmosphere so well and I really enjoyed the writing style. It was still an excellent book. I was immediately intrigued by the blurb and I am so happy I read it, especially as it turned out to be unlike anything I had read before.

An intensely gripping story, as we discover just why Jenna is in prison, why she is adamant she is innocent, and the events leading up to that fateful night.

What really struck me about this story was how much research the author must have put in, to make account of what happens in jail so vivid, realistic and claustrophobic.

You feel as though you are incarcerated alongside Jenna, although the only difference is as the reader you are yet to be wholly convinced who is guilty, whether it is Jenna or as she suspect someone is framing her. The lack of evidence pointing to anyone other than Jenna is overwhelming.

I liked the pseudo friendships that were formed in the prison, you are never sure who you can trust, and the book definitely touches on issue that are relevant to real life prisons too.

I was kept guessing throughout until the reveal as to just what happened the nigh that Jenna's fiance disappears and his daughter was brutally murdered.

Previously I had enjoyed Angela Clarke's social media murders books, and was excited to see a new release from her, which was even better than her previous great books.

I was completely hooked on On My Life.

Thank you to Netgalley and Mulholland Books for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

I could not put this book down from the moment that I started reading. Jenna seems like she has it all and she managed to get away from the childhood that should have prevented her from having the life that she does. What would make her murder her step daughter and potentially her fiancé? Are the things she’s been accused of true? Will she survive prison? Brilliant twist at the end that I did not see coming! Highly recommend!

What a brilliant book! Jenna is arrested for the murder of the daughter of her fiancé and her fiancé is missing. The bulk of the story is her trials and tribulations of prison life.

The story had me enthralled from the start and the excellent characterisation made me feel I was part of the story. It is a very clever book and written in two timelines which works very well.

I highly recommend this book and it keeps the reader intrigued from start to finish.

This is a great book, but I feel like it was ridiculously predictable. I read a lot of books in this genre, I know, but I knew exactly what kind of a story this was going to be just from the first chapter.
Raise your hands if you're with me!?
I could probably name at least five books with similar twists that came out only last year, but that would mean serious spoilers, so...

On the other hand, Angela Clarke has created a marvelous work of popular fiction highlighting and bringing to attention a very underestimated problem - pregnant women in prisons.

I've been sort of following this issue since I found out that one of my favorite actresses - Leighton Meester - was actually born in the prison. She claims, NOT actually in the prison, but in a prison hospital or whatever...the point is there is someone so talented and wonderful from that kind of a past.

So, yes. Kudos for the courage to research and describe these issues in a crime thriller.

Other than that, it's more of domestic suspense than anything else. And like I said, super predictable. But very well written and deeply emotional.

Thank you Hodder & Stoughton for the chance to read this in exchange for my honest review.

Wow - what a read! Totally absorbing, really compelling and feels like you’re there with Jenna.

A thumping good read. Still recovering from the adrenaline rush!!

Just read it! It’s that good!! 5🌟

Starting with a bang, On My Life swept me up immediately. Its sense of place is so arresting that I could hear the sounds of the prison all around me, I felt the weight of the bars as they closed around me and the fear that engulfed me felt so real that I struggled to catch my breath.

Jenna is a woman who had a fairytale life (the time shifts to before starkly juxtaposed against the horror of now) until she arrived home to find Emily murdered and her fiancé, Robert, missing. What follows is a fascinating and adrenaline filled exploration of how even the most perfect of lives can flip in an instant. It delves deeply into the justice system and shows that innocence is not always the best defence to have, as if Jenna didn’t do it then who did?

As Jenna frantically tries to piece together who could have committed this heinous crime, her safety within the prison becomes more and more perilous. What lengths will she have to go to to protect herself and her unborn baby?

Intelligently plotted, unsettling and oh so vividly brought to life. On My Life is a blistering portrayal of a woman who will stop at nothing to save herself.

This is my first Angela Clarke book. I liked it and had me gripped. I was trying to guess what the outcome would be but I was totally wrong. I prefer when I can't guess what the outcome will be. I felt there was a lot of build up and then rushed at the last 10% but over all it was an enjoyable read.

Thanks goes to net galley and the publishers for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the opportunity to have read this amazing book. I have read all Angela's books, and just love the way she writes, getting the reader involved, and keeping me captivate from the beginning until the very very end.
Through Jenna Angela gives the reader a small look into the prison system, the hate and the deceit every day.
Highly recommended, and I honestly mean it.

This is the first book by Angela Clarke I’ve read and most likely won’t be the last. Full of twists and suspense with an insight to prison life for pregnant women. When Jenna is placed under arrest for the murder of her 14 year old stepdaughter Emily, she fights to clear her name from behind bars - a task near impossible. Her partner Robert, Emily’s father, is missing and also presumed dead. Jenna soon finds out she is pregnant and finds herself making both friends and enemies in prison through her desperate attempts to find the real killer. Cracking read.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This is the first book I have read by this author and cannot understand why. I thought this was a well written edge of the seat read.

Thank you to both NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for my digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest unbiased review

i very much enjoyed this book, twists and turns galore and an intresting read!

Full of suspense- expect the unexpected with this read. A true thriller.
Great writing style and a good read.
Thank you to both NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for my eARC of this book in exchange for my honest unbiased review

This was a good read.. I didn’t expect much but I was pleasantly surprised how enjoyable it actually was. I thought the whole book was good right from the very first page. There was a great twist at the end which I didn’t see coming. A great insight into prison life especially being pregnant. The characters were interesting and enjoyable to read, I will be on the lookout for other books by this author in future.
Thank you netgalley

in the beginning things draged a bit but woahhh what a pace in the second half of the story!
i was clueless until the end, that's what a good read is made of for me!
thank you #netgalley for this arc

WOW, WOW, WOW. This has got to be one of the best books I've ever read. It had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. Amazingly brilliant writing and a story I'll never forget.

I really enjoyed Jenna’s story - both the unfolding mystery about what happened to Emily, and the dramas of prison-life, and the relationships that Emily builds. The story is peppered with elements of hope, both with Jenna’s case, and the small acts of kindness shown to her - contradicting the otherwise pervasive message about how damaging prison is, exacerbated by the staff. Thought-provoking and gripping.

I couldn't get into this to begin with. The description of what Jenna was experiencing as she was sent down was quite chilling and I almost felt like abandoning the book. The part about her new life when she met her fiancé and his family and the luxurious life which she was not used to made me continue with it. As I progressed through the book I became more engrossed in the plot and the characters. I could not believe the plight Jenna was in and the lack of assistance she had to help her in her predicament but I assumed Angela Clarke had done some research into the likelihood of Jenna being incarcerated in this manner and the lack of attention she receives when it is discovered she is pregnant. Jenna makes an enemy in prison and some of the focus of the story is on this difficult relationship and in comparison the relationship she shares with her cellmate. The ending in particular is very tense when a riot takes place in the prison. I managed to read this over a couple of days as I was on holiday and I ended up really enjoying it.

This was such a gripping read and one that you will not want to put down, I was hooked striaght away!