The first half of this book is very slow indeed
I felt as though the synopsis doesn’t describe the book well.
The story never really got going

Great plot to get yourself lost in. This book has everything. A real fast paced thriller. Will get your heart racing on more than one occasion. Very well written. Highly recommend this book

An interesting read of the intertwined lives of two women who at the beginning do not each other. It started off a bit slow but stepped up a lot in the second half and I enjoyed the way the lives of the main characters grew

Not really sure what I was reading, to be honest - it wasn't at all the vibe hinted at in the blurb. The level of details and minutiae of the chapters just bogged it all down instead of providing an immersive feeling throughout, and then, too, the whole vibe of it was so 'down', it just didn't make for an engaging read for me

Unfortunately I just could not get into this book. It may be one for other readers, but I was unable to finish it.

The first part of the book is very slow. I even found myself skipping parts in a hurry to finish it. It didnt have a thrill factor for me even when the blurb said it was going to. I found I didnt connect to any of the characters . The second half picked up which resulted me in giving it 3 stars.

This was a very enjoyable read. Loved the two sides of it which showed the playing out of the storyline from them both. A good story that would ignite discussions to gain insight into the relationship and of the repercussions. It was an easy read that I would definitely recommend.

Thank you Netgalley.

I thought this was going to be a thriller from the cover, but it was more of a book about women and their self-growth. It was full of drama, angst and takes a well-worn trope of the marital affair but explores both sides to discover why the women involved made the choices they did. The story is told in three separate parts, but they are all linked by the central affair. Fran is unhappy in her relationship. It has become manipulative, even abusive. Then she meets Jack and she’s transported back to a time of feeling free, happy and in love. The only problem is that Jack is already someone else’s husband - Helena. Although Helena is very unhappy with Jack, she’s not about to let him free from his responsibilities. The reader is left questioning whether either woman is Jack’s destiny or whether he even deserves either of them,

Fran’s husband Pete is definitely a nasty piece of work. I recognised from my own experience that sense of walking on eggshells. Never knowing what mood your partner will be in when they get home. At worst he was violent and when Fran gets a chance to find freedom with Jack she jumps in with a full suitcase hoping to leave Pete far behind. Yet no one meets her at the airport. So she has to return and put everything back to how it was before Pete returns from work. How will she cope with life going forward - the despair of being let down and the return to a life of abuse.

Then we read Helena’s account and everything changes again. We see how she observes the same period of time but as Jack’s wife. I found myself wanting to go back and compare accounts. Helena has some suspicions that something is going on, but their relationship is very volatile and she appears to be dependent on alcohol which could be clouding her account. I enjoyed the third section most, where all accounts come together, the women are open and we see what’s been happening more fully. There are twists and turns along the way too. I did find myself absorbed by each section and while I didn’t really like either woman, I did find myself taken in by them. An enjoyable look at modern relationships.

The Other Woman by Amanda Brookfield was a book that had me hooked from the very start. A story of domestic drama where the lives of two women are intertwined. I couldn’t turn the pages quick enough on this book to find out the ending, absolutely brilliant,

Wow. Just wow..

I loved this book. I feel like I lived this book while I was reading it. Absolutely amazing - maybe Amanda Brookfield was listening in on my life (okay, without the really bad stuff....)

Trigger warning - mention of Domestic Violence

This is a story of two unlikely women's lives crossing when Fran has an affair with Helena's husband. Fran, a wife and mother, is bullied by her husband Pete and seeks comfort and refuge in the arms of Jack. Jack, a struggling artist, is married to Helena and their marriage is full of difficulties too - continuous fights, alcoholism and manipulation from his wife see him seek comfort with Fran. As the pair can't be together properly because of their respective partners, they hatch a plan to run away to Madrid together. What's more dramatic than an airport getaway between these two? Maybe that Jack never turns up for their rendezvous.

Ultimately this is a journey of self-discovery and growth for the two women following that missed flight. It was fascinating to read both sides of the affair and ultimately see the reasoning for the pair to look elsewhere for love. Pete is abusive and manipulative and I found Fran's segment of the book difficult to read. The domestic violence whilst handled well is hard and uncomfortable to read yet viciously poignant. Whilst Helena's manipulation, scathing remarks and alcoholism turn Jack into a shell of a man. Despite these circumstances, I found it difficult to be sympathetic to any character, so Amanda Brookfield has done a fantastic job at creating flawed unreliable narrators. Everyone seems to struggle with hardship within this story, and I would've liked to see a little more light in their entwining lives. Whilst interesting, this is not the best psychological thriller I have read.

*Huge thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the review copy

Having read books by this author, I was quite intrigued by the blurb. Fran was tired in her marriage to a manipulative husband. Interest shown by Jack revived her, but he was married to Helena, who was not happy in her marriage too but was not ready to leave him.
This was a suspenseful tale in most parts but not a thriller. I got to know both women, not that I liked any of them. The story had moments of finding life again, some self-discovery, and emotions seeped into its words.
Overall, a good read

What a freaking page turner. Book had me guessing from page to page and I never wanted to put it down. Literally did not see the end coming. At all. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A great story telling of three main characters and how their lives become entwined . Well worth a read. I recommend it

The Other Woman by Amanda Brookfield is a women's fiction novel based on love, family, secrets, drama, etc. On a normal day, in a normal house, on a normal street, wife and mother Fran has had enough. She packs a case, leaves a note for her bullying husband Pete, and one for her beloved twenty-year-old son Harry, and heads to the airport - and freedom.

In another house, on another street, Helena is desperately baiting her husband Jack into a fight. These days it feels like the only way to get Jack to take notice of her. Passionate, volatile, increasingly fragile, Helena is fast running out of hope. What Helena and Fran don’t know, is that soon their lives are going to collide in ways neither expect nor understand. And if Fran and Helena are going to change their own futures, then first they will have to change each other’s.

The first half of the book was very very slow and also I had to practically drag myself to finish this book. I liked the plot, the blurb was really promising but the book and the narration was really disappointing. The second half was fast paced and kind of gets better than the start. The characters at times felt annoying to me. Some dynamics and fate between the characters was okay to read about.
______

Thank You to NetGalley and Publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for a honest opinion.

This is a really well written tale of romance lies and dreams. I was interested in both wives’ tales and it made me think! I enjoyed how it's told in 3 parts you get to see a different side and parts of people and think what would you do.. Well worth it.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review. This is an interesting story because you get to see different perspectives. There was a lot going on in this book and it kept me reading. Fran was in an abusive marriage and when she met Jack they started having an affair. They were planning on running away together but Jack's wife knew he was having an affair and prevented him from meeting her at the airport. The two women eventually meet and have a showdown. After that, the story changes and we see what happens. Be prepared you won't stop reading until the very end.

I really enjoyed this book, the way it is set out in chapters belonging to each of the three main characters was an excellent way of the reader being complicit in what was going on with everyone involved. It is a bit similar to another book I read recently from Net Galley, with regards to a wife leaving her husband and waiting for a lover who doesn't turn up but apart from that they went down completely different roads in the story line. This is an excellent book and I shall look for others by this author.

Fran has run away after many years, but things haven't quite turned out as planned. Helena's life is also going off the rails. Nothing is quite as it seems. You can't help but feel for Fran, what you don't expect is how your emotions get twisted for the other characters. Some very clever twists.

This Book is wrote in three parts.
Part One is all about Fran she is in a marriage with an domineering husband , she stars an extramarital affair but as she thinks she she's going to start a new life her lover doesn't turn up at the airport.
Part Two is about Helena the wife of the man who Fran is having an affair with.
Part Three is the part where everything is wrapped up.
A great read
Thanks NetGalley