When Freya first met Phil she thought he was the man of her dreams. But over time the dream had become a violent nightmare. Now Freya is packing her bags, knowing it's time she escaped their increasingly broken marriage. But then Freya gets a visit from the police. Phil's been in a horrific car crash. When Phil eventually comes round, it's clear he remembers nothing since their honeymoon two years ago. Freya kno giving him another chance could be dangerous.

This is a real slow burner. It was about 60% before the pace picked up. The story covers domestic abuse and infidelity. It also shows how the abuser uses coercion. I didnt like any of the characters. It was also quite a predictable and a little repetitive. The story did help my attention. There were a few twists. Overall, it was an interesting read.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #Bookouture and the author #KarenKing for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

*I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review*

Freya and Phil have been married just over two years, but they're long past the newlywed stage and their relationship has taken a turn for the worst.

With Phil becoming increasingly more violent toward Freya, she finally decides to pack her bags and plans to leave. Before she manages to do so, Phil storms out and is involved in a car crash. The accident spares him his life, but leaves him with extensive amounts of brain damage and when he wakes up, he is suffering from retrograde amnesia to the extent he can't remember large chunks of their marriage.

I found this an enjoyable, short read and I liked that I couldn't 100% predict all the twists.

Wow I really enjoyed this book , harrowing with the domestic abuse . Great psychological thriller and well researched on the subject of gaslighting. I didn’t predict the end which is unusual for me . I would recommend this book , can’t wait to read more from this author

I received this copy from netgalley. I loved this book was a great story. I can't wait to read more from this author. I liked the character's and the story line and the title and the cover.

Think about your douchebag husband you plan to leave who has real anger management issues nearly dies at a car accident, opening his eyes with an erased memory, giving you angelic looks as if your volatile arguments and screaming matches have never been happened!

Would you decide to leave his sorry ass because once a controlling abuser is always an abuser even though he suffers from short term memory loss or would you give it a chance to your marriage to have a fresh start?
I actually choose the first option. But our heroine Freya does the opposite by putting herself in risk to live with absentminded abuser. Poor Freya, you shouldn’t be so kind, forgiving, nice because as I continue to read the flashback parts of your relationship, i clenched my fists and I wanted to beat the sh*t of your aggressive husband!

I always support the romance author’s decision to write a book in a different genre. And this is solid, well-written, riveting story. I like to read more thrillers of the author in near future.

But the book’s ending and perpetrator were so obvious from the beginning. Without using my spidey spider senses which I sent to a vacation as soon as I found who cut the brakes of the car, I can think a few chapters further and I know what’s gonna happen next which me feel like a clairvoyant!

No surprise, no twist and so foreseeable conclusion made me cut my points! I’m giving my three fair, mediocre, definitely not bad and promising stars! It was easy to read and it helped me to clear my head by focusing the story. It never bored me. But I’m so sure the author is so talented and she will give us better thrillers. This one is just her first try and results are still good enough!

So much thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

I definitely recommend this book for mystery and thriller fans. I think Karin King does a wonderful job of capturing the reader's attention and the book is really engrossing!

I really enjoyed this domestic thriller about a marriage gone wrong. At times the pacing was a little slow, but the alternating POV's helped move the story along. There were lots of twists and turns and I would definitely read this author again.

The stranger in my bed is a domestic thriller that tackles infidelity, domestic abuse and brain injury! Initially I found this book quite slow and kept waiting for the twist/ surprise and then all of a sudden it was a rushed type of ending!
Freya and Phil have been married for a couple of years and on the outside they have a lovely house cars on the drive and good jobs, but all is not as it seems! Phil has a life changing car accident one day and during his recovery things are brought to a head with several discoveries, what follows is a dark tale of domestic abuse showing how the abuser uses control, lies, coercion and blame resulting in a slightly predictable ending.
Thank you netgalley for this early read.

The Stranger in My Bed is a slow burner that smoulders to the last 15-20% of the book.

It held my attention enough to finish the book but it lacked that WOW factor and I didn't find it as gripping as the tagline promised.

A lot of the book is repetitive and the characters aren't very likeable but the ending tied everything up nicely so I have given this book 3 stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Married for only 2 years, Freya and Phil have had their share of rows. Having been brought up by a father who dominated her mum; Freya swore she would NEVER let that happen to her...

Phil - not doing his "share" and taking responsibility, Freya felt stifled with her husband. Freya decides to leave Phil. This, after the latest row when she threw a vase. It broke, leaving Freya.'s arm bloody. As Philis leaving the house, he says "I can't stand this anymore". Then he leaves in his car. Freya's car is already packed in an effort to leave Phil.

And then...Bad brakes and a lorry change everything...

WOW! A truly superb read! Honestly :I could not put this one down!!! One of the year's best!

Many Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ability to read and review!

Thank you Bookouture, Karen King and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Freya is leaving her Husband after two years in an abusive marriage. She is walking out the door with her suitcases when she learns her Husband has been in a terrible car accident. She rushes to the hospital where she learns he has forgotten the last two years of her life. Does she stay? Does she go?

However, not all is as it seems. All along this thrill ride of a Novel, the Reader questions what he/she thinks is going to happen as it is never what it seems to be. There is infidelity, abuse, lies and even a question of whether Freya is the abuser and who is actually telling the truth.

I loved the premise of this book. The abuser has amnesia. The wife about to leave him decides to give him a second chance. Brilliant! The ending of the book tied everything up quite nicely. Karen King has done a fantastic job with this and I can't wait to read her other Novels!

My thanks to Bookoutre, Karen King and Netgalley.
I hated this book!
That's not to say that I didn't gobble it up, because I did.
I'm the idiot that who read a review that mentioned a twist! I should know better! Even my favorite squirrel, Doodle bug-McSquirrely Britches, would have said give it a pass!
I will say that it was a well written story. I'd even read more from this author of she could up her game.
Sad truth is that there isn't a twist. Maybe a slight curve?
This story is one of those that I would classify as "what you are is what you get."
I'm giving it 3 stars, but the writing itself is top notch!

I’ve read a few of this author’s books before, which I have really enjoyed. They were romantic fiction though, so I was really interested to see how this book would turn out. Told from different perspectives, we are introduced to Freya and Phil. Phil has been in a terrible car accident which has left him in a coma. When he wakes, he finds he has amnesia and the last memory he has is returning from his honeymoon, 2 years previously. Freya has been the dutiful wife, waiting at his bedside, but in reality, she’s scared of him and was on the verge of leaving him before the accident happened. The ‘old’ Phil had a violent temper and frequently hurt Freya, but now the ‘new’ Phil can’t remember any of this.

I was really hooked into the storyline right from the beginning, and felt devastated for both characters with the extent of Phil’s injuries. Freya is a lovely character who you instantly feel sorry for when you realise what a turbulent marriage she has. I also felt for Phil, post coma, as he obviously has no idea how badly he treated Freya. However, as the story moved on, my opinions of the characters swung backwards and forwards when you are given the impression perhaps one of them isn’t telling the truth! The book starts on a fantastic opener with Phil’s diagnosis, but it does slow up a little as it moves into the second half of the book. We are though treated to a great build up to the reveal towards the end, and despite trying my best to work out just what was going on, I was genuinely surprised with how the story turned!

There are other characters within the book, but not too many to make the storyline complicated. They do, however, have an integral part to play in the plot and like Freya and Phil, my opinions on the other characters swapped and changed in the turn of a page! The idea of having amnesia, for me, is really scary and I could feel the tension and fear in both Freya and Phil’s characters. Phil obviously had no idea what he’d been like over the past 2 years, but the old saying of can a leopard ever change his spots kept shouting out to me as I read! Freya, on the other hand, was scared that Phil would suddenly become the man he was and her part in the storyline filled me with fear and dread for these same reasons!

The book ends really well, with a twist I just didn’t see coming. This is definitely a story which is full of lies, deceit and mistrust, and I really enjoyed trying to work out exactly who was telling the truth and who wasn’t. There was lots of tension and suspense and plenty of red-herrings placed at the right parts, so just when you thought you’d worked it out…boom, it all changed!! A really enjoyable read, and will definitely look out for more thrillers by this author!

This book is just absolutely fantastic! I have definitely been gripped by this one and it's a book which has kept me up later than I'd hoped.
I have been completely unable to put this one down. This is completely gripping and unpredictable.
The author really pulls you into the story and as the tension and suspense builds it's just one of those books you have to keep reading. I definitely haven't been able to put this one down.
I have read previous books of this author, however they have been a different genre. The author definitely needs to write more thrillers. This has been my favourite yet!
This has been completely unpredictable and I have loved it. This is definitely one I recommend. Without a doubt a five star read for me.

Appearances are not always what they seem. Phil and Freya Keegan are the idyllic married couple. They have a nice house with a charming yard befitting Phil's handsome looks and Freya's stunning figure. From all appearances, they have the perfect marriage. But when Phil is involved in an "supposed" accident that nearly costs him his life, we find that their idyllic marriage isn't that idyllic after all; and that perhaps Phill wasn't the best person to be married to.

A Stranger in My Bed is a gripping read with a well developed small cast of characters. The narrative is well executed with plot twists that will keep you on your toes. A must read for fans of psychological thrillers. Four stars. I really liked it.

I received a digital ARC from Bookouture through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

This review will post to my blog, Goodreads and Twitter accounts on 11/9/20 with posts to retail sites such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble occurring on publication day.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The stranger in my bed tells the story of Freya and Phil who have now been married for two years. The marriage has started to take a turn for the worse as Phil has become aggressive and violent towards Freya. After a blazing row, Phil storms out but is then involved in a car crash.

While the book had a good plot and some really good twists and I did finish it in a day I just could not connect with the characters at all. I found that it was very repetitive in some parts without spoiling the book for anyone and this is why I was able to finish the book in one day.

The ending was great I loved how it all came together and everything was revealed. One of the characters mentioned a certain something towards the end of the book which just seemed so out of context that just gave the ending away. I knew exactly what had happened!

3 Stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC copy of this book.
I cannot agree that it is an “utterly gripping psychological thriller“ as it is a very slow start, quite obvious early on that Phil has been having an affair and who with , except to Freya. The way it keep you guessing as to which character is the abusive one is quite interesting but it is not a book that made me want to keep reading.
Although it also becomes clear who damaged Phil’s brakes and why the end twist was good.
Will certainly read more from Karen King at some time.

Interesting concept for a book.
Freya and Phil have been married for 2 years the only problem is Phil can’t remember any of it. He is recovering from a car crash and has lost his memories for the past 2 years.
Freya has been on the point of leaving him when he crashed but has decided to give their marriage another chance. The reader uncovers domestic abuse in their marriage but who is responsible- Phil or Freya?
Complicated story of marriage, family, violence and deceit with lots of surprises and interesting characters on the periphery.
Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book ahead of publication in return for a fair review.
4 Stars 🌟.

When I first started the book it began a bit a slow and seemed to be a bit repetitive as the story switched back and forth between the main characters, Freya and Phil. I found the first part of the story to be a bit predictable but I kept reading and I’m glad that I did! The story unfolded and there were still parts where I predicted who was involved and other key plot theories, but I was really rooting for Freya throughout and wanted to see it through. The story centers around an argument between Freya and Phil that leads into a bit of a physical altercation and Phil storming out. It’s here where things start to unravel for the couple where Phil finds himself in an accident that puts him into the hospital where he is deemed to have retrograde amnesia. For Freya, this causes an unrelenting unease in her mind if she should give her marriage another try and for Phil, it’s a terrifying confusion into what he’s been up to for the past two years and what is fact or fiction. It was certainly a story that had me flipping each page to find out the next piece of the puzzle and for this being the first mystery/thriller for the author, Karen King, I thought she did it justice!

The book starts out with the perfect couple Freya and Phil things are going great and they couldn't be happier. The after a large fight Phil leaves only to get in a terrible car crash leaving him with no memory of their relationship over the past few years. This puts Freya in a weird position. How does she tell him that the man that he knows is long gone. That the happy times have been replaced by violence and grief. So she decides to not mention any of the heartache that they have gone through and only mention the good times. This was a really interesting twist on the typical memory loss novel because you don't often see the loved ones twisting it to suit their own needs and protect the victim from themselves. I really enjoyed this book. The characters were
really well done and I loved the concept of the story. It lets the reader jump into the characters shoes and see what they would go through if they were in the same boat. Will Phil turn back into the perfect husband that Freya always wished he would be or would he fall back into his old ways? I enjoyed this book however there were parts that seemed a little out there for me. I did find it a little hard to get into the characters though because it showed how they were before how they were now and how they wished that they had acted, so it was a little bit much to take in at times. And I found the plot a little predictable. While I wavered through the story jumping back and forth if I liked it or not I come to the conclusion that I didn't mind reading it however it was not my favourite. That being said I won't hesitate to read another book by Karen King, just to see if the next one is up to my liking.