I'm struggling how to summarise my feelings about this book. There was one twist I guessed quite early on, but there were a few major twists after that that took me by surprise. One totally shocking and one that I wished wasn't true.

There were some elements of storytelling where I couldn't easily understand where things were going; so there were a few sections within chapters that felt longer and a bit more difficult to gel with. But, upon conclusion of the book, it was apparent as to why these bits were included, because other things had been revealed / explained, to make things make sense.

I felt confused by this book, especially as my alliance changed throughout, where it bounced back and forth between the twins. Then when I had finally made my mind up, it was too late to be important.

Otherwise, the book is really well thought out and written well. It was something I felt myself drawn to keep reading.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

This was a great debut thriller and I will definitely be looking out for more from this author, it was full of drama and plot twists and I loved it!

4 Stars

This was one I didn't want to look away from and I just wanted to keep reading to know what was going to happen. I do have to say that it was predictable but that doesn't take away my enjoyment.

I genuinely worked it out so early on however with the unravelling you can see that it was all done in a way that makes sense and why the characters do what they do. I just wanted to know everything all at once and it kept me on edge, it was a goooooood un'

Dark sinister thriller that had you hooked from the off. The book was very well written. Great plot. Very exciting. Fast paced to get your heart racing. Loved this book

The Truth…
Iris and Summer. The twins that are so alike in features are not alike at all underneath the gloss. Does one want the other’s life? If so, what will she do to get it. More importantly for her, how will she hide the truth. Brimming with twists and turns, an unlikely scenario becomes a fun, sometimes suspenseful and frivolous read.

A fantastic debut. I read this more as a whydunnit but didn’t know how it would end so raced through it. Look forward to reading more by this new author!

This was a clever thriller that kept me hooked. Lots of intrigue and twists. I couldn't warm to any of the characters but that didn't prevent me from reading on.

I really enjoyed this book even though I didn’t particularly like any of the characters. This dislike wasn’t strong enough to make me give up on the book but there were moments when I thought about it. I’m really glad I didn’t throw in the towel as the twists were brilliantly hidden and I ended up thinking something completely different to what I had originally believed. The idea of identical twins has always fascinated me; how they interact, would there be jealousy, how others treat them? This book is extremely well written and carefully plotted and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Summer & Iris are identical twins that no one can tell apart, but under the surface they are very different. Summer is laid back, caring & friends with everyone, whereas Iris is cynical, not as confident & feels very much second best in comparison to Summer.

When Summer’s stepson falls ill abroad, she asks Iris who is a keen sailor to help her husband sail their yacht back home, so that she can stay with the toddler. Iris has always loved the yacht and agrees, partly to take her own mind off her impending divorce. I don’t want to spoil the plot, but after a terrible accident there is only one twin left. What follows is a twisty psychological thriller that keeps you on edge throughout.

I really liked this book, I did guess the ending but I enjoyed the ride along the way! Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for my free advance copy in return for an unbiased review.

As much as I enjoyed this book, particularly the descriptions of the lovely setting and sailing, I found the conclusion of the story rather predictable.

The clues were there throughout the book, and so I guess what was going on from early in, which rather spoilt the suspense and tension of the story for me.

I found the characters were likeable enough, but I could not help myself from routing for Iris all the way through the story, as I felt she always had a rough deal in the family set up and deserved to come out on top.

The husband, Adam was a nasty piece of work and him and Summer deserved each other in the end, for their dreadful plan aboard the boat.

The scenic descriptions of Australia and the islands was a nice touch in the book and I enjoyed learning more about sailing a yacht like Bathsheba, and the intricacies involves.

Unfortunately too predictable a story for me.

I just couldn’t put this book down, it had me hooked from the very first chapter.
We meet Iris and her mirror twin Summer Rose. Summer seems to have the perfect husband and step-child, the overall perfect life while Iris has just split with her husband and had to move back to Australia from New Zealand after also having lost her job… at the same law firm that her husband works at. Iris’s sister and husband are away sailing on the yacht that their father owned in Thailand, when they ring Iris to ask for her help to sail the yacht, Iris jumps at the offer to finally be able to sail on the yacht she loved so much as a child.
Disaster strikes when Iris is suddenly alone on the yacht with her sister nowhere in sight, does she tell the truth or does she pretend to be her sister as she feels that she has always been the unloved twin?
I really felt like I was with Iris as she tried to make her decision about what to do, and hoped the whole way through that things would work out for her. There is a double twist at the end, that I really did not see coming at all, despite some of the hints that had been dropped (that you only see when you get to the end!) and it really surprised me. I really didn’t put this book down all day, I was so engrossed in it!
Thank you to Readers First and Rose Carlyle for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book, it’s definitely one I’ll recommend and one I’ll keep coming back to!

Clever, clever, clever. All the while one felt one knew where this one was going, only to have a twist in another direction. Good to be kept guessing and confounded in the end.

The Girl In The Mirror is a twisty psychological thriller that will keep you reading longer than you should.
Iris and Summer are identical twins, even their mother can’t tell them apart. Summer is married and Iris not. Iris has always wanted what Summer has. Summer calls Iris to help her sail the family boat back from Thailand to the Seychelles to which Iris gladly agrees. The journey enables Iris to lead Summers life when they get to the Seychelles but she soon finds that there were a few things her sister kept hidden from her. Fooling everyone she is now closer to the hundred million dollar inheritance her father left.
This is a fab read and I enjoyed from start to finish. The ending was one of the best I’ve read in a while and swept the rug from under me.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Atlantic Books, Corvus for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

This book has been intriguing yet completely unpredictable. I am in shock that this is a debut novel. I definitely want more from this author.

This is a novel which initially was slower than I usually prefer. However, I have been completely pulled into the plot. The characters have been well developed and I have found that I have been quite invested in them.

The cover of this one is perfect, it catches your eye and makes you want more. I have been completely intrigued by the synopsis which has made this a book I’ve had to read.

I have loved the family tension in this one. However, the book has been completely different to what I had expected from it.

This is gripping and beautifully written, the writing flows. It has been easy to become caught up in the pages of this one. I have found the characters questionable on occasions but I feel the author had intended this.

A good book for someone looking for a quick and twisty summer thriller but I found the plot to be a little far fetched at times.

I liked the writing style, but I found the plot to be a bit far-fetched – I also guessed the ending, the one right at the finish. However, it was still an interesting read.

I enjoyed learning more about Iris even though I did think she was a bit odd – I wanted to find out more what Adam and Summer thought of her. The pace was pretty good and I could feel most of Iris’ emotions. I thought Adam did very well, though there was a bit left unfinished with that.

Unfortunately, the plot seemed a bit too out there for me, I struggled to believe twins would act like they did towards each other. Also, some other bits, but I can’t go into that without spoilers.

I did like the writing style though, so would definitely take a look at other books by Rose.

I really enjoyed The Girl in the Mirror and would highly recommend it.
It was a definite page turner with all the twists and turns along the way and I did not see the final twist coming at all.
This is a fantastic debut novel by Rose Carlyle and I look forward to more books in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

Wow, what a book! I couldn't keep up with the twists and turns. Without giving anything away, the way the narrative changes throughout as the main character comes to many realisations about her life and subsequently changes was brilliant.

I was repeatedly surprised by this book and although I wasn't very keen on the characters at first I couldn't put it down. Over time I grew fonder of the main character and some of the others and I couldn't wait to find out the end; even the last paragraph had a twist.

Highly recommended.

3 stars ⛵⛵⛵

A twisted, sinister thriller featuring greed, jealousy, secrets and lies

Twin sisters, Summer and Iris,
An inheritance,
A sailing trip,
Tons of deceit and drama!


I was mostly entertained by this book, despite not liking any of the shady characters!
The start was quite slow and I found myself having to look up various sailing terms, which was annoying.
But then the pace picked up a bit and I found myself zooming through! I felt quite stressed reading about these awful character's thoughts and actions, and felt so tense as the book progressed. I knew something bad was coming but had to keep reading!

Whilst I was surprised by some of the shocking twists, and was entertained in a bizzare way, I just found the ending so very implausible and over dramatic! It's definitely far-fetched and over the top! It would just never work out like that! There were really iffy things in this book also, including what happened to Virginia, and Summer's husband's word for his sexual encounter?!!

So whilst I read it fast, and was definitely entertained, it left me with an uncomfortable feeling, rolling my eyes, and feeling like I need a shower!

If you can suspend belief, and are looking for a twisty, uncomfortable thriller, then give this a shot!