This was an interesting book. It’s just so different to what I usually read. It kept me interested throughout and was generally quite an easy read. The way in which it is written makes me think it will work well on screen too. The characters were well described and the plot was engaging.

3.5 stars

Summer and Iris Carmichael are mirror twins in every physically possible way. Iris adores beautiful Summer and has been in her shadow all her life with Iris suffering with insecurity as a consequence. When Summer, now married to Adam, calls from Thailand begging for help to take their yacht ‘Bathsheba’ to the Seychelles for them she doesn’t hesitate. However, something unexpected happens in the middle of the Indian Ocean and Iris has to make a life altering decision.

First of all, even though you know the unfolding crazy plot is implausibly bonkers it is very readable and enjoyable once it gets going and then the pace is fast. It definitely slips into melodrama at times but it does have tension and suspense which keeps you reading on. Even though Iris makes some bad decisions at her heart she’s s good person and a likeable character. The ending has a justifiable and reader satisfying outcome with just desserts being meted out.

However, the start is rather slow, it’s a bit clunky as the author explains the background to the Carmichael family which is very twisted sister though I do like what this sets up in the family dynamics. There’s a lot of yachting detail as the voyage gets underway and a bit like the boom it goes over the top of my head. Some dialogue is cringeworthy and some of the scenes between Iris and Adam I find uncomfortable. Some of the peripheral characters feel like cardboard cutouts such as Iris’s mother. The outcome is pretty obvious from fairly early on as there are so many whiffy off notes and odd scenes between characters you can smell the rats and can therefore predict the course the book is sailing on.

However, having said all that it is entertaining, easy to read, it’s good escapism and a very promising debut. I think it would make a very successful and exciting film perhaps more than it does a novel???

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Atlantic Books, Corvus for the arc in return for an honest review.

The Girl in the Mirror is a truly brilliant psychological thriller which keeps you guessing through all of the twists and turns and is really hard to put down. I let out such a loud "oooooh" at the very last word of the book that my husband asked me what was wrong! I didn't find myself trying to guess what was coming - I let the story carry me along with it and really enjoyed this. It's impressive that this is Rose Carlyle's debut novel, and I really look forward to reading her future work.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest, voluntary review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sadly this one just didn’t quite work for me, I found the plot to be quite predictable and the ending just felt very convenient. However, I’ve seen plenty of rave reviews for this book so I thinks it’s more of a me issue.

I am absolutely honoured and grateful for reading this debut psychological thriller. It's a cracker. Dark, twisted and weirdly funny. Absolutely fabulous. On a side note, if you're a fan of sailing in beautiful places, this book is for you. Set in the Seychelles, a beautiful and unique world, which turned out to be the perfect scene for this crazy but brilliant story. Loved it. Highly

#TheGirlInTheMirror #NetGalley
An excellent debut. Definitely recommend it.
Twin sisters Iris and Summer are startlingly alike, but beyond what the eye can see lies a darkness that sets them apart. Cynical and insecure, Iris has long been envious of Summer’s seemingly never-ending good fortune.
When Summer calls Iris to Thailand to help her sail the family yacht to the Seychelles, Iris has secret hopes for what might happen on the journey. But after a disturbing incident in the middle of the Indian Ocean, everything changes.
Now Iris has the chance to step into the golden life she’s always envied–and get one step closer to the hundred-million-dollar inheritance left by her manipulative father. All Iris would need to do is ensure she’s the first of his seven children to fulfill the strange conditions of his will.
But Iris soon discovers that her twin was keeping more than one secret, and Iris’s life lurches between glamorous dream and paranoid nightmare. In a family in which the winner takes all, whom can she trust? And how far will she go to get the life she’s always dreamed about?
I loved the twin sisters. They were twisty in their own way.
Narration of the story is simple and interesting.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atlantic Books for giving me an advanced copy of this book.