I enjoyed this book and it had a few good twists in it. My only issue was I found it really difficult to relate to the main character. The way she acted was so far fetched.

Belle King, aged fifteen, was raped. Eighteen years later, as Ava Knight, she is asked to take over an assault case. The victim, she realises is her rapist, Michael Osborne, and the assailant, Lily, is a fourteen year old girl who somewhat resembles her own younger self. Ava, now a barrister working for the CPS, immediately realises that she should, in fact legally must, recuse herself on the basis that she ‘knows’ Osborne. But he had been acquitted of her rape because of a police error and she has, justifiably, harboured resentment for the way that her life, her family and her name had been changed irrevocably by that outcome. Lily is pleading guilty and Ava is convinced that she has been coerced into this and that Osborne is still a predator of young girls. Breaking every rule of her profession, and putting at risk her impending marriage, she inveigles her way into his life with intent to discover evidence that will persuade Lily to change her plea, and incidentally prove that he was guilty of her rape.
In some ways this is a well written but linear story, a few flashbacks help with Ava ‘s characterisation but don’t do much to advance the plot. All of the characters seem predictable in their motivations and behaviours so there are no real surprises until very late on when there was one twist that I didn’t spot coming. Not surprisingly, the best bits are the court room scenes where the author brings her own professional experience into play. Overall it’s reasonably fast paced and easy to read and in places quite emotional, especially towards the end. The predictability of the events means there was never a mystery, and it isn’t tense enough to qualify as a proper thriller, but it is certainly a crime story.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

After loving this authors last book I was so excited to crack on with this one and it delivered me the twisty and addictive read I was hoping for.

The writing as before was just so quick to get into, the storylines progressed at a great pace and always had me wondering what would happen next. The twists were so cleverly done and just so edge of your seat to read!

A very enjoyable thriller that I would highly recommend!

The description of Your Word Or Mine had me intrigued and I had high hopes for the story. It did not let me down. It was fast paced with plenty of twists and turns and a satisfying ending. I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher & Lia for the ARC.

A fast paced thriller, difficult to tear yourself away from. Well written and expertly crafted.

Your Word or Mine is Lia Middleton's second novel, and I'm fairly confident her debut was spectacular, as this novel is amazing! It's obvious throughout the book that the author draws from her own experiences in the courtroom, and there wasn't much about the story that wasn't plausible, although with hindsight, it's difficult to determine whether a lawyer with as much experience as the protagonist would have behaved the way that Ava did. Regardless, this was an awesome read.

The plot was fast paced and well executed, and there are plentiful twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat and kept those pages turning rapidly. I didn't want to put it down. Middleton nails the characterisations here and all players feel fully fleshed out by the end of the story - and what an ending it is! There are plenty of OMG moments, and the tense atmosphere is palpable throughout.

I really, really enjoyed this book, and while I wouldn't buy it for my own collection, I would purchase it for someone else. Its not a legal thriller in traditional terms - most happenings are outside the courtroom - but it's a great thriller. It's really well written, everything ties together nicely and I'd most definitely recommend it. I'll be looking out for this author in the future.

Your Word or Mine publishes 1st September 2022

Star Rating: 4.5 (it would have been 5, but I'm a nit-picker)

CAWPILE Rating: 9.21/10

Characters: 9/10
Atmosphere: 9/10
Writing: 9.5/10
Plot: 9.5/10
Intrigue: 9.5/10
Logic: 8.5/10
Enjoyment: 9.5/10

Many thanks to the author, Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

#YourWordOrMine #NetGalley

Full of twists
Ava is a Barrister and is given the case of Lily a 15yr old girl who stabbed her friends dad, Ava then realises the victim is the man who raped her when she was 15 but he was found not guilty as evidence was compromised, so Ava thinks Lily`s story is more complicated and she starts to delve deeper to find the truth.
A good storyline but found it hard to think Ava would go to some of the lengths to find the truth
A great conclusion.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC

WHO WILL YOU BELIEVE?

Ava Knight is a successful young prosecution barrister working for the CPS, she's a stickler for the rules but then she meets fifteen year old Lily Hawthorne, when she's asked by her colleague at the last minute to cover her plea hearing. Lily has been accused of stabbing hotelier Michael Osborne, when Ava sees that name in the court documents and faces him in the courtroom gallery she's convinced there's more to Lily's case and that Michael is lying. Why?? Because eighteen years earlier he was accused of raping a fourteen year old girl but was found not guilty by the jury, that young girl was Ava and she will do anything she can to help Lily and also prove she was telling the truth all those years ago.

Your Word Or Mine is told across a dual timeline; present day and eighteen years earlier, and narrated from the perspectives of Ava and Lily. As courtroom thrillers go, this is up there with some of the best ones I've read. The plot is well thought out, it's full of action, suspense and, at times, very emotional. The author touches on some very delicate subjects, including rape, drugs, self harming, attempted suicide and knife crime, with sensitivity and compassion. The characters are well developed and authentic, the chapters are short and there are lots of twists along the way which kept me on the edge of my seat throughout, a truly compelling and nailbiting read right to the very end, which had me shedding tears a couple of times. I instantly took a dislike to Michael and found myself inwardly shouting at Eva to remove herself from some of the dangerous situations she found herself in. This is the second book I've read by Middleton and loved it just as much as the first. If you love a fast paced courtroom drama with a twist, this is definitely one for you. I'm already looking forward to her next one!

I'd like to thank Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

4.5 stars rounded up

When fifteen year old Annabelle King was assaulted on her way home, she thought she had done everything right. But a vital piece of evidence meant that the jury ;et her attacker go. Eighteen years later, Annabelle King is now ava Knight, a successful barrister who always follows the rules. But that all changes when, one day at court, she reads a familiar name in the file: Michael Osborne. But this time he is the victim of an attack, and in the dock is a young girl, Lily Hawthorne, who pleads guilty without hesitation. Ava is sure that Lily's plea is not the truth.

This is a gripping thriller with plenty of twists. The characters are well developed, the plotline is compelling and cleverly crafted. The suspense builds with every turn of the page. The story is told in the present day and the past through flashbacks. The pace is perfectly set. There is parts that are a little far fetched. Filled with lies, deceit, secrets. revenge and betrayal, this well written story had me hooked from the first page. It's told from multiple points of view and had me on the edge of my seat on several occasions. This is the first book I've read by the author, but it won't be my last.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #MichaelJoseph #PenguinRandomHouse and the author #LiaMiddleton for my ARC of #YourWordOrMine in exchange for an honest review.

Such a gripping, thrilling read! A brilliant story line and it has me on the edge of my seat throughout the majority of it. It had such an amazing pace about it, such an interesting story and I really enjoyed the court elements of the story, the twists were brilliant, I absolutely wasn’t expecting one of them, so that especially was a huge surprise. I absolutely loved it and will definitely be recommending

Ava Knight, in her early thirties, is successfully forging her career as a prosecutor when she is bounced into standing in for a colleague in the case of a 15 year old girl, Lily, who has been accused of stabbing a wealthy businessman called Michael Osborne. The evidence is stacked in favour of showing Lily’s guilt but Ava believes otherwise she recognises Michael Osborne as the man who raped her when she was just 14. Due to mismanagement of DNA evidence at the time Michael Osborne got away with it which had a very serious and dramatic effect on Ava and her family in the years following to the point where she had changed her name to Ava.

Ava believes Lily is innocent and is determined to not let Michael Osborne get away with it again despite putting her career in danger as she should not be taking part in a case where there is a connection in this way.

Lia Middleton has done a terrific job of keeping the reader in constant suspense with much drama throughout this book. It is very well written and I found it hard to put down. I felt quite anxious for Ava at several points as she put herself in dangerous situations in her determination to seek the truth and it was not clear to the reader which way the story was going to go and who was telling the truth and who was lying.

This is the second book I have read by Lia Middleton and she is definitely on my favourite authors lists. With thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph Penguin for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Rating: 3.0/5

Early reviews of "Your Word or Mine" have been almost exclusively positive - and it isn't difficult to see why. It tells the story of Annabelle King, a teenager who was brutally assaulted. Although she took her attacker to court, a key piece of evidence was deemed inadmissible and the accused was acquitted. Eighteen years later, Annabelle has become Ava Knight, a successful barrister and finds her path once again crossing that of the man who walked free all those years ago. Even though she knows she should walk away from this new case, Ava cannot resist the temptation to become entangled in it.

Author, Lia Middleton, has followed the adage of "writing what you know" by setting this thriller in the world of criminal law, with which she is intimately familiar. The story is certainly engaging as well as entertaining and you would expect that the author's insider knowledge would ensure an overriding sense of realism ... but that is really where this novel comes up short.

Without going into detail and risking spoilers, "You Word or Mine" requires a significant amount of suspension of disbelief in order to accept that Ava, an educated and professional woman, would behave in the manner, and pursue the course of action, that she does. Even allowing for dramatic licence, there are too many occasions when credulity is stretched too far and is hard to swallow.

Stylistically, I was not totally convinced either. The narrative is told from two viewpoints: Primarily that of Ava, but also that of Lily, the teenager involved in the current legal proceedings. The author opts to use the first person for both accounts, which is fair enough - but it does mean that there is a need to give each character a distinct and credible voice ... and I don't think Lia Middleton succeeds in that. I have no issue with the voice attributed to Ava, but there was no clear distinction between her voice and the one attributed to Lily - and in Lily's case it really didn't strike me as authentic.

Overall, although "Your Word or Mine" is an enjoyable read, it doesn't have the required level of believability that the best in class from this genre display.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for approving me for this arc

Wow, wow, wow. Everything about this book was bloody brilliant!! I loved every part it was. Was excellently planned, thought out and executed!!

Such an easy read highly recommend

Powerful and emotive read with lots to keep the reader involved and wondering the outcome,clever twists and turns and a brilliant writing style, trigger warning re rape as this is the whole focus of the book, needs concentration re the changing characters and timelines but is well worth it

Writers such as Jodi Picoult, Gillian McAllister and Kiah Abdullah have published some great modern courtroom thrillers in recent years, and Lia Middleton has now added another. Her previous novel was much more light-hearted in tone but with this new release she proves she can effortlessly switch genres. The protagonist this time is Ava Knight, a successful barrister who is taken back to her own traumatic childhood when she has to prosecute teenager Lily Hawthorne for a knife crime against an older man. A man Ava recognises as the perpetrator in the shocking things she herself experienced at Lily’s age …
Superbly plotted and written, this is a thriller you will not want to put down once you have read the first few pages. Highly recommended! I am grateful to NetGalley and the publishers for the complimentary ARC I received that enabled me to write this book review.

What a brilliant, riveting legal thriller! This was sheer perfection. This was emotional, suspenseful, shocking and full of gasp-inducing twists. I couldn't put this down and can't wait to read more from this author!

Thank you so, so, so much to NetGalley, Penguin Michael Books and Lia Middleton for an advanced copy!

Your Word or Mine. Five Stars. Amazing writing. A super and intense crime/legal thriller that is both gripping and engaging, a true page turner that you will not put down.

Just some of my quick thoughts on this book. Honestly though, I'd give this all of the stars if I could! The way that this story is layered keeps your attention throughout. All of the characters are so well written and developed. Ava is a force to be reckoned with, and she proves just that. I loved her! There are quite a few twists in this as well (which we all love, right?) and I know I say this often, but I had no idea they were coming! There were some gasps and "Nooooo!" while reading let me tell you!

This book comes out September 1st and if you're in any way a fan of a suspenseful novel, you'll be wanting to pick this up! Lia Middleton, just wow!

* Please research any trigger warnings before reading *

Your Word or Mine is a gripping thriller with plenty of twists and turns to keep you both entertained and guessing to the end. It’s fast paced and well written. Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Michael Joseph and the author for the chance to review.

This was an ok well written book which had an interesting storyline. A bit slow burner for me and it wasn't as thrilling as I imagined until about half way through when the tension picked up. The characters were interesting and well developed.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

4.75⭐️

I loved the authors debut so I was very keen to read this legal thriller

Eighteen years after an unsuccessful trial against her attacker Annabelle King changes her name to Ava Knight and becomes a barrister.
Ava is persuaded to take on the defence of a 15 year old girl Lily accused of stabbing a man, the same man who attacked Ava and escaped getting a conviction all those years before. His name is Michael Osbourne.

We get the story divulged from 2 time lines Bella at the trial, Ava now, and some from Lily around the time of the attack.
There’s a decent amount of tension throughout, but half way in there’s a massive breath holding, pulsating surge, even that is only the start of an escalator ride of tension and threat.

Along with the tension it’s got a really good pace.
I didn’t really like the main character, but that didn’t stop me getting totally immersed in this excellent thriller.

I had issues with a couple of Ava’s actions so not the full house for me, but only a smidge of a deduction. It’s an excellent read, one that I highly recommend.