Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
Fern has been through the traumatic death of her twin, and she and her husband Paul move into a new home in an effort to help her get over the psychological effects and make a new start with their expected baby. The main body of the story happens over a couple of weeks but it seemed to drag on for months as I struggled to maintain my interest. The story has several threads, including Linnie's mysterious boyfriend, the existence of Marte and Fern's ghostly images and nightmares. By the end I was left feeling that there were many unresolved issues: why were so many people avoiding talking about Marte and even pretending she never existed, how did the disappearing estate agent actually see her, and why was Fern bothered by the 'appearances' of her sister at first then worried because she hadn't 'seen' her? The book seemed to ramble on far too long; if it had been more concise I'd have thought it a good story with a clever twist and a hint of the paranormal.

This is a powerful, spine-tingling mystery with haunting aspects and unexpected twists! Jennifer Moore is an exciting and captivating author.
Fern views a house alone, where she is shown around by pregnant Marte. On buying the house, she discovers that Marte does not live there and no one seems to know her. Fern, struggling with grief, investigates Marte whilst receiving creepy messages and coping with her family and new neighbours.
A different mystery with ghostly elements, with the truth being elusive.
Perfect for mystery, suspense, and mystical fans.

If you want Mystery, fast-paced, shocking revelations and awesome character development, this book is for you. A cocktail of greatness.

Cheers to Netgalley for the copy!

Fern is struggling to cope after the death of her twin sister, Linny. She’s convinced she sees her and dreams about her all the time. Fern is heavily pregnant, and her and her husband are thinking of moving to a bigger place for a fresh start. When Fern is viewing the house again, she’s shown around by a pregnant woman called Marte.
Fern and Paul move into the house but Fern isn’t comfortable there and hears things in the night and sees messages scrawled on mirrors. Fern tries to find out who Marte is but no one seems keen to tell her.

I didn’t warm to Fern’s character at all, she really annoyed me. She’s constantly mentioning her pregnancy (we know!) and doesn’t seem to have much else to her. It’s understandable she’s having a difficult time but I couldn’t get on board with her character at all. Paul is a waste of time and doesn’t bring much to the story. I didn’t like any of the characters much, apart from the mother-in-law, Tina.

The book had the potential to be quite spooky but I felt this was overshadowed by my dislike for Fern.

The story was an easy enough read and held my interest, until it became predictable. I worked out what had happened long before it was revealed and it made it a bit of a letdown, taking away any suspense.

Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me. The annoying main character and predictable plot “twist” let it down for me.

Thanks to HQ Harper Collins and NetGalley for a copy to review.

Fern & Paul move into their new house in Crenelation Lane. Fern is five months pregnant & is struggling to come to terms with the loss of her twin sister Linny, she has been seeing a councilor but cannot seem to move forward. From the start there are things she struggles with. She is not sure what to make of the neighbors. She suffers from terrible nightmares. She becomes obsessed with a pregnant woman who showed her round the house before they bought it - only no-one seems to know who she is. She is furious when Paul invites his mother to stay but when Paul can't cope with her nightmares & obsession with her sister & now this woman & takes off to stay with a friend Fern finds that her mother in law is not the irritation she once thought.

This was a book that at times I found hard to get through. I really sympathised with Fern, the pain of losing a twin must be horrendous, but I found it very difficult to like her. I much preferred Tina- the mother in law! As for Paul- I thought he was just a waste of skin! It won't go down as a favourite read. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book

Fern is still reeling from the devastating loss of her twin when she and her husband move into a brand new home. Fern is expecting her first child and is eager to be a mother and start fresh despite the fact that she still is haunted by her sister's death. Soon after arriving in their new home, Fern becomes obsesses with the woman who lived in the home previously and finds it very odd that no one else in the neighbourhood seems to recall her. Odd things begin happening around the house that make Fern and her husband question her sanity. A gripping and atmospheric read.

Very very good!!! I loved it and couldnt put down! I thought it was amazing and well written. I would recommend and suggest it to anyone!!

Ffern and Paul are just about to move into a new house. Fern has lost her twin, Linny, in an accident. She has been seeing her twin everywhere and the move is to be a new start, But strange things happen in the new house, starting with the blonde lady who shows her round turns out not to be the owner and the neighbours don't remember her. Paul is worried about Fern and their unborn baby and enlists his mum, Tina to stay but strange things start to happen in the house....
I really liked the characters in the book and the plot was plausible. However, it did lag a little and I did guess the ending. Worth a read though

It started out great and then I was lost and confused then it was repetitive of how Paul is not a good husband. It would be a good beach read for those that likes to read that type of read.

Solid writing in this one! Loved the dark humor & spooky dreams. I love supernatural elements but some others might not so a preface to that might be nice but like I said, I love that stuff so it was fine with me! The ARC format was a little wonky but overall you can get the gist of the good writing. I do feel there were many unanswered questions though by the end.

I enjoyed this twisting turner of a book a little unbelievable but finally quite unexpected. A few well placed red herrings helped. Would fully recommend

The Woman Before was excellent! I loved the paranormal aspect and the fact you questioned everything all the way. I love a domestic thriller and this is one of the best I've read this year. Highly recommended.

Fern and Paul move into a new home, believing it to be their dream home. Fern is still grieving the loss of her twin sister, and their new home is meant to be a fresh start for their unborn child. As soon as they move in, Fern starts having nightmares about the previous tenant who lived there. Fern bonded with the woman, with both of them being pregnant. Fern talks to her new neighbors about the woman, but no one wants to talk. Then she finds out a shocking secret which leads to her whole family being in danger. I loved the story, it was definitely creepy and twisty. It had a paranormal aspect to it which made it even better. I liked how the ending wrapped up the story too. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy.

A psychological thriller with themes relating to loss and bereavement. With ambiguity over whether Fern, the protagonist, is experiencing a psychological or a supernatural experience, it is an interesting, if sometimes confusing read.

With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

I found it hard to get into this book and it failed to hold my attention, which led to me being confused at times with what exactly was going on. It's a debut novel, and its premise is that it's a psychological thriller about a house of secrets with a twist, but to my mind it was more a type of ghost story with lots of apparitions by dead people who appear only to the protagonist Fern. It is definitely a slow burner, and for me was saved by the appearance of her mother in law who brought a certain level of levity to the book, which I enjoyed.
I have no doubt that others will really enjoy this novel, but it just did not work for me.

I was really intrigued by the premise of this, but felt the "investigation" surrounding Marta was a bit far fetched and didn't resonate with me. The paranormal aspect of this really lost me because I always feel like those storylines are cop outs. I didn't love the ending to this which made it hard to look at the book as a whole. It felt like such an abrupt ending which I hate. I liked the characters initially but they began to wear on me as the book went on.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this ! Loved the creepy vibes it had. This does have supernatural vibes for anyone who is not into that . I did catch myself skimming at certain points, but overall I enjoyed

Not only is Fern pregnant, she is also mourning the loss of her twin Linette (“Linny”) when she and her husband Paul move into their new home on Crenellation Lane. A new start is just what she needs, what they both need. Shortly before moving day, she visits the house for a look around and encounters Marta, who is not only pregnant and bears more than a passing resemblance to her and her dead twin, she once lived in the house. The trouble is that no-one living on Crenellation Lane seems to know who Marta is or if they do, they don’t want to talk about her. Fern becomes obsessed with finding Marta and discovering what happened to her but in doing so pushes Paul further and further away. What happened to the woman who had previously lived in their house?
in truth, I almost didn’t finish this book because I was more than a little irritated by the use of the word “Linny.” It was there five times on one page alone, I know because I counted. The writing is good but a bit “wordy” for me. I love the use of dialogue to tell a story and there was a but too much description for me.
I almost gave it three stars but in the end decided to give it four because once “Linny” wasn’t mentioned so much it was better and it sort of came together in the end.
Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately this book was not for me, it was a bit slower than I would like and it just didn't hold my attention. I am sure other people will love it!

Although this book was slow going through most of the first half, it did pick up the pace further on. However, the plot veered in another direction at one point and I'm not sure if the author ever resolved the unfinished business with the main character's sister.