Unfortunately I sadly couldn't get into this book, I really liked the sypnosis and thought it sounds right up my street, but I found it rather slow. I do apologise to the author, although it wasn't to my cup of tea doesn't mean you won't enjoy it I do recommend you try it.

A big thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Other Girlfriend by Alex Stone.
She loves him…
Lizzie Green once loved Tom Murphy with a passion that bordered on obsession. All she wanted was his love to be returned. Then one night something terrible happened and Tom left Lizzie broken hearted. She swore she would never let him hurt her again….
She loves him not.
Now, ten years later, Tom turns up on Lizzie’s doorstep still as charming as ever. Lizzie knows he still has the power to break her heart and destroy her life again. But Lizzie can’t say no to him…. Can she?
A good read. Slow but readable. 3*.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This was a good book but it was a bit of a slow start.
Still enjoyed it though.

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!

Lizzie is living her life, she is happy and she has moved on; until Tom turns up at her door.

This novel is a slow burn, but one that had me interested from the first chapter as this is a psychological thriller with a few twists you won't see coming. Stone writes characters I had very mixed feelings about but still carried the narrative well, although I sometimes found the main character a little irritating, this doesn't take away from the narrative.

This was the first novel I read by this author, but it won't be the last.

I was unable to get into the book. It was rather slow in the beginning yet unable to find the pace later.

WoW! The Other Girlfriend by Alex Stone was an excellent book however, it was very slow at the beginning and then Bang it all happened! and I was hooked! Very Cleverly put together So stick with it! The main characters were excellent and very powerful throughout this book. It just shows how easily someone can be manipulated through their insecurities, when you think they are your good friend etc.

I loved the cover, Simple and strong at the same time.

Big Thank you NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Alex Stone for letting me read “The Other Girlfriend” in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Alex Stone for letting me read “The Other Girlfriend” in exchange for an honest review.

I did enjoy this book, although I found it a little slow in places and the characters a little boring. Still, an interesting read.

The story starts on a slow note but the ending is really good. The first 75% of the book is all about Lizzie's past and her mental issues (which was a result of an incident that happened ten years ago). Honestly, I felt this was a bit repetitive.

<spoiler> I wish the emphasis was on Lizzie finding Tom's true nature and giving him a taste of his own medicine. Of course, this is exactly what Lizzie did but I would have loved the story better had this angle been explored from the beginning. <end of spoiler>

I loved the writing. Lizzie was tad annoying - she had a tough time, yes. But she gave Tom more-than-enough chances and every time he put her down, she felt he deserves another chance. It was quite clear that she was being manipulated and yet, she did nothing about it because she loved him. Ugh!

I loved this book and I appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a copy to read. I for sure want to add this to my collection when it comes out!

I had hard time with this novel because it was hard to get on board with main character. Lizzie (now Beth) was and is a complete doormat for the unworthy Tom. He got together with Lizzie while dating his boss' daughter and stringing Lizzie along. A tragedy occurs and they go their separate ways until 10 years later he shows up on Beth's doorsteps and bulldozes his way into her house and her life. Stand up for yourself for goodness sake! Tom was a horrible person and I hated how he took advantage of Lizzie. This was an unpleasant story.

This was such a good thriller! It kept me guessing and intrigued the whole time! The characters were likable and well developed. I would definitely recommend this to everyone!

This was a my first book by this author and I will
Definitely look out for more of their books. This was a slow burning psychological thriller. The story gradually unfolds showing how
The past has shaped Lizzie’s future and how some things that have happened in the past
Can never be forgotten even how hard you try to push them to the Back of your mind.

The story is told as a here and now versus the events that happens in the past across the timeline of what happened ten years ago. The characters were compels and helped to draw the reader in.

I don't typically rate books so low, but this one just did not do it for me. I felt that it dragged on for much to long and Beth was a bit whiny. I can sympathize with her mental health diagnosis, but she just felt very whiny to me. The entire story really just reminded me of the plot of I Know What You Did Last Summer, without the killer after the group of friends.

*Thank you to Boldwood books, Alex Stone, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Previously published at https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/the-other-girlfriend/

“Fine. Such a stupid word really. It feels empty and weightless. It’s the kind of word you use to hide the truth.”
― Krista Ritchie, Ricochet

Ah childhood friends. Tom and Lizzie have been the best of friends since elementary school. Lizzie professes she cares more for Tom than he does with her but the truth is, she is falling in love with him. . When she follows him to the same University, he finally returns her feelings with a kiss. But what does it mean when he already has a girlfriend, the bubbly and beautiful Hannah, whose wealthy father just happens to own the event management company Tom wants a job at. He tells Lizzie to wait for him. That he is going to break up with Hannah but it has to be in the right way, so as not to threaten his future employment. When Lizzie, her best friend Rebecca, Rebecca’s boyfriend, Luke, Tom and Hannah all go on a weekend away to Durdle Door, a terrible tragedy occurs that changes all of their lives forever. But who is really responsible for what happened to Hannah?

Ten years later and Lizzie is a different person. She has changed her name to Beth and is a shell of her former self. Beth is agoraphobic and works from home, except for one day a week. She suffers from OCD and keeps her home exceptionally neat. The thought of leaving her house sends her into a panic, her only friend being her next-door neighbor. She carries the heavy guilt of what happened to Hannah so long ago like an ape on her back. Emotionally, despite years of therapy, Lizzie is a mess. The storyline goes back and forth between the incident at Durdle Door, and now, where Tom has shown up at her door, without explanation ten years later, after abandoning Lizzie after the incident.

Unlike most mystery and suspense novels, I would guess that 50% is Lizzie’s inner dialogue, and oh how she suffers. It almost becomes too much for the reader and leaves us wondering why no one has helped her the past 10 years. It felt heavy and unresolvable. When Tom shows up at her door, wanting to see her, saying he missed her, It feels unbelievable to her. Why would he seek her out now? Lizzie has never stopped loving him but does she trust him? Why did he completely abandon her so long ago when she needed him most? This is one of those novels where you continually scream at the main character hoping she can somehow hear you.


Not only was this a mystery, but I believe it is an overall commentary on mental health. The issues Lizzie suffers from; Agoraphobia, guilt, self-loathing and self-care are genuine issues and The Other Girlfriend felt powerful and smart. Sometimes, I wanted her to get out of her head and back to the story as there is a lot of introspection, but really this book delivers on so many levels. It felt emotional and raw, but also literal disgust at Tom’s character.

I had mixed feelings reading this book. Told in dual timeline chapters of ‘now’ and ‘then’, it’s a slow burner as parts of the background story to the characters of Lizzie/ Beth and Tom are revealed in the ‘then’.

I found myself fluctuating between feeling empathy for Lizzie, who has clearly suffered long-term effects from being under Tom’s spell for so long, and feeling frustrated by her continually making excuses for his behaviour.

The psychological aspect of coercive control is dealt with extremely effectively and the writing style, along with short chapters is easy to read.

For me, it had the feel of a young adult read rather than mainstream adult fiction, despite the age of the characters in the ‘now’.

With thanks to the author, Rachel at Random Resources and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to participate in the tour.

There is no doubt that The Other Girlfriend is a slow burner but is it worth the investment? I would say so.

I wanted to know what would happen at the end. There were times I felt like it was never going to be revealed, but the simple writing style and Lizzie’s likeable character made it easy to go on. Likewise, one cannot help but dislike Tom, which meant I also wanted to read on to make sure he got his comeuppance.

While the story itself wasn’t very taxing, the complexity of childhood trauma was presented very well. I can’t say I’ve ever experience post-traumatic stress disorder or agoraphobia, but they seem to be dealt with in a realistic, respectful manner.

Thank you #netgalley, #boldwoodbooks and #rachelsrandomresources for letting me read this ARC.
Fabulous book, filled with angst and suspense. We follow Lizzie/ Beth on her journey, looking back at years gone by and the present day. Her love/ obsession for Tom is quite something else.
Tom is quite complex as is their relationship, After an incident that changes their lives forever, Tom reappears in her life having been away for 10 years. There are some interesting dynamics and strands in this book and I enjoyed the twists, turns and psychological aspects of this book. Looking forward to book number 3.

I loved Alex Stone's book The Perfect Daughter so I could not wait to dive into her newest book The Other Girlfriend!

Lizzie Green who now goes by Beth once loved Tom Murphy with all her might, they were inseparable growing up and ended up going to the same Uni. But then one day, Lizzie realised that she was in love with Tom, only there was just one problem...he already had a girlfriend in the gorgeous and wealthy Hannah. 

Tom was the prefevbial villian in this book, you could see he was stringing Lizzie along, telling her he was going to end it with Hannah and then they could be together, he just needed to get his foot in the door of her fathers business then let her down gently. He played on Lizzies love for him. he knew she loved him - heck everyone did and Hannah could also see it!

One night they all went away as a group of friends, and of course Tom and Hannah make an appearance, this really irks Lizzie and she ends up having too much to drink. A game of truth or dare sees Hannah fall to her death and leaves Lizzie in a state of turmoil. She has block in her memory about what really happened that night and she keeps playing the whole thing over and over in her mind that if begins to affect her time at uni.

She leaves her course and her friends as well as Tom in the past but then 10 years later he turns up on her doorstep! It opens up that night again for her playing like a merry go round in her mind, she wants to get the answers she so desperately needs to ease her feelings for guilt. but Tom is a slimeball and gaslights her memories so much that she doesn't know what to believe anymore.

I could see where the truth was heading way before Lizzie/Beth and I was urging her to take off her rose tinted glasses towards Tom and see him for who he really was! 

This was an enjoyable story and I look forward to reading more from Alex.

4 stars

BOOK TOUR REVIEW 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Is there one person in your life that you’d do anything for? Even if, deep inside, you know it won’t end well. You dismiss warnings from friends and family. And you convince yourself that things will work out in the end because that’s what you WANT to believe.

It was that scenario that drew me to this book. And, of course, the gorgeous cover!

Then: Tom and Lizzie grew up together and she was (secretly) in love. She was ready to follow him anywhere, just to keep him in her life. When she discovers he feels the same way, she’s ecstatic. But there’s a snag. Tom has a girlfriend and is employed by her father. Kind of a big hurdle. And despite Tom’s promises, they never get over it.

Now: Jump ahead ten years. Lizzie is now Beth and she’s settled into her new life…without Tom. But…guess who ends up on her doorstep? Yep…Tom shows up after ten years, as charming as ever, and he stirs up those old feelings. Can she resist him this time?

Wow…I discovered a new author to keep an eye out for! This is a fascinating read. The author has included several difficult, but realistic issues.

Thank you to #alexstone #boldwoodbooks and #NetGalley for the #giftedbook and #rachelsrandomresources for the #booktour invite!

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