What would you do if your first love turned up at door out of the blue? That's what happens to Beth Green when her childhood best friend & crush, Tom Murphy, knocks on her door one day. Tom tells her that he has never stopped thinking about her, & that even after all that has happened between them, they should be together. Soon Tom has practically moved in, & Beth should be thrilled, but she can't help having doubts. After all, she was Tom's secret girlfriend back then, just waiting for him to finally break up with his official girlfriend, Hannah. In a game of Truth or Dare, Beth dared Hannah to climb to the top of Durdle Door, but Hannah counter-challenged her. They both climb alongside Tom but something happens & Hannah ends up falling from the top. Their whole friend groups breaks up & Beth never saw Tom again...until now.

The story is told from the point of view of present day Beth, & the past from Lizzie as Beth was known then. Beth has started again but she is stuck in place. She bought her childhood home from her parents when they moved to Spain, & she gave up her writing dreams for an office job, although she mainly works from home. Struggling with agoraphobia & low self esteem since Tom left all those years ago, Beth feels guilt from what happened to Hannah. Tom's presence seems to jar some memories & Beth remembers a fight with Hannah & then Hannah disappearing over the edge of a cliff. Did she push her? Was it an accident or was it murder?

Although this was a book which kept my interest, there were no big surprises in the story line. Beth/Lizzie is a rather insipid main character, & although some of this is down to her agoraphobia, low self esteem, & guilt over what happened, she's far too weak when it comes to Tom & it became a little wearing to keep reading about her believing Tom over everyone else, even her own mother. For the obvious plot & 'twist', I have to give this an average 3 stars,

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Boldwood Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Lizzie and Tom had been best friends since childhood. They grew up together, played together, went to high school and uni together. Until one day, Lizzie realised that she was in love with Tom. There was just one problem...he already had a girlfriend in the gorgeous and wealthy Hannah. Her mask slips one day and Tom, who has always been able to see right through her, realises that she is in love with him. He confides in her that he loves her too but he must stay with Hannah for the time being because he envisions a dream job with her wealthy father...and Hannah can make that happen for him. Lizzie reluctantly agrees but as time goes by Tom is still with Hannah and showing no signs of breaking up with her, long after he has secured a job with her father. But Lizzie is devastated. All she wants is for her love to be returned.

Her friend Rebecca suggested that she needs a getaway to forget about Tom and Hannah, and she has the perfect opportunity with her and boyfriend Luke heading to Durdle Door. But then Luke inadvertently invites Tom and Hannah to join them. And so Lizzie ends up being the fifth wheel and odd one out between two couples. Then one night, a terrible tragedy occurs changing their lives forever. And to make matters worse, Tom leaves leaving Lizzie brokenhearted. For the ensuing months, Lizzie couldn't function; couldn't eat; couldn't sleep; couldn't leave the house. She had lost everything, but most of all she had lost herself because she had lost Tom. Without him, she was nothing.

Ten years have passed and a knock at the door leaves Lizzie, who now goes by Beth, reeling. She is not expecting anyone. She likes order, routine, structure. She opens the door and it is Tom. He has come back for her just as he always said he would. It's all she has ever wanted, all she has ever dreamed about. But Lizzie is not the same woman she once was. However, none of that seems to bother Tom as he moves himself in "just for a week or so" and makes himself right at home. Although it what she has wanted for so long, it feels somewhat disconcerting. Her home is her safe place...and now it has been invaded, it seems. Lizzie struggles with her feelings as to whether this is really what she wants or if it is just a dream she fantasised about for so long? And more than that, Tom's reappearance is bringing back up all those memories which she has buried for so long.

But can she trust those memories? Are they real? Or are they false memories? Is anything real?

THE OTHER GIRLFRIEND is not a bad read but it's not the greatest either. I wouldn't call is a psychological thriller...more like a psychological drama without the twists. There are secrets, lies, deception, manipulation, gaslighting and lots of questionable decisions. Our narrator, Lizzie, is somewhat unreliable and even a little naive at times. She borders on obsession when it came to Tom which lead to some pretty questionable decisions on her part. She could be incredibly irritating at times and I saw right through Tom and didn't trust him one bit. In the end, I wasn't really bothered by what happened to either of them.

The story unfolds through Lizzie's narrative in alternating chapters between the present and the past, as the incidents leading up to the tragedy and beyond are drip fed to us. I do like this style of writing and the short chapters, so that was always going to be a definite plus for me.

This is my second read by this author and I'm still not entirely sure whether her books are the right fit for me. I enjoy them to a degree but I do find their build a little slow and once they reach that point where everything starts to come together, I wonder if it was worth the ride. By the time Lizzie grew a pair she'd already made her impression on me.

I wanted to like this book far more than I did but the slow burn and unexciting story left me a little disappointed and even a little depressed. But I am giving it 3 stars because I did enjoy...even if it was to a degree.

I would like to thank #AlexStone, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #TheOtherGirlfriend in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

Drawn in from the first page, I did not want this book to end, I adored it from start to finish and was really disappointed when it ended. I tried to make it last as long as possible. I think this has to be my favourite book from this author. I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who loves a good twisty psychological thriller.

Lizzie loved Tom and he broke her heart ten years ago and left her with a devastating secret. Now he's back and moving himself in. Lizzie who is now Beth does not want to be hurt like that again, but she has always loved Tom. What's a girl to do?

Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC!

The Other Girlfriend fields some strong themes, but very important themes. The first is beware of letting people from your past just sail right back into your life. I was appalled at how easily Beth allowed Tom to move right in. Second, women need to stand up to me. Beth was a complete doormat for Tom in the past and she was letting him walk all over again. Third, trust in yourself. Beth’s uncertainty played right into Tom’s schemes until she woke up and took charge. Fourth, you have to get out and live, not hide in the shadows due to your fears.
Lastly, don’t go climbing if you’ve been drinking.

many years ago Lizzie and Tom were involved in an incident and would have covered up for each other. now years later Tom shows up at Lizzie's (now Beth) doorstep, and claims that he has come back to make sure that she is ok and wants to be with her.
But Lizzie is not really sure about his motives and as the story progresses we learn what happened in the past and the reason for Tom's sudden appearance.
The book was ok, not too bad but not really too thrilling for me - this was really guessable!

Thanks to Netgalley, Boldwood Books for inviting me to read this ARC.

The Other Girlfriend by Alex Stone is a compelling story of Lizzie Green and her love for Tom Murphy. They were lifelong friends and even went to college together. One night in the past, lots of alcohol was consumed and a tragic accident occurred. Tom left for 10 years only to show up unannounced on Lizzie's (now calls herself Beth) doorstep. He kind of moves in without her permission. Unfortunately, she can't say no to Tom as she still loves him.

Beth still has a lot of guilt pertaining to the accident and she just doesn't want her heart broken again. As time goes on though she comes to realize exactly who Tom really is.

This is a psychological thriller, with lots of twisty turns. I liked Beth (Lizzie) and hoped that she would become the confident person that she wants to be. Tom, I found kind of sleazy right from the start, very controlling.

I read this book in two sittings and really enjoyed it! I look forward to the next one by Alex Stone!

I give it 4 stars!

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I enjoyed this book, liked the characters and had a great storyline. Would recommend

The Other Girlfriend is told in the past and present by Lizzie/Beth. Out of the blue, Beth has a surprise visitor at her door. It’s Tom! Ten years ago they had a falling out because Tom did the unthinkable! Then - Good friends Tom & Lizzie shared a kiss though Tom was seeing Hannah, his boss’s daughter. The three of them end up on a mountain and only Tom & Lizzie returns! Now - Beth changed her name and moved on, so why is Tom back? The pacing is quite slow and the characters aren’t too likable especially Tom. Thank you to the publisher for a copy.

Ok I almost quit after the beggining but I did not. Fortunately! It turned out that it was a nice weekend reading. Full of tension in dual time lines. I wanted to kick the ass to the younger version of the characters. I wanted to scream lound to do different, to be moral, to be loyal.. But they did not listened. And after ten years someone is on the door, that our main character has not seen for 10 years and wished he come for all this years back to her.. it begin a fairytail, she dreams... But then my romance turn to a great triller. And we have some great turns and sattisfying ending. Girl power!
Thank you Farah to buddy read this with me.
Thank Boldwood books publishers and Netgalley for this arc.

Even though there was a slow burn to the "secret" that had Lizzie/Beth feeling so guilty, it was easy to guess. As was the rest of the book.

Beth is pining for the "love of her life". The story is told in flashbacks to when Lizzie, Tom, Hannah, Rebecca and Luke go on a camping trip for a little get away. There is a lot of wine, and after playing a game of truth or dare, Lizzie, Tom and Hannah go up the mountain. Only Lizzie and Tom come back, but Lizzie doesn't remember anything, and has lived her life full of regrets and guilt for Tom's decision to not see her again.

But after 10 years Tom is back in her life and even though I liked the younger Tom, the older Tom is a total jerk. Beth has been pining for him all these years though, so she's blinded to the manipulation he brings to this new relationship. But as a reader, it wasn't hard for me to see where this was going, and I just kept wishing Beth would wake up. When she finally does, though, it's so sudden it made my head spin.

This was a quick read, but I like my twists to be less predictable. Others may like the short chapters, the handling of the mental health issues (agoraphobia, OCD), which were handled well. 2.5 rounded up to 3.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advance reader's copy.

A powerful story with great characters that expertly shows how easily someone can be manipulated through their insecurities. Complex and layered the plot is based around the main character Beth (Lizzie) trying to deal with a terrible incident that happened in her past. Her trauma, and agoraphobia were sensitively and realistically dealt with, and I loved watching Beth’s character grow and the secrets from the past unravel. A suspenseful read.

Great characters and a thoughtful plot

After 10 years of being apart Tom suddenly appears at Lizzie’s door. Is this a dream come true, or are Lizzie’s dreams best left in her imagination?

The chapters alternate between now and about 11 years ago, blending well to make the story flow and Lizzie’s anxieties seem very real. What happened all those years ago? Where has Tom been in the intervening years? Why, when once Lizzie was so sure of Tom, is she now having doubts, instead of being so thrilled everything she’s ever wanted in life is now coming true.

The story is told mostly from Lizzie’s point of view, and I found myself quite involved in her dilemma and wondering (as much as Lizzie) what was going on. Themes of agoraphobia and anxiety, as well as self-belief added interest and I loved that the story was set in Dorset, including Durdle Door in the story.

The ending was excellent, and rounded up this enjoyable, involving and thoughtful thriller well. A great 2nd thriller from this great author. Can’t wait for Alex Stone’s 3rd book!

While there were a couple of unexpected surprises & twists I found this book dull and almost repetitive overall. The characters felt one dimensional at times which made it hard to connect to them and I felt like I kept reading simply hoping to stumble into something unexpected.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and Alex Stone for an ARC of The Other Girlfriend.

I enjoyed reading this story and it kept me interested. The emotions that Lizzie/Beth was feeling felt real. I found it a bit frustrating that it took so long for Beth to recognize that she was being manipulated. I kept hoping she would realize it sooner and stop quit making excuses.

I look forward to reading more books by Alex Stone and highly recommend checking out The Other Girlfriend.

i just could not get into this book. The authors writing was ok and I could see what they were ultimately trying to do with the story but I just couldn’t get behind it. The characters didn’t seem that great either so I couldn’t get behind them either.
Hopefully the authors next book may sit better with me.

This story is less thriller and more domestic drama. It's a rather pathetic show of this horrible, shit-under-your-shoe, creeper red entering the life of a woman trying to forget anything that ever had to do with him. Except she bends at every whim. She has no back bone until suddenly she does which was annoying and frustrating. It totally ruined the book.

First, I want to thank Alex Stone, Boldwood Books, NetGalley and Rachel's Random Resources for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.

OMG WOW!!! Alex Stone blew me away with her follow up to her debut novel The Perfect Daughter! The Other Girlfriend was an incredibly powerful and intense book that brought so many emotions out within me as I found it to be somewhat relatable. This is one book that you will want to clear your schedule to read in one sitting. A 5 star must read that would be perfect for book clubs as there is so much to discuss.

I absolutely loved the beautiful cover of The Other Girlfriend and thought the graphics department did a great job.

Alex Stone is an incredible storyteller and has been a fan of hers since The Perfect Daughter. There were storylines that she threw in that in a way hit close to home. In this instance I felt total empathy towards Lizzie/Beth as I was once in a love triangle where I was lied to. I felt all the jealousy, hurt, lust, rage, self doubt, etc.

One huge theme that was important to be addressed all throughout the book was mental health. Alex did a brilliant job. Everything Lizzie/Beth was going through affected her mental health and the steps she was taking to better herself.

Alex Stone was clever and gave us a few jaw dropping mind blowing twist of events that altered the story like you wouldn’t believe. I was just shaking my head as I read the scene! I was at the point where I was yelling at my kindle at the huge revelation and their true colors were shown.

One thing I loved about this book is how it went from present day to back in the day. Seeing both sides of the story got a better glimpse of what was really going on.

I am not a fan of rereading books but this is one I would definitely reread again.

This was my second book by this author and boy it was amazing. I thought the characters were well written. I think this authors quickly becoming a favorite. Even though i didn't think that this book wasn't very thriller forward I still enjoyed my read of it..

Sadly to say I wasn't the biggest fan of this book. I just couldn't get into it. The writing style was enjoyable and I could see the where the author was going with it. However I just really disliked all the characters in the book. Maybe it was just me and it's just the timing that I read this book which I'm really hoping that it is. But it just didn't work for me. Sorry.