Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to review this book..

Lizzie Green thought she had a new life after a tragic incident in her youth. That is, at least, until Tom comes back into her life. Can she finally break free of the hold he has on her?

I actively disliked the characters of this book so much that I almost stopped reading. Tom is horrible. Awful. I know that plays into the plot but he makes my skin crawl. Honestly, Lizzie isn't much better. She's weak-willed and easily charmed for 80% of the book before she finally becomes someone that can cut through the BS to the truth of her past and the present and deal with it. It happened in a finger snap. Both of them made me want to tear my hair out honestly. It was hard to separate my disdain for these characters and delve into the book as a whole, so I guess this one is just not for me.

It’s been ten years since Lizzie last heard from Tom, her childhood friend and the source of her unrequited love. And now, here he is on her doorstep, claiming he only ever wanted to be with her.

She should be more suspicious, shouldn’t she? Especially since he dropped her friendship like a stone after that incident, leaving her broken-hearted and blaming herself for what happened that night.

Lizzie has to start over, she couldn’t face university any longer and gives up the writing course she had so loved to move to a different college … one where he, nor any of her old friends, will be. Reinventing herself as Beth, she takes a job in IT and lives out her days quietly, primarily as a result of her agoraphobia but also because of doubts about her own self worth.

And now he’s back, making himself at home in her house, insisting he was wrong to leave her all those years ago and that he never should have disappeared like that.

Tom is actually very unsettling, his behaviour suspicious, his intentions unclear – and Beth (Lizzie) is struggling to make sense of it all. Is he for real? Or is there something more sinister afoot?

It takes catching up with one of her old friends – one who was there that night – to make her realise that Tom’s motives are not as genuine as he’d have her believe.

And, what’s that? He wants her to publicly take the blame for what happened? Why now, after ten years? Can she put aside her feelings for him to find the truth?

The Other Girlfriend plays on Beth’s insecurities and Tom’s ability to manipulate her … and the truth, and the overall premise is tense. For me, it’s just too drawn out in getting to the crux of the story, Beth/Lizzie spends too much time in her head and overplays the victim card to the extent she becomes annoying for acting so gullible. Despite short chapters that make it a quick read, it takes a third of the book to discover what happened that night, when it’s pretty obvious from much earlier. That said, the ending is worth waiting for and validates Lizzie, allowing her to get the upper hand for once.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars

As a lot of other reviews have said, the beginning was a case of wow, the middle dragged and the ending although predictable was great. So, I’m only giving it three stars as I did guess the ending which spoilt it for me. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I prefer my thriller’s to be faster paced and not guessable but saying that, I did really enjoy this book. I’d happily recommend and read more from the author.

The Other Girlfriend drew me right in from first page to last.Sowell written a true page turner will be recommending.#netgalley

Thank you Boldwood Books and NetGalley for an early release of The Other Girlfriend. I liked this novel. It was predictable but kept my interest enough to find out exactly how the heroine was going to find out about herself. The main male character was a creep right from the beginning. It was a fast read.

The beginning really caught me, the middle almost lost me and the ending redeemed this book. Overall it was a pretty predictable storyline, but I still enjoyed it! Manipulation, cheating, and distrust made up a large part of this book. Rating it a 3.5 stars.

Brilliant book, very well written and my stomach was in knots reading this as it stirs up so much emotion and I could really connect with the main character Lizzy/Beth.

Alex Stone is definitely an author to watch

Really well written when it comes to representation and consideration of true human issues. The "resolution" of the thriller was rather obvious though.

Enjoyable read albeit not particularly shocking as I think it is obvious who the wrong un is in this situation. However, I thought the themes of trauma and other difficulties associated with mental health were well interweved into the story, and I was left feeling frustrated at all the main character had lost as a result of others actions.

I really enjoyed this dual timeline, slow build thriller. The characters were well written, each with their own motivations and desires. Following Lizzie/Beth through her life and seeing everything that happened then and now through her eyes made for a really interesting read and one I raced through as it really kept me hooked!

I hadn't guessed the ending by the time it was unravelled but it made perfect sense once I'd read it. It was so nice to have a book surprise me like that, I just hadn't spotted the clues.

I typically don’t like slow burn thrillers but this one was really well done! The main character was well written and complex, but I did feel that the book was lagging in some parts. Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC!

The Other Girlfriend is my second read by this author. I'd describe this one as a slow burn psychological character driven story. It isn't an action story, rather and complex and layered story of a women who is struggling with the past and trying to learn the truth about what happened. The authors portrayal of the characters trauma and agoraphobia is very well done and realistic. I've seen other reviews mention the frustration about the characters personalities but for me that is the essence of the book, the author knows how to write complex characters and makes us want to see them grow and succeed.

This wasn’t a bad little book , didn’t hold any surprises but it was worth a read . Just had that little bit of tension missing for me . I’ll give it 4 stars

Thank you so much for allowing me to read and review your titles. I really not the opportunity!

I do appreciate it and continue to review books that I get the chance to read.
Thanks again!

Lizzie, now known as Beth, has changed her whole life and persona after a love triangle gone wrong turns into a true nightmare on a weekend getaway trip. She struggles with agoraphobia and has lost touch with friends. Out of the blue, Tom, the love of her life returns to town and is looking to rekindle their romance after a decade of radio silence. Is Tom her knight in shining armor, on a mission to help her find herself again, or is something more sinister at play? Who can be believed about what really happened that night?

I’d rate this book as a 3.5/5. I’d classify it as a domestic thriller, although it’s more of a kind games/psychological thriller than a suspenseful page turner. I felt like the storyline was interesting, but a bit predictable. I would have loved more twists and turns, especially at the end after finding out what really happened that night (which I’d already guessed). All that said, it kept my attention and still was an enjoyable, easy read. If you like lighter, non-scary domestic thrillers- this book is perfect for you!

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lizzie and Tom forever! Or that is what Lizzie hoped for and Tom gave her indication he was in it to. But after a terrible incident at university, he disappears for 10 years. But now he's back and she is getting everything she always wanted from her childhood friend. This was a page turner that I devoured.

3 stars since I DNFed it, I cannot comment on the entire book. I found the writing especially poor and amateur. Because I was so distracted by the disjointed writing, I found it hard to concentrate on the actual plot, which ruined the book for me. Plus, the flashbacks were intolerable. I understand she's a teenager, but cmon girl.........

This is a new author for me but it certainly won’t be the last book I read and will look out for future releases.
I was taken in by the characters and plot and enjoyed the book. It’s a 4 star read for me overall as I did find it slow at stages.

A new author for me and this was a deeply satisfying psychological thriller told largely from the POV of Lizzie in chapters alternating between the present, and the past during their university years, when a terrible event occurred that changed Lizzie’s life for ever. The main protagonists are well written. Tom was a toxic personality whereas Lizzie was quite weak and vulnerable although you can’t help but feel sympathy for her.

Briefly, Lizzie, now called Beth, and Tom have been friends since childhood but he broke her heart. 10 years later he’s back. She’s thrilled to see him again but she now suffers from panic attacks and agoraphobia and wonders if she should she let him back into her life after what happened?

I really liked the sympathetic way Beth’s agoraphobia was introduced and dealt with. It’s a genuinely debilitating illness. I also love the suspense about the ‘dreadful event’ which isn’t revealed until later in the book, although there are hints. A great well plotted story with a satisfying conclusion. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️