A compelling read that had me gripped right from the very start and engaged all the way through. Well written with well developed characters, a riveting storyline and a narrative from two characters point of biew which I loved. Twisty and unpredictable - a great read.

From the very first time reading the description, I was hooked! I loved the dual narrative and the time changes.

Why did Tom show up after all this time? What happened all those years ago?

The writing style is one of my favorites for thrillers. I preferred Lizzie/Beth's POV and appreciated the short chapters. Story wise, I think there were some great plot twists but some took just a little bit too long dragged out.
I think the whole aspect of Lizzie/Beth's OCD was approached in an effective way as well which is something I appreciate and a big part of this rounding up to 4 stars. Her character when it came to Tom was both relatable and frustrating and I think younger me would be similar but older me wants to tell her to pull herself together!
Overall, I enjoyed this book and would definitely read another book by Alex Stone.

I recommend to give this book a chance if you like anything psychological/thriller because you will be so invested to find out what actually happened!

The Other Girlfriend
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Thriller
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 7/28/22
Author: Alex Stone
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Pages: 357
Goodreads Rating: 3.52

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Boldwood Books and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: 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….

My Thoughts: The story is narrated by Beth, who was formally Lizzie, from her perspective, and in alternative timeframes, then and now. She was born Lizzie but reinvented herself into Beth. Lizzie/Beth is an extremely likable and relatable character, Tom on the other hand, is not. The characters are well developed, they had depth, they had some tension to them, Lizzie had growth throughout the story, and were intriguing. The author’s writing style had complex layers, created the tension with twists, and kept me engaged throughout the book. The book did have some slow parts. The storyline, character interchanges, plot, and ending were not only well executed, but was tied together nicely, flowed well, and the author was descriptive enough that you could envision being there. This was the first book by this author that I have read but it will not be my last. Overall, a very enjoyable read.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

I loved it Very fast paced, I devoured it – I had to see how it would end. The characters were well rounded and the narrative felt believable. Gave me chills. Solid five

I was really excited about this one from the synopsis to the glowing reviews, but this story was just boring to me. I hated Lizzie/Beth and how she is just so desperate for Tom’s attention and to be loved by him. Everything she says and does is for his approval, even after he disappeared for ten years. I just couldn’t stand her need to make everything perfect for him, to BE perfect for him and to let him walk all over her. I guessed the first “reveal” right away and it was so early in the book I wondered what the rest could be about. That’s the only reason I kept reading rather than DNFing. When the big ending happened, I was still yawning.

Really one of the good things about this book was the short chapters and the alternating timelines. But even that part bored me. I feel bad that I disliked this so much.

Thank you to NetGallery and Boldwood Books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Nothing is quite pure like childhood best friends. Tom and Lizzie has been inseparable since they were young. Until one weekend getaway, everything has changed. Ten years after, one of them shows up on one’s doorstep. This second chance could either work out the relationship or break someone’s heart.

The story started out good and slow. There were a couple of twists. However, there were times that I felt dull since it was told mainly in the POV of Lizzie. Although the storyline changes every now and then, it was still easy to follow.

As the story unfolded, the narrative felt real and believable. I found myself affected to the narrative. I got carried away with the main character - Lizzie. She was vulnerable and obsessed to her best friend. Most of the time, she was annoying for me, because I felt like I was a concerned friend. I wanted to pull herself out from that toxic situation with Tom.

In all fairness, the characters had delivered an excellent tension. I would sometime wanted to scream because there were events that were intensely irritating. There were also times I pause from reading to breathe. I didn’t wanted to DNF it though, because I still wanted to know what happened in the end.

Overall, despite those experiences I had with this book, its content was more than just the entertaining thrill and suspense. It was thought provoking. The issues like agoraphobia, self-loathing, guilt, decision-making and self-care were cleverly discussed.

If you want to jump into a gripping suspenseful story, you can’t go wrong with this one.

Having read the author's debut book I was really excited to see what she would write next. She has a marvellous way of getting really deep into her characters' heads and manages to sustain tension throughout. I was delighted to discover this book is just as good as her first, if not better.
I loved the setting, and using Durdle Door as the key place for the pivotal action is inspired.
A fabulous, twisty, dark psychological thriller, which I highly recommend to lovers of this genre.

Lizzie has spent her whole life being obsessed with her childhood friend Tom. Then one day something terrible happened, and Tom vanished from her life. Ten years later, he's back... will he break her heart all over again? A thrilling story that keeps you turning the pages until the shocking ending. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in return for my honest feedback.

Lizzie Green has been in love with Tom since childhood. They did everything together and all her best memories feature him. She is thrilled to find out that they both got into Uni together and hopes that this will be their chance to finally have a chance to be together. Enter Hannah, Tom's Uni girlfriend who is everything that Lizzie is not. Tensions are high between the friends as Lizzie longs for Tom to dump Hannah and date her instead until the night of the accident, then everything changes. Ten years pass without Lizzie seeing Tom until he shows up on her doorstep completely unexpected with unknown motives.

There are a couple twists within the book however nothing that blew my mind. I felt like the storyline was good however the book itself felt dull to me, most of it just seemed to be Lizzie's internal monologue that I couldn't connect with totally. I'm giving it 3 stars since it did keep my attention until the very end because I wanted to know what happened.

Thank You NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An average thriller with unlikeable characters unfortunately, I found the book a bit stilted if I’m honest and not what I was hoping for

This book started out promising and had a somewhat good plot and several characters. Tom has walked back into Lizzies life after ten years with no word, she is happy to have him back as it's all she's ever wanted, but at the same time she doesn't want him there as he's messing up her routines and way of life, it's taken her many years to find a new way to live peacefully.
From the minute Tom came back into her life, I didn't like Lizzie. She is the type of pathetic, naive and gullible female character that I hate. A blind man could see the way he manipulated her non stop, but she just ignored it and believed every pathetic word that dripped from his arrogant mouth.

Other parts of the book would take Lizzie back in time to the event that would change her life and Toms and eventually bring us closer to finding out what really went on. But to be honest the whole book was an introspective view of what was going on inside Lizzie's head, her thoughts and feelings. Nothing ever actually happened, there was a massive lack of action or drama of any sort.
Lizzie was a boring messed up character and every page just droned on & on about her. By the end I was quickly skim reading it and still wouldn't have missed anything.

The parts going back in time where really the only semi good parts about it, as it was mainly action and drama, as opposed to Lizzie and herself.
Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Lizzie and Tom have been best friends since childhood, but in college she wants to be more and he lets her think they will be, but first he must continue to date Hannah because her dad gave Tom a job and he has a plan. When Lizzie is invited to a getaway weekend so she can forget about Tom and Hannah they somehow infiltrate their self into going. Hannah is everything Lizzie is not, strong, independent its self reliant in oh yes she can be a bit of a B at times. So when they’re on the beach and Hannah axes to play truth or dare the dare turns out to be life-changing. It will end the friendship Lizzie has come to depend on for 10 years later Tom comes back and knocked on her door. I must admit I had to keep reminding myself to finish the book. I didn’t like Leslie she was weak had no back bone not to mention her inner dialogue drove me crazy! The book did pick up but Lizzie had made her mark on me i’m sure some people will love this book but I did not. I have read books by Alex Stone already and Bo would book and both have produced stellar reads, just not this one. I was given this book by Net Gally, Boldwood Books and Alex stone for free but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review but all opinions are definitely my own.

I wasn't too crazy about this one so I'll leave it short. The lead female character was too weak for me. She pines over a man her entire life and basically destroys her for him and never grows into her own. This wasn't thrilling, it was kind of pathetic. Two stars because the writer was good, just not the story

This incredible thriller kept me on the edge of my seat until the last page. The characters draw you in and the plot is fast paced. I really enjoyed it and looking forward to recommending to friends.

Thank you to NetGalley, Alex Stone, and Boldwood Books for providing this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The beginning was a little slow, but it quickly ramped up to become a fast-paced thriller. I did find myself turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next, although I did not connect with the characters in this one. I found myself feeling bad for Lizzie/Beth.

I very much enjoyed the thrill and adventure that this book took me on. I will read again and recommend this book to everyone! I can’t wait to read again!

This review will be posted to my Goodreads and Amazon accounts immediately and to my instagram account @ginganinja333 upon publication on 7/28/2022.

I'm not exactly sure how I feel about this book I was expecting a tense thriller and this wasn't that. I actually ended up rather bored and would put down the book and have to force myself to start reading again. I didn't connect with any of the characters and wanted to slap them all. Unfortunately, this book did not work for me and I was super disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

After a slow beginning this book certainly picked up pace, and ended up being an addicted read. This is the first book I've read by this author and will certainly read more.

The Other Girlfriend was a fast paced thriller about Lizzie/Beth who clings to memories and a life she had dreamed about/hoped would come true and Tom who is a sociopath in disguise. I spent so much of the book feeling like Lizzie/Beth needed to walk away from this toxic man and at times it made me uncomfortable. However, the story is one of resilience, growth, and strength.

This book is out July 28, 2022!

Thank you, NetGalley, for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really struggled with the two main characters in this book. I felt so bad for Lizzie/ Beth and Tom was an a-hole!
I felt that due to the personalities of these two, the storyline was only surface deep for me.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this Netgalley ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow!!! I devoured this book in one sitting. Just read it....you will love it.

This Author writes unputdownable books. I recommend you read them all.