I hate to say it about any book I read but this one I just could not get into it. I managed to read to read 12/13 chapters before unfortunately I had to give up.

**TRIGGER WARNING** THERE IS A DOG DEATH IN THIS STORY

Waitress Kit Lowman knows that people look down on her and the jib she does. But being anonymous offers Kit safety and security and allows her own terrible secrets to remain hidden. And then Kit's luck changes, and she faces a sudden dilemma: reveal her true identity and accept that life will never be the same. Or stay in the shadows.... where she hopes she will be safer.

It did take me a little while to get into the book and then it became a page turner, I was hooked. Kit has a few issues with her family and a past relationship. There's also a trauma from her past. The story has a dual timeline - the present day and the past which is told in flashbacks. The last quarter of the book is by far the best part. There's not a lot of characters so it's easy to keep track of who's who. There's parts that are predictable, but that never spoils a story for me. I quite enjoyed how the story ended.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #NinaManning for my ARC of #TheWaitress in exchange for an honest review.

It had a stupid slow start and by the time we were around 10 chapters in we'd had only like 4 conversations.

I hate to say it but I didn't really enjoy it.


It was fine but I wouldn't recommend this unless you have a lot of time, patience and willpower.


Not bad overall but it could be so much better.

The Waitress by Nina Manning unfolds slowly, but is a solid psychological mystery of the gold standard that I have come to expect from this author. This one will keep you turning the pages.

Kit is a waitress who is very content in her chosen profession. Her weathy boyfriend would love for her to give it up as he can well afford to look after her, but Kit insists that the job satisfies her and she will continue with it. Winning a grand house in a lottery was not part of her plan, but when it happens Kit takes up residence alone in the remote dwelling, hoping to find solace after a recent event that has left her shaken to her core, something for which she blames herself. While it is unclear what has brought on Kit's self exile, it becomes obvious that someone is not willing to let things go quite so easily.

This is a slow burner of psychological suspense that you won't want to put down.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

I really struggled with this one. I really struggled to get into it as I just didn't feel invested in it. Perhaps it was just the time that I was reading it or it was just me. Which I'm really hoping it was and I'm hoping that others really love it. But sadly it just didn't work for me. Sorry.

Another great read from Nina.

There hasn't been a book from Nina I've not enjoyed and this was no exception. It is a slow burner that builds to an unexpected ending.

In true Nina style her books keep you gripped and don't let you go until the end.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kit Lowman loves being a waitress, She loves her job at Mirabelle, a swanky seaside restaurant. She loves the people she works with (with 1 exception), and her little flat located only minutes away from her job. Her boyfriend, Tom, would love for her to quit her job, as he is a millionaire many times over, but Kit loves what she does. She's hoping to get promoted to maitre'd, if she can beat a rival for the job. But tragedy strikes and Kit's life is upended. She ends up breaking up with Tom and keeping away from her family.
A few months after the terrible tragedy, Kit wins an estate and $20,000 for upkeep, having entered a contest prior to the tragedy. But Kit is having a very hard time adjusting. And it seems someone doesn't really want her happy after all.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an e-arc of this novel.*

The Waitress Nina Manning


5 stars

What a fascinating plot

Kit Walker is a waitress in a restaurant in Bournemouth. She loves her job but is haunted by something that has happened in her previous job at a previous restaurant. She has taken up a new position in a smaller place but as the story starts has won a mansion worth two million pounds plus £20000 in cash in a lottery. Although Kit realises that she cannot stay in this house forever it is in the countryside and very isolated but still close enough to her job which she is determined to continue. She loves the peace and quiet and needs time to recover from her past.

This book is divided into ‘Then’ and ‘Now’ and I really enjoyed the way Kit’s story is slowly revealed to us. We learn about her relationship with Tom, an, on the surface, perfect boyfriend. He is very rich owning various luxurious apartments and shows Kit a wonderful lifestyle and wants them to have a future together. However Kit cannot return his feelings completely as he does not reveal his family background and refuses to talk about his past. Kit, who is hiding her own secrets cannot commit to someone like this and eventually as the story begins has broken up with Tom.

Slowly we discover that despite her seclusion someone is still trying to harm her. Kit feels that this is what she deserves after what she has done and turns away any offers of help or friendship.

This book kept me hooked, I wanted to know what the terrible thing was that Kit had done and who was trying to harm her. I had slight suspicions but the ending when it came was brilliant and had a great twist. This is something that I always like in this genre of book especially when I hadn’t seen it coming.

I thoroughly recommend this book, it is different from other books of this type and this is what made it so interesting for me.


Karen Deborah
Reviewer for Net Galley

What a fantastic, suspenseful, gripping and totally engrossing psychological thriller! Mind blown!

The story is divided into two parts - NOW and THEN. NOW tells us about Kit's current situation - her paranoia, her move to the new house, the 'accidents' that make her even more fearful and anxious. THEN is more of a flashback - Kit meeting Tom, how their relationship grows, how her mum and dad come to adore Tom and so on. But we also get to see Kit's side of the story here - though she and Tom get along well and are in a relationship, Kit is not quite happy with the way things are proceeding.

In the latter half of the story, we see Kit feeling a tad stuffed - things are proceeding at a faster rate than she's comfortable with (with Tom especially). She breaks up with Tom, cuts contact with her parents and quits her job. She wants to start afresh... and wants to be alone. She feels she does not deserve happiness - not after what she did...

It's not until the end that we are told of the 'incident' that made Kit decide to start afresh. It was a very shocking revelation. I never saw it coming - especially the events that finally leads to Kit facing her worst nightmare.

The story kept me on the edge of my seat. I was curious to know who's trying to harm Kit and why. The flashbacks gave the reader a glimpse of Kit's life before the 'incident'. I was curious to know what made her different now - throughout the story, Kit keeps telling herself that she does not deserve this, not after what she did...

Excellent storytelling and mind-blowing suspense. I was hooked on to the story and could not put it down until the end. I absolutely loved the ending and the twist was OMG!!

If you are looking for a mind-blowing and riveting thriller, I highly recommend you to give The Waitress by Nina Manning a try.

I want to keep this review short and spoiler free. It's well paced, the dialogue is the magic of this novel, I could hear the voices so clearly. A very enjoyable read

When I started reading The Waitress, I was not a fan of the writing style. I kept reading to find out what happened to Kit to send her into such a guilt spiral. The final reveal was unexpected, and I did think it was pretty clever. But I never really warmed up to any of the characters. I give this book 3/5 stars.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of The Waitress by Nina Manning. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for providing an ARC to review.

4 Stars from me

There is about to be a big fat change in Kit's life, but everything feels slightly off even though on the face of things it should all be exciting and wonderful.

This 'air of everything being slightly off' seemed to follow her around whether she was at work, at home, chatting to neighbours or even communicating with her family. This in turn set the tone for a psychological thriller that unravelled more and more with every turn of the page. 

Kit was an odd character, I could kind of relate to some of her decisions although others made no sense at all. Although I can definitely see why she kept finding reasons to talk to her neighbour ;)

Having read some of Nina Manning's previous books, I was expecting good things and overall I really enjoyed reading The Waitress - it was an engaging read which kept me guessing and has nicely timed drops of surprise.

My thanks to Nina Manning, Boldwood Books and Rachel's Random Resources for letting me be a part of this blog tour.

I liked the overall story and particularly enjoyed the ending and how things tied together. However I found it quite slow going, I prefer a faster paced book

I was so excited about this book but it fell flat for me. This was a slow paced mystery and I only stuck to the end to know what actually happened to the main MC. The whole book felt like a long boring monologue of a lonely woman and nothing else. It was like the author crammed all the action in the last 10 percent. I fell in love with the cover and that's why I grabbed it. But other than that I don't think I'll recommend this book to others.

Thank you to netgalley and boldwood books for providing me an arc in exchange for my honest review.

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review. I’ve read some of Ninas previous books so was excited for this.

A dream prize..would instantly make you happy..yes??

A rollercoaster of emotions as we delve into the before and after narrative of what’s led her here.

Very gripping and unpredictable. Thought provoking fast paced and incredibly written.

I loved it and wish Nina every success with this release.

Published 21st July

Be warned that this is a slow burn. I found myself checking at the halfway point when the secret that Kit has been hiding has yet to be revealed.

But if you stick with it, the book advances through some atmospheric scenes in the large and isolated mansion that Kit has won through a raffle. The house has its problems, like most old houses, but Kit also has won £20,000, which she believes will last her for a while (clearly, she has never lived in an old house!).

Although she still hasn't quite moved all her things into Willow Cottage, she feels like it's the perfect place to be anonymous, a place where her past won't catch up to her. But someone knows she's there. I cringed every time she returned home after dark. Since she still had her old flat, I kept willing her to return there.

Although it's easy to guess several of the plot points, and Kit's secret wasn't the horrible thing I thought it would be, Kit is so mired in guilt and self-doubt that to her it's the only thing she can think about. Stick through to the end of the book and the ending will be a pleasant surprise.

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

This wasn't my favorite read of the year, but it also wasn't the worst. I just wasn't a huge fan of the central mystery and really didn't enjoy the main character.

A fun thriller that I really enjoyed, despite the protagonist being a little too naive.

*Please be warned that this book does feature a dog death*

I didn't fully understand the protagonist's reasoning for pulling away from everyone. Not that she shouldn't feel bad, but I felt like it was an extreme overreaction.

Overall, this was a read that begged me to read just one more chapter...very enjoyable!

The Waitress by Nina Manning comes out soon and you’re going to want to get your hands on it! Nina’s books are always good, you can count on her to write gripping suspense that moves quickly. This book is not mile-a-minute twists and turns but an entertaining, tense, and slow-burn kind of book.

PLOT:

Waitress Kit Lowman knows that people look down on her and the job she does. But being anonymous offers Kit safety and security and allows her own terrible secrets to remain hidden.

And then Kit’s luck changes, and she suddenly faces a terrible dilemma: reveal her true identity and accept that life will never be the same. Or stay in the shadows…where she hopes she’ll be safe?

But secrets can’t stay hidden forever. And the more Kit tries to hide away, the more someone makes it clear that they are going to make her pay for what she did.

Oooh yes!

This will be out on July 21!

The beginning confused me a bit, and it was a little slow but it did pick up! Not my favorite, but not the worst book to read in a day. Loved how the story developed throughout.