Thank you the Book Guild and Netgalley and I am so sorry I took so long to get around to reading this.
An absolute page turner, I couldn't put this down.
A bit of a strange one though, Andrew and Matthew had different operations but somehow woke up in a different body - really!!!
With no memory at all Andrew tries to get the truth which was much more than he bargained for.
Unusual!

**"Hosting Andrew" by John Lawrence** is a captivating medico-legal mystery thriller. The story follows Andrew Soulsby, a solicitor whose life unravels as he experiences dark memories that aren't his own. Arrested for crimes he doesn't remember, Andrew faces ruin and imprisonment. The book skillfully blends fantasy with reality, exploring themes of identity and the soul. It's a thought-provoking and suspenseful read that keeps you hooked till the end. Perfect for fans of mystery and thrillers!

This is such a chilling read. Two. men going in for the same operation yet the unexpected happens and the many twists and challenges that come with this, Enjoyable read

What would happen if very, very rich people could have 'themselves', their character, behaviour and memories switch to a better body? Younger, even richer, with more money and power, with a better marriage and so on?
Well, the world would be completely ignorant, I think. Of course such people, as Matthew in this story, don't want anybody to know. And who would believe the other person when they said they were in the wrong body?
Anyway, Matthew found a way to switch to Andrews' body without poor Andrew knowing what was going to happen with him. Let alone his family.
And then it goes wrong, all wrong.

We read the story seen from both POV's, Matthews' and Andrews' and it is very cleverly done. Matthew is obscenely rich, or so he thinks, whereas Andrew is just moderately well of. On the other hand, Matthew has no loving wife and everybody secretly hates him, whereas Andrew is very happy with his wife and children.
Slowly it becomes clear what happened and what went wrong, and then the story gets more and more intense as both Matthew and Andrew have to come to terms with their new bodies and life. I just loved the way you can see the characters change, and there are a couple of real surprises before the biggest one at the end.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.
This is my first title by this author and will read more in the future.
Will recommend this to anyone looking for a new title.
I love medical stories and this one had a very interesting story line.
This book had a very interesting plot that i really enjoyed and haven't read before.
Thanks again for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
5/5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
The information provided presents the book as cross between a mystery and an exploration of morals and ethics; it includes these elements but is so much more! From the moment Andrew awoke from the anaesthetic to find himself in a different body it had me gripped. His confusion, bordering on horror, was described showing empathy and understanding of human emotions and the more he tried to explain how he felt and find out what had happened the reader feels his despair creeping in. I thought the book was extremely well-written so it is hard to believe it is a debut novel, every nuance of being in a 'different body' was conveyed, from differences when moving around to the voice and way of speaking. The plot borders on science fiction but with medical research going on constantly it is almost possible to believe this has the potential for a future reality. I didn't want to put the book down, and found the ending extremely satisfying! I definitely recommend this book.

What a weirdly entertaining read. It reminds me sort of the Jamie Lee Curtis movie "Freaky Friday", and was just as much fun and entertaining as the movie!

Thanks first must go to Netgalley, the publisher and John Lawrance for the ARC of ‘Hosting Andrew’.

Initially I was sceptical it could be slightly sci-fi however, keen to test my usual genre boundaries I tore through this well written book at speed.

Good plot, developed characters, excellent writing. Really enjoyed and would recommend.

This is John Lawrence's first published book. It's a combination of mystery and sci-fi. It ended up being based upon government conspiracy and human testing a little far-fetched, but I went along with it for the theme of the read.

It had a great start with an interesting plot. Two men go for two different operations. However, only one wakes up. When one wakes up, he begins to realise he's in the wrong body.
You follow the narrator of Andrew, and in his mind, he truly believes he has been switched into the body of Matthew. Andrew hasn't awoken from his operation. He died on the table, and the mind of Andrew goes to his own funeral in the body of Matthew. Matthew was a bad man, and now Andrew is being hunted for his poor choices.

This book did lose my interest at times.
It could be really snappy and had me hooked; then by the time the next mystery came along it was over written, over complex and I found myself skim reading to try and find out what was coming next.

Characters that I felt had a very strong build-up, just ended up randomly dying through accidents? I understand the concept of why, but it just didn't fit with the style of the book. It's too quick and not enough explanation.

It was really strong in some parts, twisty, intriguing, and mysterious. However, when it came to tying things together towards the end, it appeared rushed, as if things were just thrown in there for added effect.

My honest review is that this book didn't really work for me. This doesn't mean to say it wasn't enjoyable, but the ending was disappointing. I'm sure this will be enjoyable to others.

Thank you @netgalley for this ARC.

Sadly this book was not my cup of tea and I DNF’d it 20% through. I am honestly sad about this just because the first sentence had me HOOKED! As I got deeper in the book I realized things moved a lot slower and I got bored. I definitely liked the idea of this book, however the story line was too slow for my liking. It honestly left me confused. I can understand why others do like this book though, however it isn’t my cup of tea. From what I actually read I would have to give it a 2/5!
Thank you Netgalley, John Lawrance, and the Book Guild for giving me an opportunity to read this ARC! All opinions are my own!
This title is available and out now if you want to check it out, which I encourage you to, just because it wasn’t my cup of tea doesn’t mean it’s not yours!

Imagine waking up in somebody else’s body!! Thrilling and utterly compulsive! An incredible read, impossible to put down. Incredible storytelling! Recommend you read this book!

This story takes its plot from two Hollywood films, Face/Off and The Fugitive. If you have seen both of these, you will resonate well with the idea of a man waking up inside the wrong body and being chased down for things the original host did.

Despite it not being a unique plot, there were some intriguing moments; however, at times, I wanted the chapter sooner than it did, to end and the book to finish.

The ending wasn’t bad, but it was a tad flat.

Would certainly give it a go tho!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher The Book Guild for an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A well-written book that made me ponder what would I do if I woke up in someone else’s body after surgery. This book answered the question for our protagonist. The characters were well-written and I enjoyed this read.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest review.
I wasn't initially sure about this story. Imagine going for a fiarly routine operation and three hours later finding out that your body died but you're now living in someone else's body but with your memories.
It sounds just too far fetched and shouldn't really work but it most definitely does.
Early on this story grabbed me and I could hardly put it down
Five Stars.

Firstly thank you Netgalley for this ARC

What a brilliantly written book loved it from start to finish about two men who have different operations and the horror of what happens to one of the men

Amazing! The author takes a fascinating premise and makes it incredibly believable. I loved this clever blend of mystery and sci fi. I could imagine the fear and terror the character must have felt - that desperation was palpable.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a great debut. I'm sure this is just the start of a great career for this author. Lots of intrigue, twists and turns and many surprises. I am so looking forward to reading more from this author.

It took me a little while to get into this book and I found it somewhat overwritten at times, but nonetheless ultimately I found in quite enthralling.

The protagonists are well written and sympathetic (even the “bad” guys) and even though I felt that the premise was unlikely, it did open my mind to the prospects of the transfer of a “Soul” from one person to another.

Highly recommended.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Loved loved this one!! Gripping and exciting and as always a fab read and can't wait to see what this author does next :)

I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy this book as it sounded like it had a slight sci-fi feel to it but I was pleasantly surprised. Two men go down for an op, only 1 survives but he wakes up in the other man's body.
I loved the beginning and felt so much empathy towards Andrew however a couple of things felt truly unbelievable. I do not believe that even after convincing his wife that he was Andrew inside Matthews body, she would be able to do what she did the same day, I know I certainly couldn't. I was also waiting for some kind of twist relating to the 2 wives at the end as felt it was great opportunity to add some more depth to the ending.
The ending is where I really felt disappointed, it felt rushed and just didn't seem right somehow. Which was a real shame as the majority of the story was really good, it was just so odd how such a major plot change was rushed into such a short ending
3.5 stars rounded to 4 for a great idea and first 3/4.
#NetGalley #HostingAndrew