This is a dark psychological thriller. The story is told from a dual perspective. Basically the book is spilt into two parts. It is a very tense read. It is well written with compelling characters

Whilst I did enjoy this book, at times it felt a little predictable and was quite a sad tale of family secrets and a lot of tension. It was a thrilling read and definitely makes you turn page after page, revealing even more twists and secrets. The ending was a good one.

Wow, what a scarily, psychological and powerful read. There was so many twists and turns, that you were left reeling! I haven't read much by this author in the past but will do so in future.

An ok read. I guessed the culprit early in the story and that kept me going, as I just wanted to see if I was right.. and I was :)

The story itself felt somewhat interesting, but it did feel a little 'I've read this type of domestic thiller before' or I do not think I will remember the book's plot at the end of the reading year... Sorry!

Thank you for the ARC, NetGalley!

I love Susan Elliot Wright's writing so was eager to read this one and I'm so happy to say that it didn't disappoint! The novel follows Emily whose cat has gone missing and one day a local woman brings the cat home. What follows is a dark novel of how one woman tries to cope with motherhood, working and her marriage; often using alcohol as a crutch and all the while Anna is increasingly there and increasingly helpful. As the novel goes on there is a real sense of unease, that all might not be as it seems. It's a claustrophobic novel at times and I found it impossible to look away even when part of me wanted to. This is an excellent read and I highly recommend it.

All you ever wanted by Susan Elliot White.
You are inside.
With your husband and baby. Your life warm and calm and untroubled.
I am outside.
Alone. Looking in. Watching You.
You have all I ever wanted.
Now it's time for you to share.
I really enjoyed this book. Creep chilling. 5*.

When I read the synopsis for this novel I expected it to be similar to my usual type of book but it was a little bit different. Yes there was a criminal element but this was more about the characters, the small family whose lives are disrupted by Anna. And their realisation that she wasn’t really who she said she was.
Most of the novel was told by Emily’s point of view. Her concerns over her job, made worse by her marriage to Simon, who worked in the same school. Her guilt about drinking too much whilst accepting that it helped her cope. She becomes increasingly reliant on Anna, not realising that little was as it seemed. I wasn’t that keen on her until I got to know more about Anna.
In the second part of the novel the narrative switches and the reader starts to realise exactly who Anna was and the lengths she was prepared to go to so she could get what she wanted. There wasn’t that much focus on her but I found it just enough. I could see her determination, but also her weakness and her loneliness.
Whilst this wasn’t a novel where I had strong feelings about the characters, with the exception of Simon who I detested almost immediately, I did have some sympathy for both Emily and Anna. I could see both points of view and understand to some degree why they reacted the way they did at certain points. I would definitely be interested in a sequel to this book, but in many ways it was the perfect ending. This novel was a slight departure from my comfort zone but it was one I enjoyed

My first read by the author and what an excellent book!

This is such a dark and emotional read and i became invested into the characters.

I will certainly be recommending and reading more of the authors books!

This story did feel quite like others I’ve read but nevertheless it is worth a read. So some of it is predictable but don’t feel to9 smug because the author has a very big surprise up her sleeve.

When a strange woman turns up on Emily’s doorstep with their lost cat, she doesn’t think anything of it. Not the kind of person she would normally be drawn to, there’s something about Anna that suggests they could be friends. At first the friendship seems perfectly normal, but Anna has a secret she’s keeping from Emily.

This is an unusual thriller in that you are aware that things could take a sinister turn, but everything seems ok on the surface. I enjoyed reading about the family dynamics and the character’s backstories which explained how they reached this point in the story.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Could not put this book down, i was hooked. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book. 100% recommend.

I’ve always enjoyed this author and this book is no exception. You feel like you’re part of the story and no matter how many characters there may be in a book you feel like you’re a part of that world and invested in these characters as well.

What an excellent book!

I had a feeling that this book would be good.. and I was right. Wow. This is such a dark and emotional read and i certainly wasn't prepared for how emotionally tied I would be to the characters. The author has done everything right here and i loved following the journey.

I will certainly be recommending and reading more of Wright's books!

New mum and tired teacher Emily is finding life hard. She feels constantly behind and failing to keep up in both her roles. So when she clicks with Anna, the woman who returned her missing cat, her new friend seems like a helping hand in her chaotic life as she steps in to help with her daughter Bonnie and is available for Emily to offload her worries to. But Anna is a stranger. And Emily has forgotten that strangers might not be who they seem....

I really enjoyed this book by author Susan Elliot Wright. I have not read any other books by her but I really enjoyed the way this was written, using different perspectives and shifts in chronology to show how the two women are connected.

The contract between Anna and Emily is very interesting and introduces some moral questions for the reader to consider. Anna's life has been one of struggle, rejection and loneliness whereas Emily seems to have a dream life and it does encourage you to question whether you should feel sympathy for her or whether she is ungrateful. I personally felt quite a lot of sympathy for Emily as a character considering the difficulties she faces as a young mum and overworked teacher coupled with the relationship with her husband, who I felt was quite unlikeable.

Anna is certainly a character that the reader will feel sorry for and her actions are clearly as a result of the trauma and rejection she has faced.

A fantastic book that keeps you hooked.

Thank you to SusanElliotWright, Simon Schuster UK and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC.

Opening with a devastating car crash that entirely changes a family, All You Ever Wanted is a twisty psychological domestic thriller that kept me on my toes! Emily is an over-stretched mother and teacher who is being pulled in umpteen directions all the time'; her husband is helpful but may be having an affair with the woman that he left for Emily (and who is now Emily's boss, awkward!)
She meets Anna, a neighbour who has found Emily's lost cat - and the friendship between them slowly grows. Anna seems to know more about Emily and her family than she should, what is she hiding?

I didnt love this as much as I thought I might, none of the characters were very likeable and all seemed ready of excuses and willing to blame one another. The story line was interesting but not unique enough to capture my attention, sorry.
Thanks for the chance to read it though, and I am sure that other readers will be much more appreciative!

Emily gets to know Anna when she drops off her missing cat. Anna then becomes close to Emily and her daughter Bonnie. As time goes on, Anna seems to know more than she should about Emily, who is having marriage difficulties. Things take a darker turn, as things from their backgrounds come to light. What does Anna want?
A great psychological thriller, perfect for thriller fans, with many twists and turns.

Emily is a part-time teacher with a one-year old baby and a potentially-unfaithful husband who is an administrator at her school. She is unhappy and overwhelmed and convinced she is being watched. Anna steps in as a friend and helper, but does she have an ulterior motive? I enjoyed the first half of the novel and trying to decide whether Emily is just being paranoid. The second half switches focus and then ends on a humdinger of a cliffhanger. Overall, a tense, suspenseful read.

Thank you to Netgalley for my ARC.

I have read some books by this author before and that’s why I requested this novel. I have mixed views on this one.

The opening was good - Emily has it all; a lovely house, a beautiful husband and a baby daughter. But she drinks a lot and is clearly unhappy. She’s convinced that she’s being watched and that she can’t trust her husband.

But this goes on for the first half of the novel. Constant negativity and paranoia. It bored me. If it wasn’t for the narrator shift in the middle, I might not have finished this book at all.

The pace picks up again as we hear from a different character. There are a few twists and turns. Along with some very obvious revelations.

But the ending has really affected my rating too. It ends with a bang. And that’s it. There’s no closure for the reader. A very odd finish for what was clearly building up to be a shocking ending

All You Ever Wanted. Emily and Anna. Two women who want very different things. Emily is (perhaps) happily married with a year old baby. She’s a teacher at the same school where her husband Simon, an administrator, was once engaged to another teacher (long story.) She has a bad relationship with her mother, has lost touch with her friends, feels overworked and gets little help from her husband whose time seems to be filled with afternoon and evening meetings. Yes, she is suspicious of those meetings. So when her missing cat is rescued by Anna, who works several jobs to support herself, Emily is receptive to Anna’s offer to help. She’ll take care of the baby a few afternoons a week. The women become fast friends. And all I can tell you, without spoilers, that at this point you will not be able to put All You Ever Wanted down.

This psychological thriller is compelling, suspenseful, chilling and compulsively readable. Both Emily and Anna are complicated women who elicit feelings of sympathy, frustration and anger from the reader. Simon and Emily’s mother are also well described characters. This is a 5 star read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster UK and Susan Elliot Wright for this ARC.

A good domestic noir although guessed what was happening,big cliff hanger which not sure liked,good writing and very atmospheric