I liked the idea of this book when I read the blurb. Rani lives with her partner and their 2 young daughters in a small rented flat. She is resentful that she had to forgo having a career when she became a mother at a young age. When Natalie and her handsome husband Charles move in to the big house opposite Rani becomes obsessed with their lives and how different they are from hers. When the 2 women become friends it becomes apparent that all is not what it seems. I found Natalie's constant struggles rather repetitive and the final denouement was a bit too far fetched . Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
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I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.
Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton


Written from the perspectives of Rani and Natalie. This is initially a story of an unlikely friendship which as the book goes on becomes a formidable friendship and involves families from both sides.It also explores mental health issues and has a shock from the past which helps explain some of them.

A page-turning thriller about toxic friendships and the impact they can have on a person. I enjoyed both of the main characters and the way that they were written by the author. Probably one of my favourite thrillers of the year so far.

A scary yet timely thriller showing just how dangerous toxic friendships can be, especially when there is an element of jealousy involved. I loved every page!

The contrast between Rani and Natalie's lives and homes couldn't be more different, but they're neighbours who become friends. The grand house over the road and its glamourous occupants intrigue Rani and sets the scene where Natalie's mysterious past slowly unfolds.. There's no second guessing here. The story keeps unravelling and you won't know what really happens until the last page. The book explores loneliness in relationships, female friendship and that a perfect life may be closer to home than you think. A great debut and a very satisfying read.

Her is a twisty psychological thriller that captivates from the start. Drawing inspiration from Single White Female, the story follows a blossoming friendship that eventually turns dark. Her has well-developed characters and a well-crafted plot. Highly recommended!

I absolutely adored HER - this is a stylish debut, with two main characters you can't help but root for. I did not see the twists coming and loved the overall message of the book. I can't wait to read what this author writes next!

I don't think a first chapter has ever captivated me as much as this one has. I felt absorbed, and simply had to read on immediately. Sadly, I think this book peaked a little too soon, as I felt I was drifting by the middle, and a predictable ending didn't give me any shock factor and I couldn't connect with the characters as much as I'd hoped.

This is well written with some smart descriptions; I just wanted a little more.

An addictive psychological thriller with two engaging and very different characters who strike up an unlikely friendship against the backdrop of dark emerging secrets.

This is very entertaining and not predictable, an intriguing premise with themes of memory and hindsight. A nice little twist in the tale works well.

Overall very good and hugely enjoyable.

Rani isn’t satisfied by how her life has turned out. Her partner works while she is a full time mother to their two young children.

When the house opposite comes on the market she invents a character to give her the opportunity to go and have a look inside the beautiful house.
A while later Natalie moves in with her new husband and Rani becomes consumed with becoming her friend.
From there a wild rollercoaster of finding out what exactly isn’t quite right about Natalie.

I loved seeing WOC represented in novels, it’s still too rare for me. I did however have to suspend my disbelief too many times and found the execution of the book a little sloppy, which was such a shame.

Mira Shah shares a story of intrigue and mystery, delving into the mind of two women whose lives are wholly different.

Her story pulls you in from the throat, while exploring topics such as mental health, abuse, race and social class. Sensational stuff! 👏👏🥰

You can preorder your copy at all good bookstores!! Congratulations @shahvmira!! 🎉🎉💜 Can’t wait to see this on the shelves next year!

#netgalley #poc #fiction #womensfiction #thriller #psychologicalthriller #unreliablenarrator #outin2023 #womenwritingfiction #womenwritersofinstagram #womenwritersofcolor

A well written and compelling story that was relatable and believable. The characters were well developed and some were more likeable than others but all were believable,
Perfectly paced with a good amount of suspense and twists and I didn't see the end coming. I really enjoyed it.

This novel explores the friendship between Rani and Natalie. Rani lives with her white partner and children. They rent a flat in Highgate. Opposite them is a stunning house, 11 Priory Gardens. The novel opens with Rani pretending to be someone called Serena, who has made a viewing appointment to see the 11 Priory Gardens. The opening chapter was gripping, the way Rani brought clothes from a shop she can’t afford with the tags still attached itching into her skin. It’s evocative. A new couple move in and Rani finds herself getting obsessed with Natalie. The narrative switches between Natalie and Rani. Natalie has own reasons for wanting to buy this particular house. She lived here many years ago and is set to uncover secrets of the past…

This had potential. I liked the setting, it was vivid and evocative. And that opening chapter had me hooked. However it’s the characters that felt flat for me and the plotting. Here’s what didn’t work for me:
- There is no ticking clock in this novel. Natalie needs to uncover her past secrets and Rani wants to really become her friend. But there is no ticking clock pushing the events forward. As a result the plotting in the first half meanders.
- The friendship element. I just didn’t understand why Rani was so obsessed with Natalie.
- Natalie and her toxic husband storyline felt familiar. I read a lot of suspense novels so saw many of the twists coming.
- Editing. The juxtaposition of some of the scenes just didn’t flow well and needed smoother transitions such the protagonists’ flashback scenes.

Overall this had an interesting hook but the execution just didn’t work for me. Just to be clear this is just MY personal opinion (which is of course subjective) and looking at other reviews the book worked well for other reviewers. So I would strongly advise you read the book yourself and be the judge of it. After all just because something doesn’t work for one person doesn’t mean it won’t for others ☺️

This is Single White Female set in Highgate with different class and a WOC. I read this in one sitting. It’s light, fun read. It’s got your usual wealthy residents with loads of olives, breads and hummus for lunch and plenty of elderflower presse. As another reviewer mentioned if you read the thriller genre you will see certain twists from afar. I did find it took me a while to connect with the characters and I was a bit confused with how characters are related (were Joel and Rani married, or living together) wasn’t clear. But these minor gripes aside this was a decent domestic suspense thriller.

An enjoyable easy to read psychological thriller that skilfully pulls you in and you really look forward to seeing how the story develops. Well written and good characterisation, but for me, it had all been done before with other books of this genre, and there were no major shocks or original plot lines. However, I think this book shows that the author has a talent for thrillers and I think this will do well on publication. I would love her second book to be really original and one that has us readers having an "I didn't see that coming' moment.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the e advance review copy.

What a book! HER is a well-paced, dark, psychological thriller with a cast of beautifully drawn and believable characters. It exposes the true nature of people, who they are and what they think. It celebrates the importance of friendship in even the darkest of times. And it reminds us that though sometimes things aren't what they seem, sometimes they are and we should trust our gut.

A highly accomplished debut by Mira V Shah. I am not ashamed to admit that my eyes are now puffy because I was desperate to finish it last night. I read it in about two days. With its gorgeous and eye-catching cover, this book promised a lot but BOY did it deliver.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC to review.

2.5 stars!


The beginning of this REALLY pulled me in.

With how the cover looks I thought oooo yes a neighbor who grows somewhat obsessive with theor perfect neighbor but their lift isn't as perfect as itt seems!!

But towards the middle part I started to lose interest I thought more would be built up but alit felt like apme chapters weren't really needed and dragged it out a littlw too much for my taste. The story is well written and has some twists and turns that I know some readers will really enioy and definitely recommend it but for me it just fell flat.

This original and compelling psychological thriller kept me engaged and guessing till the very end. Her, is the story of two women, glamorous and perfect Natalie, and Rani, who feels like her life hasn’t worked out like she wanted. The relationship between the two as they navigate through current woes and complicated pasts is at the heart of the novel and is what makes it really stand out. I was fully invested in both women, and all their flaws - and found myself constantly attempting (badly!) to work out the resolution - which when it came was a brilliant reveal. A great read

A very accomplished psychological thriller from a debut author to watch! I think 2023 is going to be the start of something big for Mira Shah

Rina is a young mother to two lovely girls, her dreams of being a journalist put on hold whilst she raises her young family. She dreams of living in the luxurious North London townhouse that's vacant opposite her rented flat, but knows that the £3 million price tag is a pipe dream for her. When the glamorous and polished Natalie moves into the house with her wealthy and adoring banker husband Charles, their worlds couldn't be further apart.

But the two women envy each other's lifestyles - Rina would love the luxury and comfort that Natalie's husband and job bring to her, whilst Natalie admires the emotional freedom that Rina has to express her disappointment in how her life has turned out. The bond between them grows, and as they share their secrets and fears with one another, buried truths start to emerge as they can no longer be buried deep any more. I had an inkling about one of the plot twists but not until a long way into the story. I loved the character of Luella, Natalie's mum, and would love to know more about what makes her tick.

I loved the relationship between the two protagonists and the sense of 'the grass is always greener on the other side' came through so strongly. It was a real page-turner and I devoured the story in two sittings. I even dreamt about it inbetween!

Wishing Mira all the best luck for her debut novel - I am intrigued where she will go next with her writing.

Her is remarkable debut thriller featuring a set of intriguing protagonists you can't help but root for despite their flaws. Rani and Natalie both have distinctive voices, and their intriguing secrets are woven into the narrative, pushing this twisty narrative to an explosive end you won't see coming. I particularly adored Rani's wrenching feelings about her own family situation – it was done with the lightest of touches and felt very real. Set against a backdrop of monied, status-driven London, and with taut tension throughout, this is a must read for 2023.