Jo always manages to deliver first class books and this is no exception. The premise is enough to make you want to sit and devour the whole book immediately and the story itself just builds on from that. I enjoyed the plot, the thrills and the characters and found the structure of the story to be as solid as ever, Excellent.

Having read three of Jo Spain's stories before this, I was really excited to find out that she had a new book coming out soon. So when I started reading Don't Look Back, I felt a little disappointed that I could see where the story was going. But as it turned out, I was wrong. So very wrong.

The first half of the book may at times seem slightly predictable, but as I indicated, that simply makes the second half of the book hit home even harder. The number of times I went back and forth on the actions and motives of various characters - trying to figure what was actually going on - left me feeling as unsure as it made me determined to find out the real story!

When Luke Miller meets Rose Gallagher, he feels like all his Christmases have come at once. Even his realisation that a horrifically abusive relationship from her past has left Rose deeply damaged, and unable to trust men, does not deter Luke. Instead, he decides to prove to Rose that his love is the forever kind, and that she will always be safe with him.

So after a worldwind courtship, they get married. And when Rose surprises Luke at his office with tickets she has spontaneously booked for their delayed honeymoon, the two jet off to the tropical paradise of Saint Therese. It is only on the day that they are due to return home that Luke finds out the real reason behind the surprise "honeymoon".

Rose's violent ex-boyfriend had tracked her down from the home she fled in Ireland to her refuge in London. After being attacked in their flat, Rose accidentally killed her ex and panicked, leaving a dead body in their flat in order to escape - however temporarily - to Saint Therese.

Luke is determined that she must not be sent to prison for defending herself, even though he admits that it looks bad for Rose to have left the country after killing the man, instead of reporting the attack to the police and letting justice take its course. With the aim of joining Rose in her new life as a fugitive, Luke realises he needs just one thing from his flat in London to enable him to start a new life with Rose beyond the reach of the law.

The only problem is, in order to retrieve that one rather important thing, Luke will have to ask Mickey for help - a woman with whom he has a history that is not altogether a happy one.

But Mickey's passion is helping women who are trying to escape the violent men in their lives. So Luke is gambling that Mickey's desire to help someone in Rose's position will overcome any hostility she retains towards him for his past actions.

But very few things in this situation are actually as they seem, and things are about to get a whole lot worse, so strap in for a rough ride...

All in all, this was a five star read for me. The twists and turns of the story make it very compelling, and Jo Spain brings her complex and often flawed characters vividly to life in the pages of this thriller. Highly recommended.

Captivating, with twists and turns on every page. A beautiful setting, a troubled wife and a protective husband..or so it seems. An elaborate plot to extract revenge courses through this book making it an addictive page turner. A very clever and easy to read book. Thank you to Netgalley for the advance reader copy and well done Jo Spain for another great standalone (though it would be great if this was the start of a series, there’s more to come from Mickey I’m sure!)

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Luke and Rose are married, and one day Rose collects Luke from work and takes him on a belated honeymoon to the Caribbean. Luke thinks his life is perfect until, just before returning home, Rose confesses that back in London a man is lying dead in their apartment after she fought back and defended herself. Luke only knows of one person who can possibly help, Mickey. Mickey is a friend from the past, and she is shocked to hear from Luke again after what happened before.

Another excellent read from this author. When I open a Jo Spain book, I know that I’m getting a cleverly thought out plot, with characters that are well written. And that’s exactly what we have here. The plot was brilliant, and everything that is happening is not what you think. The twists and turns were great, and some I didn’t see coming. I enjoyed the characters, Mickey was my favourite. I’d like to see this book turned into a TV film, as it would be brilliant. I also hope that the author revisits Mickey one day so we can see how life has panned out for her.

Wow! This book was brilliant! I loved the storyline and it kept me guessing. Once you think you've got it figured out it goes another way! Jo Spain's style of writing allowed me to imagine I was on the Carribean Island and also Donegal. Being from Ireland and someone who spends a lot of time in Donegal, I can say Jo described the surroundings perfectly. I loved the way the story went between the Carribean, Donegal and London.
Thank you to Jo Spain and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I’ve previously enjoyed Jo Spain’s work but this one left me a bit underwhelmed. I didn’t feel particularly engaged with either Luke or Rose as it seemed clear to me from the early stages that there was something amiss with their relationship. And once some of the historical background was revealed I found it unlikely that Luke would have been quite so naive.

I admit that I was quite intrigued to discover “who dunnit’ or more importantly “why” I felt that the exposition was rushed and slightly confusing.

Sadly I’m not sure that I’d wholeheartedly recommend this read. Nevertheless I’d like to thank.NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Thriller with plenty of excitement and twists

Luke and Rose are enjoying a perfect (belated) honeymoon, until Going Home Day changes everything. Rose’s past is catching up with her, which is scary for her and Luke but makes for an exciting storyline. Can they escape from Rose’s past and live their happy ever after?
Mickey, an old friend of Luke’s, is called in to help, utilising her expertise in helping abused women escape. She’s feisty, genuine and a great character.
To me this is a perfect thriller, with just the right amount of nerve-wracking action. The action moves between London and a Caribbean Island, plus a visit to Ireland. There is plenty of excitement, twists, and surprises, all of which kept me reading and loving every moment. Violence is “off page”, the writing flows, not many characters and those there are come across as real and interesting.
Another 5* read from the wonderful Jo Spain.

Thanks to Netgalley and Quercus for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Luke and Rose are newly married and enjoying a impromptu Caribbean honeymoon when Rose confesses that she murdered her abusive ex boyfriend in their apartment the day they left and the body is still there. Rose tells Luke she will take responsibility but he loves her and won't allow it so he starts working on a plan.

I was engaged in this book and wanted to know what was really going on. I thought it dragged a bit in the middle and the ending was a little hard to follow but overall it was a good quick read and I look forward to reading more from this author

Jo Spain is a fantastic writer and I was delighted to get a chance to read this. It is a great thriller, full of twists and plenty of characters with secrets. It kept me engrossed and it's one you'll race through to see what happens. The characters make it, however. Especially Mickey and Marcel. And the fascinating Maire.

This is another great thriller by Jo Spain. I was super excited to read it as I’ve enjoyed all of the other releases.
It didn’t disappoint and the book is well written, twisty and dark.
The story is unique and the characters are intriguing.
I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend to anyone who likes this genre or author.

3.5 stars

Jo Spain is a guaranteed good read I feel.
I will pick up her books without reading the blurb, as her name is enough.
This one entertained me plenty.
It's all kinds of twisty, and some proper tension filled moments.
Characters I would happily see in another, and another book (and I don't mean Luke and Rose).
A plot that I sometimes guessed at, but still had a few nice surprises in stall.
Enjoyable.

This was absolutely brilliant. The Perfect Lie is one of my favourite books and I honestly think this one was just as good.

I loved everything about this book - the writing style was nice to read and the characters were really well-developed. The story itself was fantastic - every chapter advanced the plot and there were so many twists and turns that even once you'd guessed something, there was always something else waiting to surprise you a few pages later.

I have nothing negative to say, and I would 100% recommend this book. The best one I've read so far this year.

A really good book, I loved how it from start to finish, looking forward to seeing what’s next from the author in the future

Seductive and twisted. Highly recommended! Readers, find some quiet alone time to settle in with this one because you won't stop reading until you've turned the final page. Highly recommended to fans of mysteries, suspense and thrillers.

Jo Spain never disappoints me. I’ve loved all of her books so far and this one is just as bloody exciting.

Chapters are left on cliffhangers so you’ve always got to read that ever famous “one more chapter…”, the personalities of the characters are perfect for the storyline and I loved the differing settings from Ireland to the Caribbean. Jo sets the scene fabulously.

There are more twists than a corkscrew and I wasn’t expecting any of them. If you’re triggered by domestic abuse then perhaps think twice about reading but I think Jo handles it in a delicate way that isn’t seen as too disturbing.

I will be recommending and buying a finished copy for my bookshelf :)