In her Place
Edel Coffey
Read and Reviewed: March 2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In Her Place is Edel's second novel. I absolutely loved her first novel Breaking Point when I read it last year so I was delighted to receive an advance reading copy of this one and couldnt wait to get stuck in. Thank you netgalley for the chance to read this one in exchange for my honest review.

While I didnt love this one on quite the same level as 'Breaking Point' there is no denying Edel is a fantastic writer and her books pull you in from the very start.

Set in New York, we are introduced to Ann, our main character who is grief stricken after the loss of her mum who she devoted years of her life to care for.

Justin, is also grieving although his wife Deborah is still alive - she is terminally ill and has been in a coma for 6 years.

Ann and Justin meet unexpectedly and are instantly drawn to each other. They hit it off from the start and quickly fall in love. After a whirlwind Romance, Ann moves in with Justin and his little daughter but things take a turn and get tricky quite quickly when Deborah awakens and makes a miraculous recovery and is coming home ....

I really enjoy Edels writing style. I think this one is nicely paced and well written. Ann is a very complex character - grief stricken, scarred, flawed. Justin, IMO, is a walking red flag LOL, but it only adds to the tension.

There were a couple of times my jaw literally dropped as I had not seen or had guessed what was coming!

There were secrets galore, lies and liars and as the book progressed it was not always easy to know who to root for.

This was definately an emotionally complex story filled with plenty of drama that keeps you turning pages till the very end.

I just couldn't put it down!

4 stars from me!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Already looking forward to seeing what Edel comes up with next!!!!

*Thanks again to netgalley for the chance to read this one in exchange for my honest review*

Why why why did I sit on this it was brilliant and I loved it
I read the reviews and was unsure and am so glad I ignored them
You must read this.

Unfortunately I never finished this book. Have really enjoyed this author in the past, but this book was just too slow for me. From what I did read it was kinda predictable what would happen next.
If I had persevered it might have got better, but sadly I didn’t have the patience to wade through pages of nothing much till I got there.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sphere for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I found this story of Ann, a woman trying to find her place in the world didn’t sit well with me. Her choices highlighted the battle of our selfish desires to look after ourselves first and foremost. Ann’s decisions didn’t fully ring true for me but there was some clever parts to the storyline. Many thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group for the ARC

I love Edel's writing and true to form, this book hooked me from early on and I was fully invested in finding out what's going to happen in the end. Plot full of twists and turns and characters that felt real. I enjoyed how roughly the second half turned quite dark, the atmosphere felt heavy and the suspense kept me turning the pages.

I would recommend for fans of the genre. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my review copy, all opinions are my own.

First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.

Read very quickly loved the short chapters, good story but I didn't find myself loving it, normally I can't put a book down but sometimes this just felt a little like I forced myself to read it, it's maybe just me I can't put my finger on it but something was just missing for me,

Edel Coffey has a knack for picking topics for her books that are particularly emotive and controversial; in this novel you end up being caught between wondering does the past deserve a second go (when everything has changed so much) or should life move on regardless? A twisty story where you aren't always sure how reliable the narrator is and what their motives are, In Her Place is a great summer read.

A good read
A few twists
With quite a few secrets
A really well written book
Thanks NetGalley

I'm a very vivid reader of crime shows and books but haven't really read many books, so when I got the opportunity for an arc I couldn't wait to read it, so I would recommend this books a lot as it was a great book for getting into this genre.I have love hate relationships with most of the main characters. The story was written with immense thought process, which I appreciated a lot. Here's to looking forward to more books by this author.

This was a very good and enjoyable read. It sits between the genres of being a thriller and an emotional drama and it hovers between these very well. I was not expecting there to be so many twists and this only served to make the read gripping and exciting. The emotional aspect of he book meant it felt more realistic and allowed the reader to develop a deeper connection with the characters.
I thought the characters were perfect for this book and they all played their role well. Overall this was a fantastic, gripping read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Little for an advance copy.

I loved Edel Coffeys previous book and was so excited to read this book. It was absolutely fantastic. I really loved the characters especially Ann and found the plot to be fast moving and gripping. Once this book is opened it is IMPOSSSIBLE to put down. Once of the books of 2024, and one that cannot be missed.

I loved Breaking Point so was super excited to be granted access to this arc, albeit it a slower paced book I thoroughly enjoyed this .

It left me equally as unsettled with the story of Ann portrayed as a loney character after years of looking after her mother and Justin who’ wife has been dying for quite some time . I was left wanting to know the motivations to Justin’s wife’s her sudden wellness and return to the family home where Ann lives … the dual pregnancy as far fetched as it was probably happens to many .

I enjoyed 4 stars 🌟

EXCERPT: Sometimes the membrane between the knowledge that her mother was dead and the ides that she might somehow find a way back to Ann was very thin. In quieter moments, meditating or just before fully waking up in the morning, Ann swore she could feel a sense of her mother.
She tried to imagine what her mother might say to her now about the nightmare she was in.
Told you so?
Get the hell out of there?
Ann was so deeply in love with Justin and the life she imagined they were going to have when their baby arrived that she found it impossible to reverse out of this situation. She was dug in, up to her waist in it. And why should she be the one who had to graciously bow out? Didn't she have as much right to Justin, their home, this life, as Deborah did? She should have known. Everything was too perfect, too good to be true.
She should have listened to her sisters.

ABOUT 'IN HER PLACE': Who is the other woman? That's for you to decide. Ann devoted years to her mother's care - and now she's gone, Ann feels lost. Justin is also grieving, but his wife is still alive. Deborah is in a coma and she doesn't have long left. When the two meet, they are instantly drawn to one another and, before long, they've fallen deeply in love. Ann quickly moves in with Justin and his little girl, making them the perfect family. But just as Ann settles into her new life, Justin's is turned upside down. Unexpectedly, his wife has survived. Deborah is coming home. Neither knows what to do. But one thing is Ann has earned the life Deborah left behind, and she plans to keep it . . .'

MY THOUGHTS: I have said this before, and I'll say it again: I love a good moral dilemma. In Her Place is certainly that. Marian Keyes nailed it when she said: "It's propulsive, thought-provoking and unputdownable." I certainly couldn't put it down. I didn't always like the characters, but I couldn't put it down. I didn't always like what the characters were doing, but I couldn't put it down.

I don't think I have ever read a book quite like it. Quite often I found myself shouting at Ann; always a good sign. She is a very complex character; scarred, flawed, proud, grieving - but she had standards. HAD being the operative word. Justin is just so . . . perfect. And how does a woman resist perfect? She doesn't. Ann can't. Ann is suddenly in possession of everything she has ever wanted - she belongs.

But then things start to go wrong. Just minor things initially. Nothing that can't be fixed, worked around. But then there's THE BIG THING. You know the story about the boy and the leaky dyke? Keep that in mind.

The ending surprised me - in a good way. I certainly didn't see it coming although I may have hoped for something like it.

A very clever and addictive read. I'm now going to go find Ms Coffey's first book and devour that.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

#InHerPlace #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Edel Coffey is an Irish journalist and broadcaster. She lives in Galway with her husband and children.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Little Brown Book Group UK, Sphere via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of In Her Place by Edel Coffey for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

In Her Place was quite the gripping page turner of a read. It had plenty of enjoyable twists and turns and interesting characters that left me wanting to know more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for my ARC.

I absolutely loved Breaking Point by this author and strongly recommend anyone who loves a Jodi picoult book picks that up!
In Her Place was highly anticipated for me and I am very grateful to the publicist sending me an advanced copy.
From picking this up, I knew I was in for a tense, atmospheric ride.
I loved the twist at the end of this book and was so glad there was an happy ending to some degree. There were so many times I just wanted to shake Anne and pull her up on her naivety. It made me angry in places. Any book that makes you FEEL is such a good book.
Justin is definitely a character I never want me or my friends to meet
It didn’t take me too long to read this book, due to the short chapters and the tense writing.
This is one that comes highly recommended from me

A brilliant book that I loved from start to finish - highly recommend this book to my fellow readers 😊

I had some issues with this author's first novel and, unfortunately, didn't enjoy it as much as I thought.

In Her Place started off well, and I flew through the first 100 pages. It is certainly a page-turner, and will please fans of domestic thrillers with short, gripping chapters. I felt the story unravelled after this, mainly owing to the unrealistic actions of the protagonist. I understand that with a lot of thrillers you have to suspend disbelief, but this asked a little too much of me as a reader. I gave the protagonist some grace, but after a while I found it really difficult to understand why she made the choices she did.

As with the author's first novel, I found the writing quite tentative; almost simplistic. And there were some Irishisms that weren't true to an American-born and raised main character.

This wasn't a hit for me, sadly, but I do think it will strike a chord for anyone who loves a quick holiday read that is dramatic and propulsive.

In Her Place
by Edel Coffey

I really wanted to enjoy this book because I admire this author as a journalist. I have been trying to compose a review for days but everything I have to say about this publication just sounds unkind and makes me feel like a book snob, so probably best to admit that it just isn't for me.

Edel Coffey has done it again! Another completely immersive, gripping story about women under pressure. So many women will relate to Ann's story and the pressure she was under from herself and those around her to settle down, find a husband and have a baby (as if it's just as easy as that!). I adored Ann's character development in this book. It was so interesting to see how this pressure affected her decisions but also how she grew into herself and found her own strength. The character of Deborah added so much to the story and I really enjoyed the chapters from her point of view. While the women were at the forefront of this story, I found it interesting to take a step back every now and again and really look at Justin's actions and behaviours in all this.

Another phenomenal read from Edel Coffey! With many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC copy.