📢 Attention all thriller fans! Get ready to immerse yourself in the gripping world of obsession, deception, and desire with "The Mistress" – the latest heart-pounding psychological thriller from the incomparable Valerie Keogh!

Meet Hannah Parker, a woman who stops at nothing to get what she wants. When her marriage hits rocky shores yet again due to her web of lies, she decides it's time to move on and secure the life she craves – the life she deserves. But who will be the lucky man to fulfill her desires?

As fate would have it, Hannah's attention is drawn to an old flame, Mark Shepherd, in a photograph. Memories of their past happiness flood back, and she becomes convinced that he's the one she's meant to be with. Despite Mark being happily married with his own family, Hannah is determined to rekindle their past romance.

Armed with newfound wisdom and seductive charm, Hannah sets her sights on Mark, determined to make him hers once more. But as her obsession deepens, lines blur, and the consequences become increasingly dire.

Valerie Keogh's masterful storytelling will keep you on the edge of your seat, eagerly turning pages to unravel the tangled web of deceit and desire. With each twist and turn, "The Mistress" delves deeper into the darker side of human nature, exploring the lengths one woman will go to in pursuit of her forbidden passion.

Finished this book tonight. The story being told in two perspectives was great. Quick read. I was a little disappointed in the ending but enjoyed reading this book. The drama between wife and mistress is entertaining.

Looking forward to trying another from this author.

So grateful to have received an ARC for The Mistress from Netgally!

Unfortunately, I didn’t really enjoy this one as much as I would’ve liked. It follows two women, the mistress and the wife. I was expecting more of an Obsessed Beyoncé moment, but instead we follow the wife who is grieving her son going to college and starting to suspect her husband is cheating and then the mistress and her adventures cheating with this woman’s husband.

The ending fell extremely flat for me (and just felt like a lazy way to wrap it all up quickly) and overall I just think this could’ve been executed better. For example, the wife has these visions of violence and murdering people when she is mad or will say to herself “I’ll murder her if she does such and such” again, but never acts on? Like i would’ve been so much more intrigued if she actually acted on these violent thoughts, would’ve gave the book a little spice, a little razzle dazzle.

Valerie Keogh is one of my favourite authors and once again she has produced another great book that had me turning the pages as fast as I could.

Firstly I loved the way the author set up the story, told in alternating POV's from Hannah and Susan and also going back and forth in time which sets the scene for the reader. Susan is Mark's wife and up until now they have settled into if not an easy relationship but a predictable one, Hannah on the other hand is married to a 70 year old man who makes her life a living hell, she is beaten by him setting her off on a path to find something that will make her feel like she is wanted and loved. Reading at home one day Hannah finds an old picture of her boyfriend Mark in a book, Susan's husband. In their twenties Hannah and Mark were an item until Hannah broke Mark's heart by breaking off the relationship, leaving the door open for Mark and Susan to meet and marry. Now Hannah decides to track Mark down wanting to rekindle their relationship, she reels him in slowly with her womanly ways and really Mark did not stand a chance against her insistent drive to find her own personal happiness, not caring who she hurts along the way.

But Susan is not going to give up without a fight and as she realises her suspicions about Mark are correct she also sets out on a path to fight to the bitter end to reclaim her husband. Will she be successful and can life ever be the same again?

The book moves at a fast pace and I was thoroughly taken in by the plot and the characters. Totally unlikeable people they are, but this often creates an intense toxic environment that has all the hallmarks of a great book, I loved it. Thank you to Netgalley , the author and publisher for an advanced copy, all opinions expressed are my own.

I’ve loved everything I’ve read by Valerie keogh and this book was no exception, I raced through it.

Thanks to net galley and the publishers for this arc

4 stars

📖 The Mistress
✍️ Valerie Keogh
🗓️ 25 Mar 2024
📝 Boldwood Books

Hannah is the kind of woman who is used to getting what she wants. At all costs, if it has to be.
When her current marriage is crumbling, she knows that things have to change.
She discovered a picture of an old flame. Said old flame is happily married now. That does not stop Hannah. She has to get Mark at all times.

I am on the fence with this. There was something about the writing that didn’t sit right with me. I just don’t like these rich, ambitious women. I cannot relate at all. So it took me a while to get into this story. The characters were not relatable and I did not like a single one. While this is partially intended, it’s not a style of writing I particularly enjoy.

While I liked the idea of this, it did not work for me.


⭐️Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced copy. All opinions are my own, I was under no obligation to review.

This was a great book. I loved every paragraph, every sentence and every word of this masterpiece! I read it in 12 hours, which is a lot for me to do! It had everything and more laid out in the novel! I sure hope There is more to come from this author! I am totally hooked!

Have read a number of books from this author now and loved every one. None of the characters were likeable in this book but I did really want to know how it was going to end. It cracked along at a fair old pace and get you guessing.
The ending was unexpected, Not entirely sure what I was hoping for but then would I have referred the alternative? I really don't know. You sort of hope that karma would play a part.
This would make a great film or TV series

Another great story by Valerie Keogh that keeps you reading until the very end. Mark and Hannah have a relationship at University but she then pushes him away as she doesn’t think she’s worth it. Her father left her when she was 10 and she assumes everyone is going to do the same, so she pushes them away before they can. Instead, she settles on older men that she can take everything she can from. When her older husband Ivan attacks her and then has a stroke, she decides to hunt out her old flame Mark as he was the one who was nice to her, she doesn’t care about Mark’s wife, Susan, dealing with her own loss of her son going to university.
Lots of twists and turns make this a great read.

I enjoyed this book and found the characters interesting enough to want to know how they would end up. Though I didn't like any character in particular, I do feel both of the women deserved more in the end, but that is also very realistic, life isn't always fair. I would read more from this author.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this arc.
This is my first book by this author, and while I think the storyline could have been good, it was a DNF for me at 15%.
I just could not get into the character & the way it was written.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc.

I read this book pretty quickly. Hannah was a very manipulative character and made it interesting to read as she deceived Mark and Susan. The end however, was disappointing, I t felt rushed and just wasn’t a satisfying end for the rest of the book:

Three ⭐️ s. It was first book by this author. I wasn’t sure what to expect. Her writing style is a little different from what I usually read. I love thrillers/suspense but felt like I was reading or watching a bit trashy of a soap opera thriller. But it did have twists even right up to the end!

Thank you to #NetGalley and #BoldwoodBooks for advanced digital copy and the opportunity to give an honest review.

I have enjoyed all the book I have read by Valerie Keogh and this one was no different, it was full of suspense and tension and bubbling secrets.

WOW oh my goodness this book hooked me in from page one and left me gasping on the last page. It was like watching a film with all the emotions experienced. Highly recommend a book full of twists turns and a totally unexpected ending.

I've read several books by Keough, and this one is among the best! The author's signature style of twisted, suspenseful, and dramatic storytelling is evident throughout the book, and it kept me hooked from start to finish.

The plot is well-paced, and the characters are well-crafted. Susan and Hannah are compelling leading ladies with their own set of flaws and challenges. Keough does a great job of making these women strong and independent in their ways. I found both characters equally likeable, making it hard to pick a favourite.

The ending was a bit predictable for my taste, so I gave it a slightly lower rating. But overall, it's a perfect book for anyone who wants a quick and exciting read.

Hannah Parker always gets what she wants! When things go really bad with her and her current husband she knows it's time to move on. Who is her next victim? She spots her old flame Mark, and always believes he is the one who got away, now she wants him back and she will do anything to get him.
A great read, interesting characters the book had me hooked from the very first page.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #Boldwood Books and Valerie Keogh for the opportunity to read The Mistress, to be published 25 March 24. 5/5 Stars for this shocking psychological thriller. The characters were believable and some you wanted to hate. There were twists and turns to keep anyone guessing. The finale was a shocker. A great read! Valerie Keogh readers will lap it up. #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks #ValerieKeogh #TheMistress.

At first I wasn’t sure where this story was headed but it soon grabbed me and pulled me in. The main character Hannah was despicable and manipulative, but extremely interesting and deep. It was entirely an unpredictable story and different from a lot of stories with a somewhat similar premise. I like how original it was and the POV it was told from.

Really enjoyed this book! Lots of twists and turns in it! Thank you Net galley for early read
I will recommend