It has been some time since I last read one of Ms. Keogh's books, but "The Mistress" reminded me how much I enjoy her writing.

The first chapter of the book immersed me in the action immediately. While Hannah is not an entirely likable character, there are moments when I felt sympathetic towards her, especially at the beginning of the story. However, as the plot progresses, Hannah's manipulative and callous treatment of people becomes increasingly apparent, and her background does not excuse her terrible behavior. Despite this, the fast-paced psychological thriller filled with betrayal, secrets, and lies kept me engaged. Hannah is not the only character in the book, but she is the captivatingly detestable one that kept me engrossed.

I initially leaned towards a 4-star rating for the book, but the shocking and twisted ending caught me off guard and blew me away, earning it a solid 5-star rating!

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I have read and loved each and every book that Valerie has written to date. I read the synopsis of 'The Mistress' and it certainly sounded like the sort of book I have come to expect from Valerie - a gripping psychological thriller with several twists and turns. Well it was certainly that and so much more. I really enjoyed reading 'The Mistress' but more about that in a bit.

I must be honest and say that it took me a little while to get into 'The Mistress'. Part of the problem was that I found it rather hard to warm to the main character of Hannah. I started off feeling sorry for her and with an open mind but as the story continued I got to know her a bit better and I ended up rather disliking her. Hannah comes across as a devious and manipulative character and you certainly can't trust her. I had my own suspicions as to how the story was going to develop and so I had to keep reading to see if I was anywhere near the truth or if I had wandered off in the opposite direction. The more of the book that I read, the more I wanted to read and the quicker the pages seemed to turn. I was so wrapped up in the story that I didn't realise just how quickly I was getting through the book. All too quickly I reached the end of 'The Mistress'. I found 'The Mistress' to be a gripping, tense and dramatic read, which certainly kept me guessing and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.

'The Mistress' is superbly written but then I have come to expect nothing less from Valerie Keogh. Valerie certainly knows how to grab the reader's attention and draw them into what proves to be one hell of a story and then some. Valerie describes her characters so vividly and realistically that they seem just as real as you and I. The story is divided up into chapters with each chapter being voiced from the point of view of one of the two female lead characters. The chapters interlink well and the story flows seamlessly as a result. Reading 'The Mistress' felt like being on an at times scary and rather unpredictable rollercoaster ride with several unexpected twists and turns along the way. I love the way in which Valerie makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story and at the heart of the action. That's how I felt anyway.

In short, I really enjoyed reading 'The Mistress' and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Valerie's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.

I seriously think i need to revamp my thriller choice or something BECAUSE THIS ONE BLEW ME AWAY i absolutely devoured the story i was on the edge of my seat

It was everything i wanted from a goo psychological thriller
Thank you Netgalley for the arc i had the best time 🫶🏻🫶🏻

Hannah was 39 when she married the wealthy Ivan who was nearly 70. When she learned that he wanted a wife to stay at home and produce a child for him, she was furious and disillusioned. He thought she was trying for a baby until he found her contraceptive pills. That’s when he beat her very badly landing her in the hospital. At the same time, he had a stroke landing him in the hospital too.

Susan is married to Mark and they are the parents of Drew. Susan has been a helicopter parent all of Drew’s life so when it comes time for him to go to university, she is shocked that he chooses to go to Scotland instead of attending a university locally. Susan doesn’t work but Mark is a very successful solicitor. Soon, Susan suspects that Mark is seeing another woman. It is Hannah with whom he had a relationship when they were much younger. But Susan is not going to let someone take her husband away from her. How far is she willing to go to keep Mark?

This is a tense story with characters that want more than maybe they should have. Susan is a nice woman who was a good mother but needed to have something more in her life. Hannah is a tough woman who has pushed her way through life getting what she wants the hard way. These two women finally meet to come to a truce that is enlightening and interesting. A tense story with lots of angst that makes the reader cringe. Some people live a hard life.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

If you think that Valerie Keogh’s The Mistress is simply a thriller about two grown women fighting over the same men, then you are wrong. It is about so much more. On the surface, and if you do not want to be a critical reader, then you can simply enjoy the catfight between two almost middle-aged women, Hannah and Susan, vying for the affection of the same somewhat handsome but a bit boring almost middle-aged man (Mark).

But The Mistress is about so much more…We first meet Hannah Parker, a somewhat unsympathetic, for lack of a more diplomatic word, scammer. She recounts her history of using men, especially from university onwards, sleeping with them for power, affection, attention, and yes, money…but not in that prostitute-like way. No, the money is more about keeping herself safe since it is clear from early on that her family, more specifically, her mother will not be stepping up to the plate for any sort of emotional or financial support.

In the first few chapters of the novel, we suffer with Hannah when her much older husband, Ivan, beats her. He’s angry because she lied about not taking birth control pills and he’s not afraid to unleash his rage on Hannah. It is while she is convalescing she happens upon an old photo of a boyfriend from university, Mark. She decides he is the one who got away, more because of how he made her feel rather than how she felt about him. Hannah makes it her mission to find Mark and steal him from his current wife, Susan, the human doormat.

While Hannah might be conniving, Susan is over-nurturing—to the point of driving her son from Bristol to Scotland to get away from her. These women are the flip sides of each other and their meeting point is their relationship with Mark. As the novel progresses, I believe that Mark becomes less important although both women see him as the ultimate prize in the beginning. He represents something to each woman that helps them see themselves in a better light. Through Hannah’s and Susan’s rivalry, each woman learns that their narrative belongs solely to them. Their story is only influenced by others.

Ultimately, one woman grows and evolves while the other does not believe in her future self quite enough. This novel is a psychological thriller in the sense that it is terrifying to address yourself and your hidden fears. Both women must do this to move forward in their respective lives. And while there is most certainly the threat and execution of some actual violence more than once in this story, the true terror is being able to strike out on your own and believe in yourself, without the aid of a man as an emotional and psychological prop. It is a good lesson for any woman to learn at any age.

Thank you Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This Mistress was a gripping read and the topic was interesting. I thought the book had clever elements and it was a slow burn. I enjoyed collecting the information for myself and trying to work out how the book was going to end. I also found the characters were interesting.

I found myself feeling bad for Hannah towards the end as she spoke about her life story and how she struggled with her attachments to male figures in her life. Susan was a character who I didn’t initially like but she grew on me and she developed as a strong character and proved everyone wrong.

The book was written in a way which went on a different path to the other cheating husband troupe. It was refreshing to read something so unique in a genre that is overpopulated. At times, the chapters would end on a cliffhanger but I realised they were a thought the character had rather than an actual situation that happened, this kept me hooked and wanting to read on. It also made me think of intrusive thoughts and how people could act on them easily.

At the start, I wasn’t sure how much I would enjoy this book due to the cheating husband group but it was quite reflective and the ending was shocking.

This was my first time reading a Valerie Keogh novel and I did enjoy it. The female leads are both fairly unlikeable and while the husband initially sounds like a wonderful partner, it soon becomes clear that he's not. The reasons for Hannah's behaviour come clear in the best section of the novel towards the end. It moves quite quickly and the ending is actually quite an unexpected surprise I definitely didn't see coming. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Boldwood books for the ARC, I look forward to reading more Valerie Keogh again!

This suspenseful, dark, and twisted story gripped me from the start and kept me reading until the end. The plot was well written and characters were so easy to love or hate and that is how good the author did her job in building them for us. I was so taken by the story that had to finish it as fast as I could. Thank you to Netgalley , the author and publisher for an advanced copy

This is the first Valerie Keogh book I’ve read, and it’s told from the perspectives of two women, Hannah and Susan, both with their own set of baggage and problems. I would say the next major character is Mark, who is not lovable in any way, shape or form. I was entertained while reading, but I wasn’t wowed in any way. Unfortunately, I found it somewhat predictable - except for the last couple of chapters. It was such an abrupt and random ending, I found it almost odd? I felt like there could have been some real good twists thrown into the mix, but it read (for the most part) like a typical “cheating husband” trope.

This book could have easily been like the many others that focus on “the other woman “, but I found this to be riveting and different. Hannah and Susan were both intriguing characters and love to see their character progression.

Oh my goodness! What a brilliant story, I was totally hooked from page one and neglected everything else until the very last page. Love, love, love this book! I now have a new favourite author.

As a big Valerie Keogh fan, it pains me to say this isn’t my favourite story by her.
It had the potential to be incredible, but the characters didn’t suit well for me. Susan, in particular, was highly unlikable and often seemed unrealistic. However, the story did have some intriguing twists, and I enjoyed the contrasting perspectives of Susan and Hannah, two women with different outlooks on life.
Unfortunately, the ending felt sudden, leaving me with unanswered questions that I would have preferred to see resolved.

"The Mistress" delves into the chilling world of manipulation and desire as Hannah Parker sets her sights on reclaiming a past love despite his current marital status. With a calculating and relentless demeanor, Hannah's determination to win back Mark Shepherd leads to a web of deceit and betrayal. As the narrative unfolds, themes of obsession, power play, and moral ambiguity take center stage, showcasing the darker edges of human nature, I really enjoyed this book

You can’t always get why you want, can you?? Another very clever story from Keogh. Hannah sets her sights on an old flame, without any consideration for the consequences. Fast paced and gripping. A strong exploration of narcissism and entitlement.

When Hannah's sugar daddy turned husband shows her his true colours, she starts to reminisce over Mark, the one who got away. Well, the one who she carelessly discarded. He might be married with a child, but... details. His wife however, has no intention of letting her husband go without a fight.

I loved that this story focused squarely on the two strong women in Mark's life with him acting more as a backdrop to their own journeys and growth than someone you particularly care for. Both Hannah and Susan are highly flawed but very interesting, especially with Susan's strange feelings around her only child leaving home, which isn't a topic often addressed.

3.5 stars rounded up for that jaw-dropping ending!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and raced through it in one sitting. I liked the story being told from the perspective of both women and felt that this really gave the story added depth. The story is great and the characters very authentic.

Valerie Keogh’s thriller The Mistress is the story of Hannah Parker. Hannah’s past has affected her present; she has never trusted anyone to love her. Since her marriage to Ivan isn’t a happy one, she decides to return to a time that she was happy with Mark Shepherd, a man from her past. I voluntarily read a complimentary copy of this suspenseful book with a surprise ending!

Hannah is gorgeous and used to getting exactly what she wants. When her current marriage fails, she decides to go for her old college boyfriend from twenty years prior. The fact that he is married is no issue for her, she will do whatever it takes to steal him away…. However, Hannah does not anticipate that his wife might be willing to fight back.

This was my first book by Valerie Keogh and it will not be the last! This gripping psychological thriller had me staying up way too late to see how it ends. And this one was just soooo messy with all the drama! Thanks so much to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC!

There’s something about this author’s work which is absolutely addictive and each time I finish one story I am already looking forward eagerly to the next one.

Hannah Parker is a woman who is used to getting what she wants and with a distasteful relationship behind her, Hannah is ready for her next adventure. When a photo of an ex-boyfriend slips from the pages of a book, Hannah knows who her next conquest will be and is determined to go after what she wants. After all, she never fails…

This is one of those books which you want read in one sitting so be prepared to get nothing done until Hannah’s story is told. And what a story it is, I found that I was gripped from the start, turning the pages faster and faster in the hope that all would be resolved but like all these books there are twists and turns galore and an ending I didn’t see coming, but which left me with a wry smile on my face.

Perfectly done as ever The Mistress is sheer escapism from start to finish, beautifully done and stylishly executed, I absolutely loved every word.

Hannah needs to escape from her older, wealthy husband who is becoming more violent thanks to her lies and deception. While planning her next chapter, Hannah decides to go after an old boyfriend, one who was deeply in love with her back in college. Mark is married now but that doesn’t matter it’s not like the wife can stop Hannah or can she? This was an entertaining domestic drama. I thank Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.