I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher, in return for an honest review. This review is based entirely on my own thoughts and feelings.

Overall rating : 4*
Writing skill : 4*
Plot: 3*
Pace: 3*
Characters: 4*

Well, I’m not going to forget Liam in a while. What an awful, rage provoking character. I know people like him exist but I am so glad I don’t have anyone in my life that vile.
The pace was okay but there were bits that felt a bit repetitive and not a lot seemed to happen. But the final 15% was brilliant and really packed a punch.
The blurb really says what it does on the tin. A quick read, with an infuriating MMC that will stay with me for a while.

This is a difficult read due to the topics but I feel it was really well written.
It took me a while to get through, as it was tough, but it was good!
Definitely made me think.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A compelling psychological thriller, a discussion of wellness culture, and exploration of a toxic and controlling relationship. While naturally a dark and tense read, there is black humour throughout, and an unreliable narrator that keeps you turning the pages to figure out. I swallowed this book whole.

I unfortunately had to DNF this at 45%, I felt there was nothing keeping me invested in the book, I didn't particularly like the main character which made for an ultimately difficult, boring read.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC.

Well, this definitely made me sweat! It's an oftentimes uncomfortable but always gripping read that showed the reality of living in a coercive and controlling relationship, both the impact at the time and the lasting way that it changes the recipient. Cassie isn't a straightforward 'nice girl' victim but as the dual timeline gives you more insight into what she went through at the hands of her ex, Liam, you get more of an understanding of her actions in the present. Add to that the struggle to get some people to take her ordeal seriously and I found myself angry on her behalf.
The setting of a gym is a great way to show that Cassie is fitter, healthier, and stronger on the outside but she still has a way to go to be healed on the inside - physically is not the only way people can be abused and contrasting her body recovery against her mind recovery made this book all the better. It also helped me to understand how she had allowed the relationship to go on for as long as it did, she was addicted to the pain that came from working her body hard and depriving herself and this masked the drip drip slip into Liam's ultimate control until it was harder and harder to get away.
The tension in the book ramps up in that same slow torturous way. I had an icy feeling down my spine as I read it, an anticipation of how the control in their new dynamic may not be exactly where I thought it was and how it could all shift so quickly, like a sleight of hand. You have to suspend disbelief a little for the end but I think that was a reflection of how unbelievable Cassie's situation had felt to some people in her life.

Emma Healey has not let me down yet, and this book is no exception.
I really enjoyed her writing and the characters descent into obsession with her abusive ex-boyfriend. Each character was well-rounded, and the juxtaposition of the past and present in the story kept it interesting and on the main character's side.

This book was quite slow to get into, then had certain moments that I flew through, before it slowed down again. I found myself disliking the main character despite her traumas. It had some very uncomfortable moments that I needed to take a further break from the book in order to continue. I can understand the like for this book, but it wasn't for me. Thank you for the opportunity for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

it took a long time to get into this book. i didn’t like either of the main characters very much and some of the time jumping was a bit confusing, as well as there being lots of characters, but it picked up towards the end. half of the ending was satisfying but half was a bit frustrating

Cassie is a young woman rebuilding her life following an abusive relationship. She works as a personal trainer in a gym, so, when her ex enters and the balance of power shifts due to his disability, Cassie grabs the opportunity to take revenge.

I found this an uncomfortable read at times, but, it’s well written and takes the reader back and forth; to Cassie’s previous experiences in the relationship and to her current motivations.

Overall a solid Good Read and I’m grateful to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for the opportunity to preview.

Set in a modern English gym the story revolves around Cassie, an instructor, and Liam her boyfriend who is controlling and full of ideas as to how Cassie should eat and drink well.

The relationship turns dramatically as she leaves him for a couple of years and she becomes a personal trainer. Liam returns now disabled and Cassie finds herself in control. A superb twist.

The gym is a perfect setting and Ms Healey must have done many reps in her research?

At times I felt the book could have done without Liam as Cassie has some brilliant sounding friends. None of these were developed unfortunately, although these friends did bring some much needed humour to the whole book.

I am not sure about the ending, but it was well written and at times quite an uncomfortable read.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Random House UK Cornerstone for the chance to read and review.

Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone & NetGalley for letting me read Sweat by Emma Healey. I was quite intrigued about the story line in this and wasn't disappointed. It was quite fast paced until the last couple of chapters but still an enjoyable read. Would certainly read more by Emma Healey

I loved Elizabeth is Missing so I was keen to read Emma Healey's new novel, Sweat. However very early on I discovered that this was going to be a completely different read, but no less complex. The storyline is heavy, featuring abusive and toxic relationships. So you should definitely check the trigger warnings before venturing into this one.

I found this to be a challenging and claustrophobic read which explores the long term effects of toxic relationships and coercive control. Despite being an uncomfortable read I found the slow burn pace to be suspenseful so I was compelled to keep reading on.

I don't think this is a book for everyone but if you are looking for something complex and thought provoking then give this a go.

Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy to read and review.

When I first started reading this book it appeared to be aimed at a young adult audience. There were casual and coarse sexual references and plenty of men-hating banter, typical of women starting their dating and new relationships phase. However, that was short-lived. The book has more substance.

A woman personal trainer is shocked when her gorgeous and fit ex-boyfriend turns up at her gym claiming to be blind. She pretends that she is someone else - it is easy to disguise herself with only her voice considering that he can't see her. Her motivation is revenge. The story flicks between the present and the time when they were together, so the full horror of their relationship gradually unfolds.

​The abuse in the relationship isn't overtly physical but it is controlling under the guise of him wanting what is best for her: diet, exercise, influences including her friends. The control grows to disturbing, obsessive levels, all for 'her own good'. After they split up and he loses his sight, the tables have turned and she is the one with the controlling power. Interesting that despite ending up hating him as a person, the attraction and lust was still there. Plus, with him being blind, the woman gains a different kind of power. Perhaps the most memorable quote from the book is this: "I stared at him the way women never get to stare at men: without fear."

This is a tense read with an increasing uneasiness as the boundaries between the adrenaline of exercise and fear blur. It is as if the purpose is to always have the heart pounding and the body sweating. Very clever, Not being a gym addict myself, the routines and life of a personal trainer are interesting for a while, but the detail is a tad overdone and interest wanes after a bit. Each chapter is a written on a weekly basis so we can follow the progress or perhaps the unravelling.

Well written, uncomfortable, dark and showing that power and control can be both attractive and frightening at the same time.

This is a deliberately challenging read because Healey doesn't make it easy to navigate the emotional complexities of the relationship between Cassie and Liam. Coercive control and abuse on one side, co-dependency and an unhealthy approach to body image, eating and self-policing on the other coalesce into something frightening.

Add to that the present day story as Cassie finds herself in the position to take revenge on a newly vulnerable Liam and I found myself disturbed throughout.

Healey draws careful parallels between different forms of control: power over another person and a rigid and unyielding policing of oneself. Both Cassie and Liam live by rigid rules and are in freefall when those rules are broken. Both of them show similar obsessive behaviours and both of them appear to have troubled relationships with their parents.

In the end, the book comes down on Cassie's side but it doesn't make that a given leaving this reader on tenterhooks, feverishly turning the pages. It's fascinating to see nuance in this issue of abusive relationships and the way Cassie's trauma continues by making her echo her abuser as a form of revenge.

There are some holes in the plot: it's hard to believe the main premise that allows this toxic relationship to restart. I also wanted clearer directions on to what extent Cassie was already suffering with eating and body image disorders before Liam. Her parental relationships could also have been clearer.

Nevertheless, this is a completely gripping read which merges an intelligent and nuanced approach to pressing issues of mental health and abuse with a dark revenge plot - that I couldn't wholly endorse the actions of the vengeful woman is precisely what makes this so clever and complicated.

This book threw me completely off balance, which was a really fascinating experience. Sweat is a deep dive into the toxic dynamics of a relationship built on control, obsession, and the illusion of self-improvement.

What made this book so gripping for me was how much it got under my skin. Initially, I was cheering Cassie on, celebrating her escape and newfound strength. Her isolation and the disbelief of her loved ones felt raw and real, and her journey seemed empowering. But as the story unfolded, there was a slow realisation: Cassie’s behaviour was just as unhinged as Liam’s had been. It’s rare for a book to make you root for someone so deeply only to pull the rug out from under you like that.

The pacing was spot on, and Healey’s writing felt sharp and deliberate, every word carrying weight. The tension builds like a tightly wound spring, keeping you glued to the pages as you wait for it to snap. It’s unsettling but in the best way, forcing you to confront how power and control can shift in a relationship and blur the lines between right and wrong.

I finished Sweat feeling emotionally wrung out but thoroughly impressed. It’s an intense and thought-provoking read that will make you question your instincts and reactions long after you’ve turned the last page.

I didn’t enjoy this tale of controlling abuse both for the style and the substance. It made me think I was definitely not the target audience.

A dark and compulsively readable novel of a toxic relationship and revenge. Set almost entirely in a gym. it's the story of Cassie, who fell under Liam's coercive spell until she didn't. And it's the story of what happened when she had the chance to turn the tables. Know that she's sympathetic at first and then to be honest not particularly likable. I liked the unique plot and the storytelling is good. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARc. An interesting read.

An anxiety inducing read! This novel builds tension throughout, right up to the final pages. You’ll never look at your gym in the same way again!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc in return for an honest review. I think in terms of star ratings, I’m falling somewhere around a 3.5-4 ⭐️. I spent the entire book feeling, awkward, uncomfortable, angry, horrified and anxious. For anyone reading this, it definitely needs to come with a trigger warning. My reasons for my rating - if a book can trigger those emotions in me, then there’s something great about the quality of the writing. Why it wasn’t a 5⭐️ for me…Cassie left me feeling angry, the end was baffling and whilst I fully believe the premise of the book - it escalated fast and a little unrealistically for me. I’ve rounded up because I did enjoy the originality of the story but I would have liked a more therapeutic resolution I feel as there were a lot of learning points that many women could probably relate to and seek guidance from.

Sweat by Emma Healey is a dark, gripping rollercoaster ride that will have you hooked from start to finish! Cassie’s journey through a toxic, controlling relationship with her ex, Liam, is both unsettling and compelling. The dual timeline between their past and present adds layers of tension, as we watch Cassie wrestle with old wounds and the temptation of revenge. Healey’s sharp writing pulls you deep into the emotional chaos, and while the ending might leave you heartbroken, it’s shockingly fitting. If you’re ready for a psychological thriller that challenges you and doesn’t shy away from the uncomfortable, Sweat is a must-read!