Sweat by Emma Healey Is a deeply troubling book about control, abuse, obsession, and revenge.

I've read this authors other book, Elizabeth is missing, and really enjoyed it. However, this book is completely different, proving that Emma Healey is certainly no one trick pony.

Did I question Cassie's behaviour at times? of course. Would I do the same? I'm not entirely sure I wouldn't be tempted.

Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy of this book via Netgalley.

First of all I would like to thank the author, publishers and Netgalley for this arc.

Secondly please check the trigger warnings in this one as it does include coercive behaviour and controlling behaviour as well as a few other subjects.

When a book hits on these subjects it doesn’t always feel right to say how much you enjoyed the book. However, when a book is written so well that you believe the story could actually be true then it deserves praise and appreciation.

Some people may read this book who think that their partner is just looking out for them or being over protective but in reality could be experiencing similar things and this book could be an eye opener.

I am not going to lie as I did feel annoyed at the fmc Cassie for putting herself in a vulnerable position but can see why she did. The ending made sense in order to close the door on the story so to speak.

I do recommend this book it was written very well and whilst I said before it’s hard to say that I enjoyed it due to the subject matter I do think that it should get the recognition it deserves. A 4 star read.

At first I wasn't sure what to think of this book - the premise sounded great, but it took a little while for me to get into it. I did, however, find myself hooked and eager to find out the fate of Cass, though it took probably a third of the way through for me to get to this point.

The characters were well-written; I found myself getting frustrated by Liam’s behaviour and Cass’s response to it, mainly because of the will to want to help her! It was easy enough to see what could (and did) happen, but ultimately the ending was (for me, at least) less predictable.

This is a good story of control, being controlled, and how far someone is pushed in an attempt to avoid being a victim.

This book was not a comfortable read but will definitely be a book we will be discussing at book group. The book is primarily about coercive control with a twist. I didn’t empathise with either of the main characters but that didn’t detract from the book which kept me gripped despite the subject matter. It is well written. A book group discussion could move on from thoughts on coercive control to a discussion of prisons especially women’s prisons, something that is in the news a lot following the Labour Party’s policy on early release of some prisoners.

In Sweat, Emma Healey explores the complex and often troubling dynamics of a toxic relationship through the lens of fitness and control. At the heart of the story is Liam, a diehard fitness enthusiast who has always believed that he knows what’s best for others, particularly his ex-girlfriend, Cassie. However, his apparently good intentions, such as helping her train and learn about nutrition and self-care, unravel into a darker obsession as he seeks control over her life and choices.

As the narrative unfolds, we meet Cassie as a personal trainer, preparing to take on a new client at the gym. Imagine her profound dismay when she discovers that her latest client is none other than Liam. But Cassie’s initial horror soon shifts to an unexpected fixation on Liam due to a significant change in the power dynamics. He is now the vulnerable party, a brain tumour rendering him blind.

Healey employs a split-time narration technique, alternating between Cassie’s present-day experience as she trains Liam under the guise of not revealing her true identity and flashbacks that depict the early stages of their relationship. These glimpses into the past reveal the gradual but devastating decline into emotional manipulation and abuse, where warning signs are often overlooked by both the victim and those around them. Liam was well able to spin a believable web of deceit and have Cassie doubting and second-guessing herself.

A book about coercive control, especially told through a revenge narrative, should be suffocating, dark, and make for highly uncomfortable reading. Unfortunately, Sweat fell flat for me. I found myself profoundly unmoved by anyone in Sweat, least of all the protagonist, Cassie. I just didn’t feel connected to her at all.

Although Sweat didn’t quite work for me, I do look forward to reading more of Healey’s work, as I loved her novel Elizabeth is Missing. 3⭐

Thank you to the publisher for the chance to read a copy via NetGalley. As always, this is an honest review. It

This story is not an easy read! I felt conflicted at times! It was a real page turner.
Liam was Cassie's boyfriend - he controlled her totally to the point she began to fear for her life. Eventually Cassie escapes but never recovers from the fear he engendered.
The story is told in two timelines - now and then. Cassie has a chance of revenge and despite her best friend's warnings and refusal to see her if she pursues this line, Cassie looks for that revenge.
Well written, great pace.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Emma Healey/Random House UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

In this dark tale, which involves several very difficult themes including coercive control, we meet personal trainer Cassie as she gets ready to take on a new client at her gym. Her initial horror at realising it is her abusive ex-boyfriend Liam changes to something else when she discovers that he is now blind thanks to a brain tumour.

What follows is a split timeline narrative, where we follow Cassie in the present day as she starts training Liam without letting on her true identity, and in the past, where we see Liam and Cassie from the start of their relationship. The author is incredibly skilled at building up the tension and showing how gradually a relationship can turn into an abusive situation for which the abused may feel there is no alternative. This is what makes the book both compelling and unsettling to read.

I think this is an important, if not enjoyable, read, but I did struggle with the ending a little. I am interested to see what this author works on next!

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

I raced through this book and thought it was really well written and paced. The coercive Liam was really hateable and the concept was really intriguing. It’s a really horrible subject to write about and the behaviour was really believable. I was a bit disappointed by how abruptly and almost neatly the book ended, but overall I really enjoyed it - with my breath held, mostly!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

I was not that keen on this book but maybe I am just getting a bit fed up with books about coercive control and toxic men. It took me longer than usual to read the book and I felt that it was a bit long although I cannot quite put my finger on which bits I think could have been edited out.

Cassie and Liam seem fairly well drawn but the other characters, not so much. At the end I wondered who the women were, having forgotten about Cassie's friendships. Obviously Liam is beyond awful and you feel so sorry for Cassie but I did think the things she did to him in the gym were spiteful and petty acts against what was, after all, a vulnerable person.

i have never been a gym goer and have always suspected what the book says is true - that many people like the pain, self denial and aching limbs etc. and like faffing about with nutrients and calories and fads. i suppose it gives them a hobby.

i was very disappointed in the ending - I wonder how realistic the police and court actions were?

This book should one with a trigger warning for anyone who has been in an abusive relationship. At the beginning I was on Cassies side as her tormenter came back into her life but I lost interest half way through as it was becoming a bit far fetched and I didn’t like the direction it was taking.

This book was very effective and very disturbing in its theme of controlling and abusive relationships. Unexpected twist at the end which I did not see coming.

Not really my kind of story but interesting reading about the total dominance of a woman by a man in the name of love! The conclusion was totally unexpected.

Very effective and disturbing book, which definitely managed to convey a lot of what's so harrowing about controlling and abusive relationships. The characters were all well written and fleshed out, particularly Cassie's best friend and her daughter. A lot of the book was difficult to read, and even though Cassie was a fairly unlikeable protagonist I still felt for her. This book definitely needs a trigger warning for controlling abuse, but is otherwise well worth the read.

Racy thriller which really unsettled me! Case and Liam are in love and Liam wants Cassie to reach her potential. His controlling ways are too much and Cassie has enough…. Until she sees him again but the tables have turned!

What a read. Can’t wait to buy this for bookish friends

I’m not sure what to make of this book as I didn’t relate to either of the characters and although I understand there are men who use coercive control as a day to day tool, I really struggled to empathise with the female character both in her current incarnation and in her past relationship. Some reviewers said they found the book funny, but I really disagree with that. I found the book made me feel uncomfortable, particularly the motivation behind wanting to re-engage with an abuser. However on the positive side I did learn about diet and exercises. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a badly written, poorly researched book but it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Sweat by Emma Healey is a book which has many dark and sinister themes. The relationship between Cassie and Liam is a a disconcerting one, centred around issues of control, coercive and belittling behaviour. Also there is the issue of Cassie’s eating disorder.
Once Cassie is free of Liam’s influence on her life she becomes a successful personal trainer. This is when the storyline for me becomes unpredictable and not very believable. This is when Cassie finding out that her previous boyfriend, Liam now has a sight disorder and is blind but wants personal training sessions to improve his strength and fitness becomes his trainer.
I found the idea that Cassie would be able to work so closely with someone who has had such a negative impact on her physical and mental health unbelievable. I also have to say that the characters of Cassie and Liam were of two dislikable people, who you wouldn’t want to spend any time with.
I was glad to come to the end of the book and was sorry not to have read the introduction more closely, otherwise I wouldn’t have chosen to read or review the book.
I have read and enjoyed other books by the author, just not this one.

I was keen to read this as I had been such a fan of Elizabeth is Missing. But I wish I had known a little more about what I was getting myself into. Definitely one that trigger warnings need to be observed.

The characters within this were hard to enjoy or to connect with; but this may have just been because I was acutely aware that I needed to protect myself when reading this.

I do think it had all the right elements for a successful psychological thriller though!

Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone | Hutchinson Heinemann for my ARC.
My opinions are my own

First off, please check your triggers warnings. Contains coercive and controlling behaviour that is realistic and unsettling.

This is not an enjoyable book to read. It's a suffocating, dark, and very uncomfortable story. If I had realised what this book was about, I probably wouldn't have read it.

This book is a lot to take in, and I have pondered on how I should write this review. There are moments in this book that felt too real to me. Liam's character, who is controlling and coercive, is hard to read. What he puts Cassie through is not pleasant and feels like it's hitting a raw nerve. Not everyone is going to get, see, or feel the full effect that this book can have on you. That is a good thing, though.
What I couldn't grasp is Cassies character acting how she did. Coming from that toxic relationship to putting herself in such a vulnerable position again after so long, it just didn't sit right with me. I just felt like she wouldn't have done all the things she did. The ending, from the pov of Liam that felt real, bit again would Cassie have put herself in that situation? Again, these are just my opinions.

Overall, it's worth a read because it's a very real and insightful look into what a narcissistic, controlling, and coercive person is like.

Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone | Hutchinson Heinemann for my ARC.
My opinions are my own
Out January 2025

A thrilling & exciting read. Not like anything I’ve read before, would 10p% recommend. A true page turner & couldn’t put it down.

Sweat (kindle Edition) a psychological thriller by Emma Healey was heavy going but worth it for the amazing twist at the end.

Liam, Cassie's boyfriend pushes her to the limit with his endless fitness regime which encroached into her not having a social life anymore. Eventually Cassie sees the light and ends her relationship with Liam.

Then out of the blue out of all of the gyms who should turn up but her ex boyfriend Liam who is now blind and Cassie is a trainer for disabled, blind, deaf, in wheelchairs, had prosthetic limbs or had learning difficulties to benefit from a twelve week personal training session in the gym she works at.

The title of the thriller Sweat is very apt as Cassie's life is blood sweat and tears as she is pulled in deep by Liam's obsession to have the most perfect, healthy girlfriend no matter what it takes.