Simmonds first book Good Girls Die Last was an instant hit with me, so I knew I was going to enjoy My Daughter's Revenge just as much.

It didn't disappoint. Simmonds delights with another brilliantly crafted thriller, this time centred around mother and daughter duo Julie and Leah.

Chuck in some secrets, lies, the need for revenge and there you have it...a fast paced, unputdownable twistfest that will keep you wanting 'just one more chapter'. And the ending? Let's just say it left me mouth agape.

Every so often, someone produces something that is rightly regarded as a work of genius. Sir Alec Issigonis designed the original Mini (Google it, if you’re not old enough to remember). James Dyson revolutionised the vacuum cleaner. The band Queen recorded Bohemian Rhapsody. And Natali Simmonds wrote Good Girls Die Last.

My local book club recently discussed this novel and, with the possible exception of the classic Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, I don’t think I can remember a time that we found so much to talk about. But one thing that did happen is that any members who didn’t immediately love the book – yes, much as I found it hard to believe, there were a few – had raised their opinion by the end of the evening. And that, with hindsight, is understandable. On the face of it, the book tells the story of one woman facing a walk across London during a heatwave. But actually, it’s about so much more than that. It has so many layers, and so much depth, that on a first read it could be easy to miss something. But give it some thought and you realise that everything fits together beautifully in what is a wonderful piece of writing. If you haven’t read it, you must do so. And if you don’t quite ‘get’ it first time round, read it again.

I hasten to add that I loved it first time round, and there’s no way I’m changing my opinion. It remains one of my favourite books of last year.

But if you’re ever fortunate enough to have such a genius moment, the time will come when you’re faced with a problem. Which is when you need to follow it up with something else. That’s OK if you’re part of Queen, who went on to release classics such as Radio Gaga, Somebody to Love, We Are The Champions, Don’t Stop Me Now and One Vision, amongst countless others. But it’s a bit more of an issue if you’re Dyson, whose next invention, the twin-drum washing machine, was axed less than 5 years after its launch without having made a profit. Or BMC/British Leyland/Austin/Rover (and whatever else they were also called over the years), who continued to sell the Mini into the 21st century – usually at a loss – because they simply didn’t know how to replace it.

And now it’s Natali’s turn to have written what is for me, her difficult second book. (Yes, I know she’s also written several fantasy novels as N J Simmonds, which I haven’t read and which aren’t really my genre.) But this time, she’s done something right because I loved the portrayal of the main character, Jules. She’s in the position that’s familiar to mothers up and down the land, having suddenly realised that both of her children have grown into young adults and that somehow, at some point during this process, she and her husband seem to have grown apart. Some of the details we’re told are very intimate – perhaps a bit too intimate – but they sure as hell make her, and her situation relatable.

The portrayal of daughter Leah is very, very good too. She’s 17 and so grown-up in some ways, yet still so juvenile in others. I didn’t like her, but I don’t think I was meant to. I think the reader is supposed to feel more and more frustrated with her as the book progresses and if that’s the case, I have to say that Natali has nailed it. And, wow, it’s worked. Because from about half-distance in I was absolutely glued to my kindle and unable to read fast enough. If I attempt to give any details of the storyline I’ll be bound to give away a spoiler, but suffice to say that secrets, lies and deception abound. Also, sitting a little more quietly in the background, is an issue that Natali also explores so beautifully in Good Girls Die Last and does so extremely well again here: how far will someone go if pushed?

And yet, for all that, I had a few problems. And the most fundamental one was this: has Natali Simmonds managed to write a new book that lives up to the stratospheric standard of her last one?

There’s no easy way to say this so I’ll just give the answer quickly and succinctly: no.

For me, there were two main issues. Firstly, I missed the essence of the storyline in Good Girls Die Last, which is told from the point of view of just one character over a very short space of time, and which manages to really ramp up the tension in a way that this book doesn’t quite manage. There’s really nothing wrong with the multiple narratives or the events taking place over a longer period. But ultimately, they’re similar to quite a lot of other good psychological thrillers and thus, not as memorable.

Secondly, the ending. I really didn’t know how I was meant to feel about it. If the intention was to make me glad, or relieved that – not a spoiler if you’ve read the blurb – a man has died, then that didn’t happen. Not by a long way. What I really wanted was for the person or persons responsible to get what they deserved, but you’ve probably guessed by now that that doesn’t happen either. Ultimately, I found it a bit dissatisfying. I couldn’t really see where Natali was trying to go with it. Other than, perhaps, give book clubs quite a lot to talk about.

The book still gets four stars, because I couldn’t possibly give anything less to something that had me so utterly absorbed. But my conclusion is perhaps best illustrated by bringing Queen back into the discussion, and specifically their 1975 album A Night at the Opera. Think of Good Girls Die Last as the massive hit single, Bohemian Rhapsody. A super-engaging and yet multi-layered piece of work that should, quite rightly, continue to be discussed for years to come. But My Daughter’s Revenge is more like Good Company. A pleasant enough track that tells a very good story. But I don’t see it troubling any Greatest Hits compilations any time soon.

My thanks to Bookouture for my inclusion on the blog tour for this book, which was published in the UK on 14th August 2024. Thanks also to Netgalley for the digital ARC. I will post my review on Goodreads, Amazon and my social media pages.

What the heck did I just read!?!? 🤯🤯 Mother and daughter duo, Jules and Leah are both super messed up women, but is it all their fault? This book was a real shock to me. I wanted to stop reading multiple times because of how twisted this book was, but I had to push through to know what happened. I didn’t like any of the characters, except for Leah’s brother, but I think that was the point. The main characters weren’t written to be likable. I don’t want to say too much because it’ll give the story away, but if you’re looking for a mind bender, this is it.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC of this book.

This was actually an intense psychological thriller book that will make you think about life choices...a lot.

Leah and Jules are mother and daughter and they both seemed to be having strained relationship. Leah goes to a music festival and meets a man named Dylan with who she has rendezvous. Little did she know soon that the man she slept with was actually her art teacher in school. Dylan has no interest in pursuing a relationship with Leah but Leah starts getting obsessed with Dylan...meanwhile Jules believes that her husband Adam is cheating behind her back and start chatting to a mysterious stranger online.

The story mainly talks about lies, cheating and deceit within the family. Jules and Leah doesn't seem to be having a good mother-daughter relationship and Leah's obsession towards her own art teacher makes the whole story interesting. The story was fast paced and as you read further in the book, you realize how both the main characters can be disturbing and unreliable. The writing was great and the author did a good job of getting the reader into the story. The ending was completely unexpected and twisted. The story is told in the perspective of both Jules and Leah so as a reader you will get to know what they really think of each other. Leah is portrayed as a disturbed teenager in the book while Jules was portrayed as a wife who doesn't seem to be satisfied with the marriage.

The story was brilliantly written and is unputdownable and fast paced thriller--worth 4 stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

My Daughter's Revenge by Natali Simmonds is a gripping psychological thriller packed with nail-biting twists.
The characters were interesting and full of secrets.
The characters are also well fleshed out making the reader need to read another chapter.
It was paced well and just a fun, suspenseful story.
The writing is suspenseful and easy to read.

Leah and Jules both love to play with fire.
I thought both were a bit unhinged, but especially Leah who had obsessive issues.
Lots of secrets swirl in the family with the biggest one yet to be revealed until the very end.
I figured out one of the plot twists before it occurred and had an inkling for some of the other nuances,

My Daughter's Revenge did not disappoint. Revenge, lies, secrets and so much more are just the starting point. An intense thriller that grips you once you start.

We follow Jules and her daughter Leah in their POVS. Jules feels lonely and unappreciated, her husband doesn't notice her whilst her son disappears and her daughter is in a difficult teenage phase. Whilst reading i really hoped she would let her feelings show and talk about it. In Leah's POV we in a way feel how it is as a teenager, she feels like her parents aren't listening to her or understand her, having an interest in an older man and trying to impress your friends.

The writing was gripping and interesting, i felt and understood some of the feelings the characters were going through which made them feel realistic and developed. There is twists and turns that will definitely shock you and you will not expect them just like i didn't. Filled with so much suspense and thrill i was hooked. Overall my daughter's revenge was gripping and very well written with just the right amount of tension that will keep you reading to the very end. I would recommend this book to other readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the copy of this arc in exchange of my honest review.

Absolutely brilliant story!

"His death is reported on the morning news. The man my daughter’s been dating. Dead. Gone…" I was sold on the story just from this one sentence. I went into it with zero expectations and just let the author take me away and control the narrative of my thoughts; I really enjoyed it! The story makes you feel what the characters feel, makes you question everything, and makes you sympathize (even if it's a tiny bit) with the actions of mother and daughter. The dual POV was executed brilliantly by the two narrators! A well-written book that I highly recommend and I HIGHLY suggest you go into it blindly to not be swayed by the reviews beforehand.

Huge thank you to the author, Netgalley and Bookouture for accepting my request to review the book in advance. I will be picking up Natali's other book now too.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

I flew through this book! I loved the duel perspective, hearing from the mom and the daughter. There is a twist at the end I did not see coming and I stayed up WAY too late finishing this. The characters felt so real and the details were fantastic. I can't wait to read more books by this author.

A slow build up getting to know the characters but quickly picks up pace with plenty of twists and turns and a show stopping ending that i did not see coming.

“My Daughter's Revenge” by Natali Simmonds is a gripping 4-star read! The story opens with a chapter that reveals how the story ends, then takes us back four weeks to uncover how the characters arrived at that point. The stroy alternates between the perspectives of Jules, a mother struggling both personally and professionally, and her daughter Leah, who is facing her own personal challenges.

Overall, the story is well-crafted and engaging, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. However, I found the first two-thirds of the book somewhat frustrating due to Jules's near-constant whining and lack of self-confidence, which made her character feel overly helpless at times. Despite this, the surprising twists near the end redeemed the story. I hope to read some other books by Natali Simmonds!

Thanks to Bookouture, Natali Simmonds, and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read this ARC and share my honest review.

Thank you Bookouture for a copy on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
My Daughter’s Revenge is a smart revenge thriller with two imperfect female leads with retribution on their minds.
Jules feels unappreciated in her own family and work life.
Her husband Adam makes her feel invisible, her son Reece disappears constantly and her daughter Leah is at the difficult teen stage.
Leah meets Dylan at a music festival and loses her virginity.
This sets off a chain of events that brings secrets and lies to the surface and brings danger into their lives.
A fast paced melodrama with hints of abstruseness and a strong ending.
The plot is engaging and interesting creating uncertainty for the reader allowing them to have many different scenarios of guesses.
A series of complex layers of doubt about who to trust lifts the narrative.
I quite enjoyed this book, the twist was favourable and I was cheering on the leads even though they did make silly decisions.
And who doesn’t like a good revenge thriller, right!
Once I started reading, I needed answers and I couldn’t stop.

Last year I read this authors debut novel Good Girls Die Last which I thought was brilliant. So when i heard there was a second book I couldn’t wait to read it. And this one is even better. From the start I was completely and utterly gripped and after only a few chapters I knew this was going to be a five star read for me. I just love when a book completely pulls you right in from the first chapter and this certainly did that for me. Each chapter is told from the perspective of either Jules the mum or her daughter Leah and I found each equally as good to read. A book that is packed with lies and revenge and that ending was one of the best I’ve read in a long time.

OMG this book is soooo depressing, everyone in it is unhappy Jules thinks her husband doesn't like her any more, Leah her daughter wants love but can be quite unhealthy about it, her husband would rather hang out at his allotment and their son is just mentioned occasionally but he was my favourite character but its hard to pick out anyone likeable as everyone is so dysfunctional through all this I found myself shouting at the book, just talk to your husband, it was so frustrating. The best bit is the ending but it was hard work getting there. So if you like dysfuntional families and unlikeable characters this is the book for you.

This was a really good psychological thriller, the twists and turns were very surprising and I actually didn’t think it was going to end the way it did. The characters are so unlikable, especially Jules and Leah.

Lies, revenge, manipulation are the central themes of this book, I couldn’t put it down and it kept me on the edge of my seat even if the first chapters felt slow the rest is totally different and worth the read.

Thank you Natali Simmonds, Bookouture & NetGalley for an e-ARC copy.

#MyDaughtersRevenge #NetGalley

I am a HUGE fan of angry women - this book had me shouting yes as Leah stretches into young adulthood.
A slow build with excellent character building only to lead you to a gut punching twist - and that ending!
Jules - a mother struggling with the boredom of her 40's, steady life
Leah - desperate for a taste of freedom
Together leads to a deadly combination.

Jules is shocked to learn that the man she recently found out her daughter was dating has been found dead, while also worried about her daughter, as she knows what she is capable of. Meanwhile Jules is having her own issues to deal with. Will she manage to protect her family and will the truth come out?

I don’t want to say too much about this one for fear of spoiling it but I can safely say this was a highly entertaining thriller. I haven’t read any books by this author before but she will definitely be added to the ‘automatically have to read’ pile. Straight away the story drags you in and the writing style successfully creates a suspenseful, eerie vibe. The story is told in the alternating voices of daughter Leah and Jules and I enjoyed both sides. The characters are well written and fun in love to hate way.

The overall novel focuses on themes such as obsession, revenge and envy, all which are developed well and you really get a feeling of how the characters are feeling. I kept changing my mind about whose side I was on! As the story progresses in a fairly even pace there are plenty of twists and turns to discover. I am going to have to buy her first book now and would really recommend this for anyone looking for a dark, tightly plotted thriller to keep you racing through the pages. 4.5 stars rounded up. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

His death is reported on the morning news. The man my daughter’s been dating. Dead. Gone…

This kept me guessing until the end. Just when I thought I knew where we were going, there was a curveball I never saw coming!


I received this ARC from NetGalley and Bookouture to read and review. All of the statements are my own after fully reading the book.

Another read in one sitting, knock it out of the park, edge of your seat read from Natali Simmonds. This domestic thriller was perfectly pitched, and wonderfully executed. The story of Jules who is feeling every one of her 48 years, husband Adam who is drifting away from her and we don't know why, and their two children, 21 year old Reece, who's living his best life partying in Ibiza, and nearly 17 year old Leah who is trying so hard to fit in and be accepted by everyone, she's not a baby anymore!

Leah and her friends go to a festival where Leah is determined to lose her virginity -her two best friends have long term partners and she's feeling left behind. When she meets 25 year old Dylan, she tells him she's 21 and the two get it together. She's so happy - even Jules can tell she's radiant. But then something comes to light which means that the budding relationship has to end- and Leah can't stand it. She's behaved obsessively about a boy before, and there's every sign that she's about to do the same with Dylan.

In the meantime, Jules has found an anonymous app that she is confiding her deepest feelings into; is new online friend Curious2 the answer she's been looking for?


The book is told through different voices, we feel Jules' worry that she is being sidelined everywhere, and Leah's intense need to be seen as grown up and worthy of love. The family dynamics are perfectly pitched, that sense of all your conversations being about who is going to bring the milk in or what's for dinner, rather than the huge in-depth conversations you have at the beginning.

Its not as intense as Good Girls Die Last - which I adored- but equally as feminist about women's role in society and how power is balanced. Highly recommended

This mother and daughter team was crazy! They were so similar and so needy and Leah was a typical teen. Loved the twists in this one, def wasn’t expecting some of them!