I received this book in exchange for an honest review. This book started off strong with a great premise and a suspenseful beginning. Jennifer’s chilling call from her son and his being the prime suspect in his girlfriend’s murder immediately drew me in. I really enjoyed the dual timeline.

However, around the halfway point, the story lost momentum. It felt rushed, and the character development took a nosedive. The revelation of the killer was predictable, but I appreciated that the ending was tied up neatly.

Overall, I’d give this 3.5 stars.

Reading in Between the Wines book review #19/125 for 2025:
Rating: 3 🍷🍷🍷
Book: My Son’s Girlfriend
Author: Kerry Wilkinson
AVAILABLE NOW!!!
BOOK TOUR

Sipping thoughts: A mother’s love for her son can be so strong. Jennifer did not relent when her son went missing after being accused of killing his girlfriend. The only solace Jennifer has is the ominous, “I didn’t do it.” The story was based on her journey to find her son and prove his innocence. I do not know why I did not expect that last twist. In Wilkinson fashion, the story isn’t over until it is over. I should have known the story was tied up too neatly with a bow. Those last few pages definitely unraveled that bow. I really enjoy Wilkinson’s books and can’t wait for the next one!

Cheers and thank you to @Netgalley and @Bookouture for an advanced copy of @MySonsGirlfriend.

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Kerry Wilkinson always writes the main female character well, and in this instance he proves he can also write from a mom's point of view.

The reader will feel every bit of a mom's anguish when Jennifer hears her son's anguished words: "It wasn't me" followed by a hang up. What follows is a fast-paced novel of cat and mouse as Jennifer tries to stay one step ahead of the police and whoever killed his girlfriend. because Jennifer is sure it isn't Dan. And for Jennifer, it might just be history repeating itself.

The main characters each had distinct identities and the way Kerry weaved them all together made the plot move along at a good clip. This was an easy one day read for me!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Books on Tour for an advance reader's copy.

This book is full of suspense and action from start to finish. A lot of books describe themselves as gripping, and this one that is actually gripping from start to finish. Jennifer acted as any mother would act in her position. She wanted to try to find her son and make sure he was safe. I think that was the perfect way to describe her motivation for her actions. It made everything she did make sense.

I loved that I got a real sense of who Daniel was through the other characters, especially Ella’s mother. It was through these other characters that I started to question whether he should be the real suspect or whether he really pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes!

The book also weaves in Jennifer’s past and what happened to her when she attended that University; it explains why she hasn’t been back to the area since. Those chapters are quick but engaging. In fact, the whole be is a quick and engaging read. This is a book that can easily be read in one sitting. I promise, you’ll be so into it you won’t even realize that you’ve read it so quickly! So what are you waiting for, go get this book!

This is another 5 star read from Kerry Wilkinson, he really can be relied on to come up with a read in one sitting story. The desperation in the single word "Mum" really sets the scene for the tone of the book. Immediately you are drawn into Jennifer's world. I think at some points I was almost as invested as her in finding her son. There are so many characters here, all with potential motives to kill Ella and my suspicions kept switching from one to another. I really did not see the final twist coming, I was absolutely stunned. What a great ending.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Disclosure: Thanks to NetGalley & Bookouture for the chance to read this book.
The description of this book reeled me in right away. I have become quite a fan of thrillers, so I was eager to read this one. Plus, Kerry is a fully recommended author.

This book does capture your attention from the beginning. It has a decent pace. Many reviewers have stated it is fast-paced, but I don’t fully agree with that assessment. Many parts of the book were drawn out, and there was more repetition than I felt necessary. (But again, I’m seeing that trend in many thriller books I’ve read. Is this to be expected with the thriller genre?)

Overall, though, the story was a fun read. It is a good book to read if you’re looking for something to fully entertain you on a weekend or small getaway. It showcases the lengths a mother will go through to protect their son.

I am unsure how I would feel if one of my sons called me and said, “I didn’t do it,” and vanished. Both of my sons would kill if they had a valid reason for doing it, but I know they’d own up to it if that were the case. They wouldn’t run from the consequences of their actions because I’ve always taught them that if they are willing to do the crime, they should be willing to do the time. But considering how our law system works in the US, I can see why someone truly innocent would go on the run.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'My Son's Girlfriend' by Kerry Wilkinson.

Well, well, well Wow!!! What another absolute cracker of a book by an extremely talented author!!! This book sucked me straight in from beginning to the explosive ending. It was very well written with excellent descriptions which put me straight into the storyline. The synopsis and the cover suited the book perfectly.

This is yet another absolutely fantastic page turner by the extremely talented Kerry. Kerry's evocative writing skills really brings the story to life ensuring you can see everything around you and feel everything that Jennifer is feeling, seeing and hearing. The storyline is addictive and filled with suspense, family, tension, secrets, mystery, drama and everything you could ask for in a fantastic page turner!! I loved all the twists and turns and throughout it kept me constantly on edge trying to guess what was going to happen next and although I hate to admit I was wrong, I was wrong each and every time, but keep that to yourselves please!! So, a MASSIVE CONGRATULATIONS Kerry for managing to prove me wrong time and time again!!! I would NEVER have seen that ending coming fair play! I have read many thrillers and it's getting harder and harder for me to be surprised so great job there. As always with Kerry's fantastic books this book was gripping, easy to read and fast paced. If you have never read any of Kerry's books then grab your copy of this page turner today and I promise you will not regret it!! I loved the storyline and just loved everything about it. As always Kerry does a superb job of not only weaving together multiple protagonist perspectives together perfectly but also multiple timelines seamlessly ensuring the reader sees the bigger picture of what is going on without causing any confusion but also without Kerry giving anything away until he is absolutely ready to! It was all done perfectly!! An absolutely addictive page turner that kept my heart in my throat on the edge of the seat and absolutely absorbed me. The fact there were so many different red herrings and so many possibilities that all would have worked perfectly I could not put this book down!!! I was so invested in the storyline that I was up until 2am!! I would LOVE to see this turned into a movie!!!

WARNING ⚠ DO NOT START THIS UNTIL YOU HAVE CLEARED YOUR SCHEDULES AS THIS BOOK IS ADDICTIVE!!!!

THE characters were fantastic, solid and completely believable and I absolutely loved seeing them all come to life and hearing their stories. The main protagonists is Jennifer who is Dan's Mum and my heart absolutely went out to her. As a mother myself and to 3 boys it is definitely one of a parents worse nightmares to be in this situation. Kerry manages to completely bring Jennifer along with the rest of the characters to life so it feels like you are standing next to Jennifer going through everything that she is. Each of his characters have their own individual flaws, quirks, strengths and weaknesses and the majority of them seem to be hiding their secrets. You have no idea who is hiding what or who to believe at times so you are constantly trying to guess and work it out. I enjoyed getting to know all the characters although I must admit I wasn't a fan of them all!! As always with Kerry he has created realistic, strong and in depth characters that leap out of the pages at the reader ensuring they feel and see everything they are seeing and feeling. There was a great eclectic mix of characters which always helps to liven the storyline up. They all had such different and strong personalities and all suited the storyline perfectly.. There were such a mix of personalities and its hard really to say too much about any of them without giving too much away!!! Regardless of whether you liked, loved or disliked any of the characters they all work perfectly together to bring this story to life. I cannot wait to meet the next characters that this author creates for his next books. A great cast of characters that come to life thanks to Kerry's extremely evocative writing talent along with Julia, Rebecca and Matthew's incredible narratives!!

CONGRATULATIONS KERRY ON YET ANOTHER ABSOLUTELY ADDICTIVE PAGE TURNER!!!! THIS IS EXACTLY WHY YOU ARE ONE OF MY TOP 5 MALE AUTHORS!!! HERE'S TO YOUR NEXT SUCCESS 🥂

Overall a compelling, addictive, action packed and fantastic page turner!!

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Thanks to NetGalley & Bookouture for the chance to read this book.
Thank you for bringing me back to an author I already knew and loved but kind of lost along on my reading journey!

This was a very fast paced, easy read for me, perfect for a one-sitting read, getting through a reading slump, or simply enjoying an entertaining mystery. I loved reading about the mother's tale to find her son, the mystery and secrets behind every other corner really kept me interested. Although, this is not very surprising for me, I have read 6 books of Kerry's Jessica Daniel Series and even from the very start his books were very captivating. This was my review on a couple of his books "I Strongly VERY VERY VERY STRONGLY Recommend This Book. Love this book, ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS SERIES & Kerry is one of the best authors I have ever read. This series has kept me hooked from the very beginning!" & with every book it's just grounded that opinion, and every book has a surprising twist!

“It wasn’t me” are the words spoken in a late night call to Jennifer from her son, Dan. The call is disconnected and Dan is no longer contactable. The police arrive and inform Jennifer and her husband that Ella, Dan’s girlfriend has been found murdered and Dan is the prime suspect and has now gone on the run.

Jennifer doesn’t believe her son is capable of such violence and travels to his university city to delve into his life and find out what has happened and who is the culprit if not Dan.

The storyline is fast paced and jumps straight into the situation that Dan has got caught up in. There are plenty of twists and turns and Jennifer’s own history with the university that Dan now attends features heavily throughout the storyline. The style of writing is to the point without unnecessary descriptions which keeps the story interesting and not boring. I’ve read books by this author before and have always enjoyed them. I would highly recommend this current offering.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

My Son's Girlfriend by Kerry Wilkinson

A gripping and compelling thriller!

Jennifer received a late night call from her son Dan, who said "It wasn't me.". Not long after the police were at her doorstep saying Dan's girlfriend Ella was murdered. Jennifer knew that her son was innocent and she would do anything to prove it even she had to reveal the darkness past.

The book had an intriguing start with a fast-pace plot. The now and then timelines worked very well especially to bring the readers back to Jennifer's university life. The time that she would love to forget because one of her friends was murdered - the same way and same place. The characters were relatable and easy to follow. The twists and turns kept going which I enjoyed a lot.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and the author for my copy.

My Son's Girlfriend by Kerry Wilkinson hooked me from the first page.
Once you start you will be gripped and it will be hard to put down.
The plot was very compelling.
The characters are solid and engaging.
The book kept a good pace throughout and did a good job of building the tension.
My Son's Girlfriend is a page turner for sure!

I really enjoy this authors books, and while this probably isn’t my favorite of his, it was still a good mystery! Jennifer’s son Dan is away at school, and one morning she gets a call from him. All he says is “it wasn’t me” and then the line goes dead. While Jennifer is trying to figure out what that meant, the police show up at her house with devastating news: Dan’s girlfriend Ella is dead, and they believe he did it.

Why do they believe he did it? Over twenty years prior, Jennifer’s friend Hayley was killed in the exact same manner. Ella was found dead on Dan’s bed, having been strangled with an electrical cord, just as Hayley was many years prior. Jennifer decides to head to the college town to try to find Dan and figure out what is going on.

The rest is your basic murder mystery, with many characters from both the past and present. It deals largely with drug dealing, theft, and all kinds of nefarious things that Dan had somehow fallen into. The ending is tied up neatly as the truth comes out and the killer is revealed, and while it didn’t have as many twists and shocks as it could have, this was a solid mystery/thriller. 3.5 stars, rounded up.

(Thank you to Bookouture for inviting me on this book’s tour. “My Son’s Girlfriend” is slated to be released on February 24, 2025.)

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Thank you Bookouture for inviting me to be part of the Books on Tour for “My Son’s Girlfriend“by Kerry Wilkinson. Every time I said one more chapter, it ended on a cliff-hanger and I just had to know what was going on!!! Jennifer’s son calls her late one night from college and said “I didn’t do it”. Sounded mighty suspicious to me! But as a mom, I know that I would do ANYTHING for my child, so I understand Jennifer’s quest to clear her son’s name.
This book was a definite roller coaster ride and the twists and turns kept coming. The ending definitely shocked me and I loved every second. Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
#MySonsGirlfriend #KerryWilkinson #NetGalley #Bookouture #BooksOnTour #BookLove #Bookstagram #NewBook #ILoveBooks

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of My Sons Girlfriend by Kerry Wilkinson in return for my honest review.
When Jennifer gets a late night phone call from her son whose away at university and all he says is “it wasn’t me” then hangs up, a few minutes later the police are at her door telling her her sons girlfriend has been murdered and her son is the prime suspect and has gone missing.
This is Kerry Wilkinson at his very best, My Sons Girlfriend is a fast paced thriller with plenty of twists and turns that had me totally hooked from the first page till the end.

This was such a great book! Many twists and turns and a bit of darkness here. I enjoyed going back into the past and coming to the present. Definitely recommend to all my fellow thriller book loving friends

First, I want to thank Kerry Wilkinson, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.

Kerry Wilkinson is back with another twisted psychological thriller in My Sons Girlfriend that you will want to put on your TBR list. This book is fast paced, addictive, and a binge worthy read.

This situation is every parent's worst nightmare come true! You get a call from your son saying it wasn't me. The next thing you find out that your son’s girlfriend is dead!! Did the son do it?! What happened to Ella? Kerry is an incredible storyteller and put some wicked twists and turns into this storyline.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #Bookouture for the book #MySonsGirlfriend by #KerryWilkinson. What would you do if your son was accused of murder? This fast paced thriller sucked me in until the shocking ending. Jennifer receives a phone call in the middle of the night from her son and all he says is “it wasn’t me”. Soon after the police are at her door looking for Daniel because his girlfriend has been killed. Jennifer will stop at nothing to find her son and prove his innocence. But can she succeed in this?

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘My Son’s Girlfriend’ written by Kerry Wilkinson in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Late at night Jennifer Farley receives a phone call from her son Daniel who’s at her old university in Ashington who says ‘It wasn’t me’. Thirty minutes later there’s a knock at the door and two police officers tell her there’s been an incident with Daniel’s girlfriend Ella who’s been murdered by having a lamp cord tied around her neck. She was found on Daniel’s bed and as he’s disappeared the police think he’s responsible. Jennifer immediately drives to Daniel’s student flat as although people are saying he’s a killer she knows he’s not and as soon as she finds her son he’ll be needing her close by.

Kerry Wilkinson is a prolific writer of excellent thrillers and I always look forward to reading something by him as no two of his standalone novels are the same and I never know what to expect. ‘My Son’s Girlfriend’ doesn’t disappoint as it’s another action-packed thriller set in the present time and also twenty-four years earlier when Jennifer was at the same university. It has lots of suspense, drama and twists that from page one I was completely gripped and unable to stop reading. The characters are relatable and there are so many possible suspects it’s been difficult trying to decide which of them is most likely to be the killer. By the time I’d reached the conclusion I wasn’t expecting the final huge twist that was like a bolt out of the blue and left me open-mouthed in surprise. This has been a thoroughly enjoyable thriller that I can happily recommend.

Well this book hit the ground running, held me captive throughout, spitting me out at the end, exhausted but wholly satisfied. It also marks a welcome return to this author's best. His previous few books having not quite reached the heady heights of his earlier works...
So... we start with Jennifer receiving a midnight call from her son Dan who is away at uni. After her greeting, he speaks only one short sentence - "It wasn't me" - and then hangs up. Not long after, she is further disturbed by a knock at the door. The police. They are looking for Dan. It transpires that his girlfriend Ella is dead and Dan is missing... but is he another victim to them, or a suspect?
If this isn't shocking enough, and worrying, Jennifer's world is rocked further when she finds out exactly how Ella was killed. Some 20 years ago, Jennifer's best friend was also murdered, in exactly the same way, and since Dan is stying in the same city as Jennifer once lived, in the same place. A place that Jennifer hasn't returned to since. A place she now needs to go to to to try and work out what is happening and, more importantly, find Dan and clear his name...
I blooming loved this book. I whizzed through it, needing to know what in the heck was happening. Desperate for resolution. Hungry to discover the truth!
Told in the present day as Jennifer chases down the clues, reconnects with her past, with that past injected in the format of flashbacks to add colour and progress the present day narrative.
Characterisation has always been one of this author's strengths, especially his female ones and this book is no exception to that. I took to Jen from the off and felt for what she was going through.
Pacing is good and matches the narrative all the way through, and with absolutely no superfluous waffle or padding, the story gets on with itself very well indeed.
And when the truth all came out... well... phew, that's all I'm saying.
All in all, a return to first class form and a worthy addition to an already impressive back catalogue. Roll on next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

As a mum, this is pretty much my worst nightmare. A phone call in the middle of the night and your child on the run, wanted for murder. Jen's son's girlfriend Ella has been found murdered in a way that devastatingly echoes horrors from Jen's own past. She rushes back to try and find Daniel, she ends up in a web of lies that all seem to be connected.

Well written with a great pace, I love that My Son's Girlfriend is a whodunnit that shies away from the police perspective. Instead Jen is completely blind, trying to piece together Daniels life before the murder and what brought the young couple very much in love, to the edge.

Some characters didn't really have a purpose which left me questioning why they were there in the first place and others were very clearly plot steps such as Daniel's Dad Andrew and Jen's university friend Natasha, but you could argue that was purposeful to give a sense of Jen's tunnel vision which is fully focused on her son. Caroline from HR also ruffled my feathers and I hope that Jen went back to work and submitted a GDPR complaint. You can take the girl out of HR, but you can't take HR out of the girl......

Was this a little far fetched? Yes it was, but that didn't stop me having a great time getting lost in the pages of My Son's Girlfriend.