✨ Arc Review ✨

This comes out on March 5th 2025 and when they say unputdownable, they mean it!!!

Gary and Catherine have a happy marriage and a great life. Then Gary’s sister, whom he hates because she’s the product of his Dad having an affair, needs a place to stay. Cath refuses to let Lisa sleep in her classroom where she’s been sleeping and offers her the extra room. Lisa seems grateful but then starts inserting herself into their marriage planting little seeds of doubt to Cath about Gary and can she trust him?
Catherine starts doubting the man she loves so much, the man who rescued her, when strange things start happening to her. Things that threaten to bring to light the secrets of her past. She starts to question who she should or shouldn’t trust… including her husband.

🔥Right from the beginning I was HOOKED. I binged this in almost one sitting. It was extremely fast paced and the twists and turns this book took was intense. I had so many theories and then something else happened that has me questioning everything. Ultimately my original theory was correct and that made me love the book so much more… that I got it right out of all the dang possibilities! The big twist, definitely didn’t see that coming, hadda scoop my jaw up off the floor for that one!

This was a wild ride that I’d definitely go on again! I highly recommend! Will definitely be checking out more books by @wendyclarke99

This was a surprising book. I was not expecting any of the ending. You just never know who someone is even when you’ve known them a long time. Not everyone is who they seem to be. Great narration and well written. Finished it in less than a day and loved it.

Good story that keeps you entertained but most importantly holds your interest! A little predictable but didn't stop me from continuing and wanting to know how it all unfolds.
Recommend for a quick easy read.
(Would give 3.5 stars if possible)

Make Yourself at Home by Wendy Clarke
Narrated by Lucy Paterson

Life and marriage have been good for Cath and Gary. Both enjoy their jobs, their home life, their time together. Over the years, Gary's longtime best friend, Ross, has become Cath's best friend, too, especially since they both teach at the same school. Now a new teacher in training has arrived at the school and after Cath finds out that Lisa has been spending the night in her classroom because she's been kicked out of her parents' home, Cath insists that Lisa used their spare bedroom while she gets back on her feet.

Cath wouldn't have been so eager to allow a near stranger into her house if she wasn't dealing with guilt about something in her past. Now Lisa is embedded in her household and Gary is acting weird. Maybe he isn't such a loving husband after all. Where has all his compassionate support gone, the support he gave Cath long ago, to help her move past the horror of what happened in another classroom?

Who to trust, who to trust? Someone is targeting Cath, sending threatening notes, Cath no longer feels safe and she has no idea where she can turn. Ross seems like a good bet except he's Gary's best friend. With all that is going on now at school and at home, is the promotion Cath was hoping for going to slip out of her grasp?

When work and home become battle grounds for reasons Cath doesn't understand, it seems like her whole world in imploding. So many twists and turns, and Cath's guilt feelings may get the best of her, too. Lucy Paterson narrates the story and when the story ignites with menace, the danger seems so very real. I plan to check out more of Wendy Clarke's work.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley

A tense, twisty rollercoaster of a psychological thriller.

Make Yourself at Home had me hooked from the first few chapters.

Katherine is aiming for head of English at the school she teaches at, she’s great friends with colleague Ross, and is mentoring trainee teacher Lisa. Life is on the up as she recovers from her past and moves forward. Her home life could be better, her husband really isn’t impressed by the job, isn’t impressed by much really, but when Lisa comes to Katherine looking for help, she sees an opportunity to fix things for everyone and readily offers up the spare room.

Things are about to take a sinister turn though, with past secrets exposed, can she trust this young woman? Can she trust her husband? and, Can you love someone too much?

The audio narration on this title by Lucy Patterson was excellent 🎧

Huge thanks to Bookouture Audio Uk via NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧

Make Yourself at Home by Wendy Clarke is a psychological thriller with plenty of suspense and intrigue. The writing keeps the reader engaged, and the tension builds steadily throughout. While some aspects may feel predictable or slow at times, it offers an overall compelling reading experience for fans of the genre.

Who knew teachers lead such dramatic lives? Definitely a fun ride!

Premise - Catherine's teaching career is finally going well after her husband, Gary, helps her overcome alcoholism and a dark past at her old school. When Catherine learns that Lisa, a vulnerable new member of staff, is currently homeless and camping out in her classroom after hours, she's drawn to help the young woman. She's blown away when it turns out Lisa is Gary's sister, especially as he'd never even mentioned having a sister!

Eager to learn more about Gary's family history, as well as help her young colleague, Catherine invites Lisa to live with them as she cobbles her life back together. Gary starts pulling away, spending more and more time outside of the home. IT seems he's hiding something, but what? And how far will Gary, Lisa, and Catherine each go to expose (or hide) the truth and protect the ones they love?

This was so engaging! The characters are well developed and fascinating. I was sucked into their world in no time at all and had to know how things would end up. It's written in a very conversational voice, with prose that gets out of the way and lets you forget you're reading a story and not just watching the craziest moments of someone's life unfold.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Lucy Paterson. She's a delight to listen to! She has one of those voices that makes the highest stakes story feel cozy, even as the energy in her read helps build the tension in the tale.

I started listening to this at the airport before an international flight and fully intended to enjoy a movie marathon during my flight, but the story wouldn't let me go! I couldn't tear myself away from the story and before I knew it the tale was through and I barely had time for one inflight movie.😅 Worth it!

Thanks, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.