I received an ALC through NetGalley of this audiobook.
Picture you moving to the countryside with your boyfriend and new baby. You're isolated but happy. Making friends is trial and error until you meet an enthusiastic Australian named Valentina. They hit it off immediately, but let's say she has some...quirks. Is she weird or is she just Australian?
First, I want to give the narrators the credit they deserve. Tamsin Kennard and Helen McAlpine do a fantastic job. As a narrator myself, I know it can be tough to give each character distinct differences and make them unique. Both Kennard and McAlpine do a phenomenal job at this. Each character sounds like a real person.
There are times when you are sucked into the narrative only to have them break the fourth wall and tell you that they're joking or that they have to stop telling you something. This, combined with a subtle dual timeline, makes the book particularly captivating.
This book does a great job at capturing the intricacies of friendships where you love someone so much but also resent them to an extent, as well as how far things go if one doesn't want to feel rude.
As far as psychological thrillers go, this twist was solid! It was a good twist on a very common trope for the genre. My only complain is that it was a little slow for me.

Valentina by S.E. Lynes (Audiobook)
HOLY HELL. The narrators were incredible. The accent and voice work were superb. The talent that danced upon my eardrum throughout this novel was top-tier incredible.

Portions of this plot made me so angry. One, because I hate seeing women described as so naive that they miss what is right in front of them, but also because human nature can be so damned ugly.

Shona was easy to like and empathize with. You couldn’t help but want her to get the happily ever after she longed for. And Valentina, though weirdly evasive, didn’t seem too bad. Mikey was a dirtbag who didn’t deserve anything.

This story is told in a unique way, and the narrators bring the characters to life. I really enjoyed the accents and various voices that differentiate everyone.

This fast-paced, twisted thriller will hold you hostage from the moment you press play. I cannot recommend this audiobook enough. Katy Approved!

Publication Date: April 24, 2025
Publisher: Bookouture Audio
Narrators: Tamsin Kennard and Helen McAlpine

I did predict the biggest twist, s one does, but it did not detract from my enjoyment and it was no the only twist.
I love the narration!
I can't say much more without revealing things. It is important not to spoil things.
Absolutely read this one.

Talk about a psychological thriller... WOW!!!
This one had my head spinning, and me holding on for dear life!

Shona is a city girl who is also a journalist. She meets Mikey following a local play he'd been starring in...and they kind of hit it off. But it's not until a week or so later that they meet up and start dating... It's a real whirlwind romance, and Shona soon realizes that she is not alone. When she tells Mikey, he is at first concerned, then thrilled! He'll get them a little home and the three of them will be together!

They then move to a remote little area and Mikey sets off to work on the 'rigs'... where he's offshore for 2 weeks, and then home for 2 weeks. Initially Shona thinks this will be ok. BUT, when she actually has to live it, she realizes that it is NOT ok.... and she's not sure how she'll get thru this.

In walks Valentina.... to the rescue. She is beautiful and smart and now has a baby boy just about the same age as Shona's baby girl. They hit it off immediately! And become the best of friends.

BUT, Shona doesn't understand why Valentina's husband is so mysterious... and missing all the time. As time goes on they grow closer and closer, but Shona starts to have some doubts.

🛑🛑. I'm stopping right here! 🛑🛑. I will say that I had some ideas throughout the book... some were spot on. Some were totally off. But, it was a great read that kept me on my toes throughout!

4 1/2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 for me, rounded up to 5!

#Valentina by #SELynes and narrated nicely by #TamsinKennard and #HelenMcAlpine.
I should also not that this looks like a re-release for the audiobook! 😬

*** SOON TO BE RELEASED ON 4/24/25...SO A FEW DAYS AWAY!! ***

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and & #BookoutureAudio for an ARC of the audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.

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Oh, Valentina by S.E. Lynes — what a ride! I really enjoyed this one. The writing style is just so smooth and compelling, it pulled me in right from the start. There’s this really intriguing, slightly eerie vibe running through it that kept me flipping pages. The characters were layered, the tension built really well, and it had that psychological edge I love in a thriller.

If I had to nitpick, I’d say it maybe dragged just a touch in parts — like, it could’ve been a little tighter. But honestly, that didn’t take away from how gripping and well-written it was overall. Definitely one I’d recommend if you're into dark, twisty stories with strong character work.
Really fantastic narrators for the audiobook

This novel follows Shona, a Glasgow native and reporter, as she meets and falls in love with her partner Mikey. They move in together, get pregnant, and then move to a remote village so that Mikey can be closer to his work.

Shona is not adjusting well to being in a remote cottage and having her partner be on an oil rig 2 weeks of every month. She is lonely and isolated, until she meets a fellow new mom, named Valentina, who becomes her new bestie.

Shona and Valentina spend a significant amount of time together, and while Shona never 100% trusts Valentina (her stories just don't add up), she does enjoy her time with Valentina, and relies on her when emergencies happen.

Usually Shona isn't bothered by Valentina's shadiness about her personal life (her husband is a loser, she is sleeping with another man, etc.), but eventually she can't shake the feeling that Valentina is not being truthful...about *anything*.

The last 1/2 of this book was insanely fun and crazy. You just can't believe what you are reading! I couldn't put this (audio) book down and listened to the last 4 hours straight because I needed to know how it ended.

Shona was such a lovable main character. I was rooting for her the whole time. Five Stars!! I will definitely be reading more books by S.E. Lynes!

Thank you to Blackbird Digital Books, NetGalley and S. E. Lynes for my ARC!

I couldn't understand the audio of this. The person reading the book has a strong Scottish accent and I couldn't understand what she was saying.

Initially I was a little confused as this seems to be an older title, which isn’t unusual. however i discovered that it hasn’t just had a change of publisher but a revamp on the audio narration that had me desperate to press play.

Get this in your ear holes as soon as possible. It’s excellent. I was completely gripped by the story, I was in love with the characters and there were twists that completely blew me away. This is one of the best thrillers I’ve read in years!

You’ll never believe me when I tell you that my adored Helen McAlpine AND Tamsin Kennard are the narrators and they gave a stellar performance.

All the stars 🌟
#Jorecommends

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