Believe Me Not

This was a fast paced thriller that made compulsive reading. Some of the themes in this book made it difficult to read at times but I just know what happened to Mégan, could she trust her thoughts and memories or were they paranoid delusions, the twists in the book make you doubt everyone and even your own sanity at points.
#netgalley #believemenot I definitely plan to read more Natalie Chandler

Believe Me Not is an outstanding, compelling and addictive psychological thriller that keeps the reader/listener on the edge of their seats. The twists and turns within the storyline demonstrate that the author is talented and has high standards of writing, drawing them in from the beginning of chapter one.

This storyline pace started well but did drag a little in the middle for my preference. However, it picked up speed and intensity towards the conclusion, so it is worth continuing.

The mental health concept throughout this book is powerful and handled well. The author's sensitivity shows throughout Megan's character, making her a character I liked. I felt empathy towards her emotional pain. Although I have not experienced the same as her, I found her relatable. I have to be honest; I misjudged Megan's family initially. Still, as the story unfolds, it becomes apparent why they took specific actions and the consequences of such.

The narration is performed well, which aids in allowing the listener to become emotionally invested in these characters. I did not like the unethical psychotherapist and felt that the plot didn't require his presence. I can see why the author went down this line, but it felt a little far fetched for me, hence why this is a four-star read and not a five.

Overall, this is very entertaining, and I recommend it to anyone, fans of this author or genre. This audiobook is available from 9th June and is worth pre-ordering today!

I have had a run of really good books lately and this was one of them. The story is dark and disturbing and quite unique.
The story centres around the mental illness of Megan, who is, due to this, an extremely unreliable narrator.
I don’t want to drop an spoilers, but just to stay the outcome is multifaceted and uncertain.
An excellent read.

Megan wakes up, disorientated, in a hospital bed but can’t remember why. She feels a scar from recent surgery and then recalls, and wants to know where her baby is, But the doctors, Megan’s husband, Stefan and family members keep evading her questions. Why won’t anyone tell about her baby? Then Megan realises she is not in a maternity ward but a psychiatric ward. She is desperate to have answers but only faced with lies and more questions.
A gripping, psychological thriller that will really pull at your heart strings. You will so desperately want to help Megan. It’s if difficult to know who to trust.

Natalie Chandler - Believe Me Not

Ohhh this is clever. Believe Me Not is FULL of secrets, with everyone having something to hide.

Told in dual timelines, there’s mystery in both the past and the present as Megan slowly regains her memory of the events that unfolded before she woke in a psychiatric hospital. At first I struggled to see how some aspects of the the ‘past’ storyline would tie in with what was happening in the here and now, they felt a bit disconnected. However, I shouldn’t have worried as it’s all very cleverly connected and starts to make sense as the story goes on. There’s so much going on and packed into this story, like literally, the author did an amazing job at remembering all the little details and tying them up nicely at the end. That being said, the ending is somewhat open for the reader to make their own conclusions on some aspects, which I really enjoy.

Did Meg actually give birth? Oh, it’s really not as simple as that. This story did NOT go down the route I guessed it would! Working in the mental health field and being so passionate about the topic, I’m always a little apprehensive of reading books with a mental health theme, and judgemental of how it is portrayed in books, as I can’t help but become angry if it’s handled wrongly. The portrayal of mental illness(es) is really well done (minus Dr. Mac’s way of ‘treating’ Meg, like what the hell was that?!?! that was absolutely the point though).

Apart from eye rolling every time I’d needed to listen to Dr Mac, I really felt connected (in a positive way!) to all other characters. I did feel sorry for Meg; her memory loss, knowing her family were keeping secrets from her about baby Luka, and the way her life was constrained after leaving the psychiatric hospital angered me (all for her own safety but srsly, thanks Dr. Mac). Her sister Sophia was so sarcastic and funny, she really injected some light hearted comedy into the serious nature of the story.

I loved that we were drip fed information and small, exciting revelations along the way, instead of having to wait until the end, where there was of course one big final twist for us to devour - they just don’t stop! The writing and way the story was presented made the book so engaging. Although I wouldn’t quite class this as a ‘thriller’, it was definitely psychological, mysterious, and fun to piece together. I was only able to guess the twists JUST before they were revealed. This is a twisty story that really did shock me!!

I listened to this on audiobook and I really liked the narrator. She captured Meg’s emotions and personality perfectly.

Megan wakes up in hospital with no recollection of the events that led her there, apart from being sure that she has recently had a baby and that baby is missing.
Her husband, sister and doctor refuse to answer her questions about what happened and keeps denying the existence of the baby.
Megan resolves to do everything in her power to find the truth.
A bit unbelievable in places, the story is quite gripping and the ending surprising.

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline Audio for letting me review this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.