Hosting Andrew
by John Lawrance
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Pub Date 28 Aug 2022 | Archive Date 11 Apr 2023
The Book Guild | Book Guild Publishing
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Description
“This afternoon I shall go to my own funeral service before I watch them bury me under six feet of London clay.”
When kindly provincial solicitor, Andrew Soulsby, fails to listen to his instincts he is condemned to live an evil man’s life in a tailspin to destruction. Plagued by dark memories that do not belong to him and arrested for crimes of which he has no knowledge, he faces professional ruin, bankruptcy and a prison cell.
Can Andrew discover what has happened to him, and will he find a way to survive if he regains the love of his wife and children, or is the truth altogether more terrifying?
Fantasy meets grim reality in this gripping medico-legal mystery thriller with an original twist, making you question what it means to have a soul, a sense of self.
A Note From the Publisher
Available Editions
EDITION | Ebook |
ISBN | 9781915603098 |
PRICE | £4.99 (GBP) |
PAGES | 320 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Wow! What a page Turner! I could not put this book down. I had to know what happened.
Andrew and Matthew had very different operations but somehow Andrew woke up in a different body. With no memory at all Andrew seeks the truth and gets more than he bargained for.
I struggled to enjoy this novel, it seemed to blur the lines of realism without having a gripping storyline, plus the constant cricket analogies did bore me
Thank you Netgally for this early copy to review.
This book was suck a page turner! I could not put it down, i read it in one sitting! This was tottallt different to any thriller i’ve read. Anytime i thought i knew what was going to happen, i was wrong! Had me on my toes.
3.5— Wow! This was definitely an original story with twist I did not see coming. Although I enjoyed this story, it started off very slow. I found some parts to be repetitive and overly descriptive.
I was really excited with the premise and wasn't sure how the author would explore it without it become too out there and Sci fi but I think they did a good job if never letting it gett too absurd. It's a fiction so you need to ignore reality and just enjoy it foe what it is and it was a decent enough story line and well written. It wasn't the most captivating but its certainly a very fresh take on a thriller and it did keep me interested enough to stay til tbe end
Thank you for the opportunity to preview Hosting Andrew. I am always looking for something different and unexpected in a novel. Well I got it with this one. This is a very interesting and suspense filled book.
Two men go in for surgery and these two men are very different. One rich and one modestly middle class. One obnoxious and one caring. Both men are scheduled for surgery and one man will survive.
But that is just the beginning of a roller coaster ride for the reader. Written in first person takes you to the mind of the Man. And you will not put this book down till the last page. very good!
This was a new author for me . I never read anything from this author before but for the most part I really liked this book. I thought the whole story was amazing. I honestly didn’t want this book to end. I can’t wait to see what this author comes up with on the next book they write. I usually judge a book from the cover because for me it shows if it’s going to be interesting or not and I loved the book
This was an incredible read that was completely gripping right from the start. Fast-paced, twisty and unpredictable, I couldn't put it down
I found this book a bit strange and not my thing at all, it was well written though and the idea for the story was quite good.
Thank you for letting me pre-read but it wasn’t for me, although I can see why others may enjoy it!
This was everything you need for a thriller and crime story. It is not as black and white as you first think and like most typical thrillers, is full of twists. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.
This was a strange story of a man waking up in a different body after major surgery. The narrative was too slow to engage my interest but the premise was good.
This was slow going but I was so intrigued by the main plot that I pushed through. An explosive twist and a lot of fun and so entertaining. A very original story.
This was such a unique storyline and I couldn’t wait to read it after seeing the synopsis! I’ve read a number of thrillers and mysteries in the past but I’ve never read anything like this one - I really had no idea how this was going to end. The twists and turns had me gripped and kept me guessing right up to the final page, the sign of a fantastic thriller! I’ve given this 4* because parts of it felt a little over descriptive and I felt myself skipping sentences and zoning out in places, then trying to zone back in further down the page. This is definitely worth a read if you like a book that you just can’t put down. 4*! 🙌🏻
Thanks to NetGalley, The Book Guild and John Lawrance for the ARC copy of this book.
A promising debut from a new writer that explores the possibility of ‘soul swapping’. After undergoing what was meant to be routine surgery, Andrew wakes up to find himself in the body of another man - one whose immoral and illegal background is diametrically opposed to Andrew’s own respectable life. The author handles the first person narrative well and investigates whether it’s possible to retain your identity and values when you’re no longer living in your own body. My only complaint is with the ending and the disposability of the main female characters. Still I would be keen to read more by this author and thank Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for this review.
I enjoyed reading this book. It was a new author for me and I was apprehensive about whether I would enjoy it. I was pleasantly surprised and I would recommend others to read it.
I asked to review this book purely based on the cover and the subtitle. The cover reminded me of ‘the silent patient’ which I thoroughly enjoyed so I want to give this a read! It was brilliant. Full of twists and surprised and made me want to continue reading way into the night. Not knowing what happened to Andrew kept me engaged because I wanted to find out what happened next. Very good read!
This is kind of a Sci fi medical crime book.
It kept me interested and engaged throughout the story
Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.
Thank you to The Book Guild for sending me an ARC of Hosting Andrew.
Unfortunately, this book didn't work for me. Had I known the plot of Andrew being inside another body after surgery, I would have not requested it. It just isn't my personal cup of tea. Based on the cover of the book, I was expecting a legal-medical drama, not a sci-fi book. That isn't my normal reading genre, and the writing can be the best I've ever read, but it still wouldn't work for me. I see it has excellent reviews and I wouldn't be giving the book a fair chance, so I'm going to DNF this one.
This was a new author for me . I never read anything from this author before but for the most part I really liked this book. I thought the whole story was amazing. I honestly didn’t want this book to end. I can’t wait to see what this author comes up with on the next book they write. I usually judge a book from the cover because for me it shows if it’s going to be interesting or not and I loved the book.
Loved loved this one!! Gripping and exciting and as always a fab read and can't wait to see what this author does next :)
I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy this book as it sounded like it had a slight sci-fi feel to it but I was pleasantly surprised. Two men go down for an op, only 1 survives but he wakes up in the other man's body.
I loved the beginning and felt so much empathy towards Andrew however a couple of things felt truly unbelievable. I do not believe that even after convincing his wife that he was Andrew inside Matthews body, she would be able to do what she did the same day, I know I certainly couldn't. I was also waiting for some kind of twist relating to the 2 wives at the end as felt it was great opportunity to add some more depth to the ending.
The ending is where I really felt disappointed, it felt rushed and just didn't seem right somehow. Which was a real shame as the majority of the story was really good, it was just so odd how such a major plot change was rushed into such a short ending
3.5 stars rounded to 4 for a great idea and first 3/4.
#NetGalley #HostingAndrew
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What a great debut. I'm sure this is just the start of a great career for this author. Lots of intrigue, twists and turns and many surprises. I am so looking forward to reading more from this author.
It took me a little while to get into this book and I found it somewhat overwritten at times, but nonetheless ultimately I found in quite enthralling.
The protagonists are well written and sympathetic (even the “bad” guys) and even though I felt that the premise was unlikely, it did open my mind to the prospects of the transfer of a “Soul” from one person to another.
Highly recommended.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.
Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest review.
I wasn't initially sure about this story. Imagine going for a fiarly routine operation and three hours later finding out that your body died but you're now living in someone else's body but with your memories.
It sounds just too far fetched and shouldn't really work but it most definitely does.
Early on this story grabbed me and I could hardly put it down
Five Stars.
Firstly thank you Netgalley for this ARC
What a brilliantly written book loved it from start to finish about two men who have different operations and the horror of what happens to one of the men
Amazing! The author takes a fascinating premise and makes it incredibly believable. I loved this clever blend of mystery and sci fi. I could imagine the fear and terror the character must have felt - that desperation was palpable.
Imagine waking up in somebody else’s body!! Thrilling and utterly compulsive! An incredible read, impossible to put down. Incredible storytelling! Recommend you read this book!
A well-written book that made me ponder what would I do if I woke up in someone else’s body after surgery. This book answered the question for our protagonist. The characters were well-written and I enjoyed this read.
“This afternoon I shall go to my own funeral service before I watch them bury me under six feet of London clay.”
When kindly provincial solicitor, Andrew Soulsby, fails to listen to his instincts he is condemned to live an evil man’s life in a tailspin to destruction. Plagued by dark memories that do not belong to him and arrested for crimes of which he has no knowledge, he faces professional ruin, bankruptcy and a prison cell.
Can Andrew discover what has happened to him, and will he find a way to survive if he regains the love of his wife and children, or is the truth altogether more terrifying?
This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.
The story centres around Andrew and Matthew who have different operations. One dies and the other survivor has the dead man’s memory. A little blurred at times and a little sci-fi but a gripping story as I wanted to get to the end to see what finally happened.
Thanks first must go to Netgalley, the publisher and John Lawrance for the ARC of ‘Hosting Andrew’.
Initially I was sceptical it could be slightly sci-fi however, keen to test my usual genre boundaries I tore through this well written book at speed.
Good plot, developed characters, excellent writing. Really enjoyed and would recommend.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
The information provided presents the book as cross between a mystery and an exploration of morals and ethics; it includes these elements but is so much more! From the moment Andrew awoke from the anaesthetic to find himself in a different body it had me gripped. His confusion, bordering on horror, was described showing empathy and understanding of human emotions and the more he tried to explain how he felt and find out what had happened the reader feels his despair creeping in. I thought the book was extremely well-written so it is hard to believe it is a debut novel, every nuance of being in a 'different body' was conveyed, from differences when moving around to the voice and way of speaking. The plot borders on science fiction but with medical research going on constantly it is almost possible to believe this has the potential for a future reality. I didn't want to put the book down, and found the ending extremely satisfying! I definitely recommend this book.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.
This is my first title by this author and will read more in the future.
Will recommend this to anyone looking for a new title.
I love medical stories and this one had a very interesting story line.
This book had a very interesting plot that i really enjoyed and haven't read before.
Thanks again for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
5/5 stars
What would happen if very, very rich people could have 'themselves', their character, behaviour and memories switch to a better body? Younger, even richer, with more money and power, with a better marriage and so on?
Well, the world would be completely ignorant, I think. Of course such people, as Matthew in this story, don't want anybody to know. And who would believe the other person when they said they were in the wrong body?
Anyway, Matthew found a way to switch to Andrews' body without poor Andrew knowing what was going to happen with him. Let alone his family.
And then it goes wrong, all wrong.
We read the story seen from both POV's, Matthews' and Andrews' and it is very cleverly done. Matthew is obscenely rich, or so he thinks, whereas Andrew is just moderately well of. On the other hand, Matthew has no loving wife and everybody secretly hates him, whereas Andrew is very happy with his wife and children.
Slowly it becomes clear what happened and what went wrong, and then the story gets more and more intense as both Matthew and Andrew have to come to terms with their new bodies and life. I just loved the way you can see the characters change, and there are a couple of real surprises before the biggest one at the end.