Thank you once again to Netgalley for this ARC! This book has it all! What a twist! Hannah meets her daughter Belles's fiancé at her 18th birthday party. Hannah knows him by another name. She tries to stop her daughter from making the same mistakes as herself. Without giving too much away this book has a very twisty ending that I did not see coming! I highly recommend this one!

So what would you do if you had a secret from your past that you never told your husband and then he came home with your daughter? That’s the premise of this book. And as the reader you don’t quite know what that secret is. I flew through this book because I knew what the book was hinting at was Hannah’s secret, but I also know that in these domestic thrillers, things are never that straightforward. I needed to know for sure, what her secret was, if she’d keep it from her family and how she’d get rid of her past. Phew, that is a lot to need to know, right?

This is a slower paced book that the tension builds as you advance through the story. There were a few twists that I didn't see coming. I don’t want to spoil anything for you, but trust me this is a quick read and worth the investment.

I really tried hard with this book. I wanted to like it as much as other reviewers but, it just didn’t hold my attention. I gave up halfway through as I couldn’t be bothered to read anymore. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Wow, just wow! I thought I had that twist nailed down, and when it came I was impressed I'd figured it out, but alas...there was an even more surprising one! Such a great book, I will be searching out more by this author!

What did I just read?? I'm trying to process this one to give a well thought out review but the level of unbelievable story lines would require any reader to push well beyond suspending disbelief...

I liked a lot of the idea but thought it was a bit out there. I also never got behind the main character and was disappointed with where the ending left her and her daughter.

Would really recommend this book , a very unstoppable read, could not leave this book down, it was so will written that you connected with each and every character and really felt you were living with them in there life’s. This was such an intriguing story with lots of twists and turns not knowing the truth while the story unfolds.

I have picked book by cover and by what i was hearing about it. i kept putting it down because i was not very interested in the story line. kept going from past to present and didn't hold my interest. I have tried several times but i think now i will just give up. I wanted to like it so much

Wow! I was completely left speechless after completing this book. I couldn't put it down! I just had to know what played out. Imagine your past finally catching up to you and in the worst way possible... through your daughter! I loved this book it was such a gripping story and plot. I can't say much because I don't want to spoil it but I totally reccomend this book. I can't wait to tell all my book friends about it.

Thank you to Bookatoure and NetGalley for this advance ebook copy.

At her surprise 18th birthday party, Belle, who has been studying abroad, comes home and announces that she is engaged to a much older man named Jack. Hannah, Belle’s mother, quickly realizes that she knows Jack from her past and he is not who he says he is. Jack is dangerous and Hannah can’t tell a soul.

The first half of this book is character development including their past and present which I found to be slow. The second half of the book though, wow!! It was filled with twists and turns! I could not put it down. I had to find out the truth.

“ I’ve become so used to living a lie that I simply haven’t noticed anyone else’s”. And there are SO many lies floating around in this book.
 Hannah has a past that has her looking over her shoulder constantly…….even 18 years later. But the past  walks through her front door when her 18 year old daughter brings her new fiancé home……he’s 30 years her senior and the man who Hannah has been trying to hide from. He’s found Hannah and intends to groom her daughter, Belle, to live the life that Hannah ran from: turning tricks, alcohol and drugs. Since fleeing that old life
she has become a successful businesswoman, had another daughter and is madly in love with her partner.
     In spite of her parent's and friends' opinions, Belle is infatuated with this man, in typical teenage fashion, announcing how she is an adult now, can make her own decisions, has quit school and is going to be in business with “Jack”: she is brainwashed. Mom can see how her daughter is being taken down the garden path and cannot let that happen.
 Hannah’s flashbacks to her days in the sex trade were uncomfortable. The descriptions of the young girls and how they came under Jack’s “rule” is upsetting, their life with no future and their only family the other girls in the house was well told. Hannah is soon a mission to not let this happen to her girl.
I did come to some early conclusions about how the book would unfold which came true……and then there was another twist I was expecting but I became too smug. That finale was a winner that came from nowhere!  So many secrets!

TRIGGER WARNING: sexual exploitation and grooming
Hannah and Rob are looking forward to their daughter Belle's return from France. But Belle arrives a day late and with a fiance in tow. Hannah is horrified to recognise Jack as a man from her past but the truth will rip her family apart...
The Engagement is a psychological thriller set in the UK in the present day as well as the past. The majority of the book is written from Hannah's first person perspective as we see her panic and revulsion at Jack's appearance and the way he has groomed her daughter. There are a few chapters which show Belle's viewpoint as she rebels against her parents. The epilogue gives another perspective which has a huge twist.
Molly in the past is a troubled teen and is working as a prostitute. She has plans to escape with one of the other girls but there is a great deal of danger. I found the connection between the two timelines to be quite predictable but this didn't spoil my enjoyment at all.
It was all too easy to understand and relate to Hannah's desperate attempts to make her daughter see sense. Every parent will appreciate the terror and repugnance that Hannah experiences as her worst fears become reality.The panic and tension are maintained well throughout the book and Jack is thoroughly despicable. I wanted to scream and shout at Belle for being so blind and trusting. The ending is certainly dramatic!
The Engagement is a tense and intense novel with a plotline that will terrify parents.

A great story with so many twists and turns. Gripping from the start. I couldn't put it down. And the twist at the end.................................... WOW !!!
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this brilliant ARC

When Belle comes home to celebrate her 18th birthday she is the one with a surprise for her parents. She is engaged to an older man. That isn't the problem though. Hannah knows her daughters fiance from her past. Hannah knows him to be dangerous and terrible man but she can't tell her family! She has told too many lies to keep this a secret.
This is a wonderful psychological thriller with many twists and turns. The storyline is unique and kept me guessing.

I wanted to enjoy this book but it was hard to, as I could not stand the main character’s daughter. Considering she’s the catalyst for the plot, it made parts of the book hard to read. I did like the flashback sections and learning more about the main character’s history.

What a twisted tale is woven in this novel. Imagine your daughter coming home to tell you she is engaged to the man of her dreams. You have never heard of him, and when he shows up with your eighteen-year-old daughter, you are shocked beyond belief.

He claims to be one person, BUT you know him intimately from your past. He is not a nice person, and has your daughter believing he is her true love. He recognizes you and has a plan for you both!

Your husband does not know about your past! Secrets usually come out. How can you get your daughter away from this man, who is NOW blackmailing you?

This was a great psychological thriller with so many twists and turns. It had a unique storyline and I certainly didn’t know what to expect. My only grumble why I never gave it 5 stars was how naive and stupid belle came across which really annoyed me so much! Otherwise a great book

The Engagement is another page turner by Samantha Hayes who always entertains with twists and turns and an ending you never saw coming.

I definitely did not predict the ending of The Engagement.

The book is full of red herrings, secrets, nasty people and with every page the tension mounts just a bit more.

Hannah's daughter is engaged at 18 to someone from Hannah's past and Hannah knows he is bad news.

She will do anything to protect her daughter while protecting her own secrets that would destroy her world and that of her family.

The pages turn quickly and the lights stay on for just one more chapter or perhaps three.

I thought this book had a really good premise and I was excited to read it! But I found the writing to be bad and the plot line ended up feeling more cringy than shocking or thrilling.

This is my sixth read by the talented author, Samantha Hayes. Belle is turning 18 and Hannah and her husband, Rob, want to throw a surprise birthday party for her. But Belle isn't the only one with surprises in store... With a strong start, I was intrigued and gripped by what was happening and immensely keen to read on. A surprising, shocking story about deceit, regret and family among other things. Intense, intoxicating, rich in drama with a superb ending, and very highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I did really enjoy this book and was excited to read and understand the backgrounds and conclusion. It was an interesting and sometimes hard hitting read but I think its best not to think too deeply about the plot and look back on it as I think it does have quite a few holes and inconsistencies so I've marked it down a star. It was an enjoyable read though and I'd look for more of the authors books.
Thanks for NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
#The Engagement #NetGalley