Story was fine. Not a huge fan of any of the characters, all a bit niave and a few plot points thrown in clearly to create red herrings that came to nothing. But overall a fine read, quick, easy to followl.

This book was amazing. In the beginning the story was slowly unfolding, but it helped the tension which was really well done. I couldn't put the book down and I just had to know where the story was leading. Although I saw some elements coming, the ending and especially the very last revelation really got me chocked. I spent a really enjoyable time with this thriller. I look forward to reading the author's other books.

I loved The Engagement by Samantha Hayes. Hannah’s daughter Belle is about to turn eighteen. She’s spent the last couple of months in France and is due to return home. But when she finally arrives, she’s not alone and to Hannah’s dismay, she announces she’s engaged. For Hannah this is terrifying, she needs to put a stop to this or secrets from her past, ones that she’s fought so hard to bury, may be revealed. A gripping novel that goes between past and present with some great twists thrown in to keep you intrigued and entertained to the end. Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the chance to review.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for an early copy of The Engagement, this was a really GOOOOOD book!!!! But it was disturbing how easily girls are groomed, very sad to me. The Two twists were AMAZING, what a Great plot to have it All come together the way it did. Very fast reading, All in All a wonderful weekend read.

The book was an absolute dark thriller. There is a jaw dropping twist at the end. It was a page turner and I stayed whole night wanting to know what happens to Bella and Hannah. There is teenage tantrums, family drama, women empowerment everything in this single story. Highly recommend ❤️

Hannah is excited for her daughter, Belle, to arrive home after a few months away in France. But when she arrives, she announces that she is engaged... and when Hannah meets her future son-in-law, she realises that her past has caught up with her ...

This is a really gripping story, told from a few viewpoints and split between present day and 18 years ago. The twists were pretty obvious, but that didn't dent my enjoyment. Brilliantly written, The Engagement really builds the tension to a thrilling conclusion.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is a parent’s worst nightmare - your daughter comes home from a holiday abroad, head over heels in love and engaged to a man who’s all wrong for her.

Why is this a nightmare? Well, her fiance is the last man on earth you’d ever want her to marry. He’s the man you escaped from yourself years ago….

Intrigued? I certainly was and this, mixed with the great cover and a new-to-me author, had me excited to uncover the truth.

Hannah and Rob had been planning a surprise gift for their daughter’s 18th birthday. How ironic that Belle surprised them instead! Jack is NOT the type of man they’d imagined for their daughter. You’ll read about a mom who will stop at nothing to prevent history from repeating itself. Yes, the plot does develop slowly as the author sets up the background, but there’s a fantastic range of characters and the twists are unpredictable. The book ends with an epilogue that is a terrific finish to a wild ride.

I was hesitant when a fellow reviewer warned me the book touched on trafficking and my reasons for it were met with unpalpable unease. Hayes takes us to a place that we’d never choose to see and shines a bright spotlight on what we want to put a blanket over and ignore. I had to put the book down and take time to appreciate my life before picking it up again, knowing that I’d be confronted with slimy people with despicable motives. The emotional toll on these victims is shocking and the journey to healing is long. Be forewarned; in addition to the wonderful highlight on friendship and familial bonds, there’s also a dark focus on human trafficking, drug use, death, and deception.

This is my first introduction to Samantha Hayes’ writing. I loved her ability to surprise me, keep me on the edge of my seat, appeal to my emotions, and wow me with her wonderful character development. Most of all, she left me with plenty to think about…making this a book I won’t forget for some time.

I was gifted this copy by Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

I love this author’s novels.

There are some very difficult topics here which are written delicately. A compelling, speedy read which will have you turning the pages quickly.

Whilst there was a lot of foreshadowing for one of the twists, this does not detract from the story in the slightest.

Very, very well written and highly recommended.

Twist..after twist...after twist. I'm still trying to get over the mind warp that this story just gave me.

I couldn't put it down. Such an amazing thriller.

Thanks Netgalley and Bookouture for signing this author to your company and for allowing me to read it.

All my thoughts and opinions are my own

This story was so compelling that I finished in less than 24 hours. I absolutely could not put it down. A tale of secrets, doubts, and strength all in one. There was the perfect amount of twists that made me want to keep turning the pages. Truly shows what we will do to protect those we love from the mistakes we made as younger versions of ourselves. I could not believe the end. I love a good non-traditional HEA.

I love this author's books and couldn't wait to get started on this and it didn't disappoint I read it in practically one sitting. This had a clever plot with lots of has dropping moments and shocks which kept me on my toes while reading.

The author wrote about real life topics in a very sensitive way and highlighted the damaging effects both physically and emotionally of those involved in the world of being sex workers.

This was a story of friendship and how events in the past shaped the future and how secret s of the past can come back to haunt you. The book had a lot of twists and turns and I was eager to keep turning the pages for more. A highly addictive read.

I am looking forward to this author's next book already.

Your daughters engagement should be a happy occasion but not for Hannah, when her 18 year old Belle introduces her to her Fiance Jack, Hannah realises that danger is around her. But she cannot explain why but knows her past is going to catch up with her with disastrous consequences.
This is yet another fabulous book from Samantha, I could not put it down and i know it sounds like a cliche to say about the many twists and turns but this book had plenty.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this advanced copy, I'm under no obligation to leave my review

Rob and Hannah are really excited because it was soon to be their elder daughter, Belle’s eighteenth birthday. They had chosen her present carefully, knowing she would be over the moon with her gorgeous jewellery set. She had already missed the flight back home after having her French exchange in France. She loved languages and had plans to continue her studies at university. She should make it back home where her younger sister Amber was waiting for her, while Rob and Hannah were at the venue where they had arranged a surprise party to celebrate her coming of age, seeing to the caterers and welcoming their guests who were arriving expecting to see Belle.
When Belle finally arrived she had exciting news for her family, relatives, friends and other party goers. With her came Jack who had proposed to her. She had joyously accepted and they were engaged. Hannah was so worried because the man with her was so much older than Belle and not only that she actually knew that his name was not Jack. She didn’t trust him at all. Even more upsetting was that their present for Belle was missing, soon to be seen with Jack, who gave it to her as her eighteenth birthday present. What on earth was going on?
Of course Belle was madly in love with her handsome, suave, rich and generous fiancé. Jack had told her that she could leave school and start working in one of his business concerns almost straight away. During the next few weeks her parents tried their best to persuade Belle that she should not rush into making decisions, especially moving in with Jack. But she was adamant that she could do whatever she liked. She was annoyed that they were holding her back and trying to make her change her mind. Then Belle disappeared one night. She had flown the nest and was determined to make a new, exciting life with her husband-to-be. This is when the dark side of the novel finally showed itself.
This novel was full of twists and turns. It was a beautifully told story featuring deception, buried secrets, outright lies, threats, grooming, human trafficking, death, drug use and a bawdy den of iniquity. The research undertaken by Samantha Hayes was meticulous and the sex scenes were lewd and unpalatable, but so real, sad and distasteful. The characterisations were believable and my favourite character was Hannah. She was such a good mother, brave, kind and full of empathy. I really enjoyed this novel and was intrigued to learn more about pimps, oversees trafficking and the horrible conditions sex workers endured. When I reached the Epilogue, I was totally blind sighted by the final revelations. There were fantastic, unexpected and a huge shock to me. I was invested in the story from the very first few chapters. The suspense throughout the novel gradually gained impetus and I was hooked fast.
I was so excited when I saw this new novel and requested it for review. I quickly received a complimentary copy from publisher Bookouture, through my membership of NetGalley. Thank you for my copy sent in return for an honest and unbiased review. It’s a 4.5* review from me, and a recommendation that this is a very good read.

I must confess, I judged this book by its cover and I wasn't wrong!!!

I will admit, I am a self proclaimed cover snob and when I took one look at The Engagement, I knew without a doubt, hell or high water, I needed a copy of this book.

Well thank you to the book fairies at Netgalley and Bookouture for awarding me the honor to read and review this smashing hit before its grand debut on January 10!

Samantha Hayes, you little devil, you.

You completely left me breathless and my heart is beating straight out of my chest. You have completely out did yourself with this one and I don't think I will EVER stop raving about The Engagement.

The Engagement is what nightmares are made of.

Buckle up buttercups, there is no way to regulate your breathing while reading this one.

Before I spoil something, I am going to leave a teaser right here for you:

You thought you had escaped him. Until he proposed to your daughter.

‘There’s someone I want you to meet,’ Belle says, as a man draws up to her side. He’s tall with dark hair and stubble on his square jaw. He’s not exactly smiling, but the corner of his mouth curls upwards as he slides his hand around my daughter’s waist.

I grab my husband’s arm to steady myself, as the room spins around me.

I stare into the man’s eyes – jet black. Nothing and everything hidden behind them.

Fear prickles my skin as I remember what he did.

How I only just escaped.

All the lies I’ve had to tell since.

‘I want you to meet Jack,’ Belle says, brimming with excitement. ‘He’s my fiancé.’ She rests her head on his shoulder. ‘Isn’t it exciting? We’re engaged!’

Fear hammers in my chest. I have to stop this.

My daughter’s life is in danger, and it’s all because of me…

Thanks to NetGalley, publisher and author, for the free copy of this book. This was a very interesting story. It kept me glued to the book as I was wanting to know more of what was happening. The ending was super shocking and unexpected. Great story!

A very enjoyable read with both the past and the present stories intertwining. Thanks, NetGalley for giving me the opportunties to read this book in advance.

An original, well-written and compelling psychological thriller. Very easy to read despite several POVs and flash backs. A strong female lead is placed in a very difficult situation with interesting and disturbing topics handled with skill by the author. The plot keeps you turning the pages in suspense, with some great twists at the end. First time I have read this author but will definitely read her previous books. Recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley UK, the author and the publisher.

Another excellent book from this author very different from her usual books but it was certainly a fast paced, very twisty thriller which kept me on the edge of my seat all the way.

Not what I was expecting from the title. great well described characters and not a very nice subject to write about but Samantha Hayes did it justice.

What about the ending? just brilliant, everything brought together with a mind blowing ending which I had to read very carefully to grasp it all.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this great ARC which I have no hesitation in recommending.

“The Engagement” is a thriller by Samantha Hayes, an author whose books I’ve read before. This book has the most interesting premise - a man the main character knows is engaged to her daughter. There book is told mainly in three people’s POV - Hannah (the main character), Molly (a friend of Hannah), and Belle (Hannah’s daughter). Hannah’s stories are both past and present, Molly’s POV is past, and Belle’s POV is present. There’s a lot of past build-up, giving the history of Hannah, Molly, and Belle’s fiancé. I felt, sometimes, that the past stories dragged a tiny bit (there’s a lot of detail about the relationship between Hannah and Molly), but it did add background information. I don’t quite know why Hannah couldn’t tell her partner about her past - I’m not sure he would’ve broken up with her, but that’s my take. Belle and present Hannah’s stories had a bit of build-up and the last few chapters flew with information. I did see part of the twist early on, but it didn’t dampen my enjoyment of the book overall, and I did like the final extra twist at the end. There are some trigger warnings (grooming, human trafficking, drug use), but overall I felt that Ms. Hayes did a good job portraying those things.

The Engagement is a tale as old as time. It's a story about a mom of a teen daughter engaged to a creepy old sinister man. What could go wrong?!

Seriously, this book rocks. It is unrealistic with characters that are naive but your heart rate will be up, and the pages will be turned quickly. The multiple perspectives and timelines bounce around but meld together perfectly. I also LOVE the cover. The cover fits the book's themes so well. Thanks for the advance review copy.