This was a quick and easy read for me. It had me gripped from the first page and I enjoyed every part of the story. I would recommend this book

This is a good thriller and is an easy read. Jo falls down the stairs in her home. Her husband is beside her when she awakes. Jo has no memory, since dropping her son Fin off at University a year ago. What has been going on in her life in the last year? Read on!

Close to Me is a debut psychological thriller from Amanda Reynolds for Wildfire, a new Headline imprint.

The plot is not entirely innovative; it deals with a dysfunctional family. Each familial member has their own secrets to keep; communication is not a strong function of this household.

Jo Harding is the mother of Finn and Sacha and the story is told entirely from her perspective. The trouble is, when we first meet her, she is in hospital struggling with memory loss caused by a home accident. But was it an accident? As Jo tries to make sense of where her memories from the last year have gone, she knows that her family at keeping secrets from her. But is that, as they tell her, for her own good, or is something more sinister going on?

Close to Me is a fast and easy read, with a fair share of twists and false leads. The tension builds nicely and Amanda Reynolds does a good job of underscoring the anxiety and upset that memory loss can cause.

Apart from Jo, her characters are slightly one dimensional, but predominantly that's a product of the one person narrative. I enjoyed the picture of a complacent middle class marriage with the ongoing parental concern for two children, who, having grown up wanting nothing, are now intent on squandering their lives.

Sasha has hooked up with an older guy and completely changed her looks - and Jo feels that there is something more to her daughters live in partner than she currently understands; she just knows she gets a strange feeling when she sees him and flashbacks that are not at all welcome.

Fin has dropped out of university and is flat sharing in something just a small step up from a squat. But he is withdrawn and will not communicate with either his mother or father.

The timeline moves back and forth as Jo tries to find out what has gone on during the last 12 missing months. Rob, her accountant husband, tells her her phone was smashed when she fell, but when she gets a new one, she is sure there must be missing texts and e-mails.

Not knowing who she can trust, Jo is deeply unsettled as she looks for just one person who can help her find out what has happened to her once close knit family.

When Jo Harding fell down the stairs at her home, she woke up in hospital with partial amensia. She can't remember anything that's happened in the last year and her husband wants to keep it that way. Was Jo having an affair? lying to her family? Starting a new life? She can't remember what happened the night she fell.

This is a story of secrets, lies, families and betrayals. The chapters alternate between before and after the fall. The characters are believable and mostly they are unlikable. The book is fast paced, tense with just the right amount of drama. The twist and turns will keep your attention. The ending for me was not unexpected. All in, it's a really good debut novel.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Headline and the author Amanda Reynolds for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Instantly hooked, CLOSE TO ME by Amanda Reynolds threw me into the story and I didn't resurface until I had reached the end - and boy, what an ending!

In this story, we meet Jo who has fallen down the stairs and taken a nasty bang to the head. When she recovers the next day in hospital, she cannot remember what has happened to her or anything from the previous year. Worried, horrified, and anxious at this development she returns home under the watchful eye of her devoted husband. But not only is Jo missing her memories, she cannot shake the feeling of unease around her husband or the fact that her picture perfect family seem to have fallen apart at the seams. Why are her kids so distant and what exactly are they all hiding from her? What happened in the past year that has blown her world apart? And can she trust the people that she has loved forever? As fleeting glimpses of memory flash through her mind, Jo will have to slowly piece it together one block at a time, but sometimes the truth is worse than anything you could ever imagine...

The plot is fast-paced, the drama superb, and the twists and turns in this novel are all excellent and are sure to keep you on your toes. While the characters are not exactly likeable, they are compelling, and as different scenarios ran through my head I wasn't sure which way the story was going to go - and I love the fact that I was kept guessing!

The story moves easily from past to present and it really worked as the reader gets to learn the events of the past year before Jo actually remembers it and this really adds to the momentum and tense atmosphere of the book overall. There were a few times where I felt that the story dragged out just a little bit, but overall it was a well-paced and riveting read. If you like psychological thrillers with plenty of creepy undertones, then you should definitely read CLOSE TO ME by Amanda Reynolds.

This book kept me interested throughout and it did have a great storyline but not quite the wow factor I had hoped for after reading the blurb and the cover information. I have been reading so many books in this genre and I really need something to grab me but for a debut, I think it is great and I would buy another book from this author if one came out.
It's written (as is the trend these days ) to flit between present and the past (albeit only a year earlier) but these books seem so popular at the moment and perhaps they are getting a little overdone? The main character's memory has been stuck since her fall down the stairs. (Bit of a cliche) As a result, she's lost a whole year of memories and the rest of the book deals with her present day struggle to work out what happened since. Her slow return of recalls are helped and hindered by various friends and family members and, delivered in flashbacks. I didn't mind this format at all and thought that it worked well and was very well structured.
As already mentioned, the book held my attention throughout and the time jumps didn't bother me at all as they were relatively seamless and very well weaved into the narrative. However as the main character is an unreliable narrator who has lost her memory there are conflicts and discrepencies but these are explained well and work their way nicely through the plot and out the other end. At times the plot was a bit hard to believe but I went with it as the writer writers so beautifully and does such a good job of characterisation. Yes, the 'believability niggled at the back of my mind, but I wasn't overly upset by it. as Amanda writes characters so well, (the good as well s the bad ones), who are convincing and authentic. I really loved her writing style and it certainly draws you in and keeps you there longer than if the writing hadn't been so well done; where the plot lacked credibility, the quality of the writing more than made up for it.
Weirdly, I didn't really like the main character Jo. She's not someone I could see myself being friendly with but what the writer did cleverly was make me empathetic towards her. This could have been the plan all along, I hear you say? If so, it was very cleverly done and I did care about what happened to Jo and felt her despair/frustration at her loss of memory/lack of clarity. Saying all that, . I probably wouldn't want to go on a night out with her.
The dysfunctional family did make me laugh and it worked really well and added extra depth to the book. There were also so many family lies and secrets that this kept me reading, if only to find out who was actually telling the truth! Overall a really credible novel with good plot and themes, beautiful writing and just right pacing. The chapters were short and sharp and kept me reading on. The writer is good at suspense and I will be interested to see what she writes next. I think with the right story and the beautiful writing that she carves, if she could find a unique story, it would be an immediate bestseller. My only fault is, we have seen this type of storyline and format so many times before and perhaps it is time for a change for the amnesiac who wants to find the truth? Amanda's skill of such quality characterisation, and narrative grace, I am championing her all the way to make the next one have the 'Wow' factor, this one was sadly missing.
However, having said all of that, I would thoroughly recommend this book and can imagine this would be a great summer read and one which will definitely keep you reading until you reach the end.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance copy,

Another day, another debut! But although this one kept my attention solidly throughout and ticked all my boxes it didn't quite have the wow factor that I do love to find in a book.
It's another of those timey wimey books, flitting between present and one year earlier which is where Jo's memory has been stuck since her fall down the stairs. Yes, that's right, she's lost a whole year of memories and the rest of the book deals with her present day struggle to work out what happened in the intervening months, her slowly returning recalls, helped and hindered by various friends and family members and, delivered in flashbacks, what actually happened on the months, weeks and days leading up to her accident.
As already mentioned, the book held my attention nicely throughout and the time jumps didn't tax me at all as they were relatively seamless. Obviously with an unreliable, amnesiac main character, we do get discrepancies but these all came out in the wash nicely towards the end. I did have a couple of niggles along the way with some of the things I had to believe but they were all possible if not very likely and, to be honest, I don't know any other way that the author could have handled them so I was willing to swallow them and go with the flow, especially as the rest of the writing was of such a good quality.
Characterisation was good too. The dodgy characters were deliciously evil, even if their true motives weren't originally known, and the rest of them were congruent within their parts and descriptions. I do have to admit to not really liking main character Jo, not someone I can see myself being great chums with but she did get some of my sympathy and I did connect with her on the whole so that's enough for me. I found that the way she knew/felt things without actually knowing why came across as very credible and, at times, really felt her confusion and frustration at her missing memories. I also love books with dysfunctional families and here we have that, and then some, all with their own stuff, secrets and lies aplenty, which really did keep me on my toes throughout as I had to sort the wheat from the chaff to get to the truth of it all.
Pacing was good too, the reveals and twists coming at just the right moments to maintain the balance between confusion and enlightenment and the punchy chapters kept me reading on making it quite hard to put down.
All in all, a good solid read that has left me intrigued as to what the author will serve up for her next course.

My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This is a story which goes from one extreme to another. A woman wakes up in hospital with amnesia, but only the last year of her life. As far as she is concerned her son has just left to go to university and her daughter is happy. Over time she begins to piece together that fact that what she is being told, or not told, by those closest to her is not always the truth. Her family are hiding things from her, but why? Is it to protect her, or themselves.

The mystery of how Jo came to fall is revealed slowly as she begins to try and start living her life again. But as she begins to discover the lies she is being told, can she figure the actual truth out?

This is a well told story with just enough mystery to keep me desperate for Jo to remember exactly what happened. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy.

It was the book cover and blurb that drew me to wanting to read this book. It was a thoroughly gripping read, although it was a little slow getting into at the beginning.

I loved the plot of the story, very cleverly done and majority of the characters were all very well written. I definately sympatised with Jo the main character what with all that she went through but at the same time I didn't agree with how she dealt with certain things.

The story was written in the past and the present, it alternated through chapters, which I found worked really well, although I did sometimes have to backtrack to remind myself if I was in the past or the present. Especially when the past and present became very close together.

Overall a brilliant read and I loved the twist at the end.

This is really quite good for a debut novel. I felt it could have been fleshed out in parts; certain areas needed that little something extra. That I feel will come in time. On saying that it wasn’t the worst book I’ve read recently.

How would you feel if you had lost the last of your life? That’s exactly what happened to Jo following a fall down the stairs in the family home seen by her husband, who she is for some reason she is terrified of.
Over the following few days the story unfolds moving between her memories of a year ago and the day she fell. I was sorry I couldn’t like her family, they were awful, every single one of them.

Read for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley and Wildfire

Great suspense story - had to finish it in one sitting.

Thanks for the chance to read this

Jo wakes up in hospital and has lost a year of her life due to partial amnesia. She has had a fall or was there more malicious undertones. A story of a dysfunctional family and one persons battle against amnesia to find answers. An enjoyable read if a little slow in parts.

I found this a brilliantly well written piece. I loved the dual time frames and the characters were a bonus. I placed this one at four stars as in places I wanted the pace to be even faster and felt the suspense could build even more. I would definitely read more from this author though!

Thank to Net Gallry and Headline for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review. Yet another excellent psychological thriller.
A slightly dysfunctional family .. Rob seems to be in control of everything and everyone.
Jo has had a fall down the stairs, banged her head, in hospital with amnesia, she has forgotten the last year. Joe is desperate to know what really happened, she feels Rob is hiding something.
The story keeps the reader intrigued, told in past and present as Jo has flash backs and to get her life back. Was she having an affair, why does she keep dreaming of a man, why does she distrust Rob suddenly when they have been married for 24 years. Slowly but slowly the lank year is being filled in, a lot had happened. There are lots of twists to the story, and Jo discovers that Rob has a secret life. I kept having to read just one more chapter until I was at the end

The story opens in a tense moment, when Jo feels uncomfortable in her own bed. The reader is then propelled into the past, into a violent moment of confusion and pain, and it is the memory loss that Jo suffers because of this, that is the most frightening. She has lost a year. How would you feel? The things you thought you did yesterday were in fact 12 months ago and so much can change in a year. The way that this has been written by Amanda Reynolds makes the story keen with suspense, and anxiety. The reader is drawn into this anxiety and in that way is railroaded along the story on a wave of truth seeking.

When the story begins, we are immediately lead to believe that Rob, Jo’s husband, is the perpetrator of a crime, and that following this abuse, attempts to manipulate her memories in an attempt to obfuscate her past. The reader is lead to believe that their grown children are colluding with their father, and it is at this point, that the reader starts to wonder if Jo herself hasn’t done something wrong. However, regardless of that, the emotions that Rob’s supposed domestic abuse evoke are not negated by any act that Jo could have committed.

Amanda Reynolds weaves the past throughout Jo’s recovery in the present until the two collide, and in this way, the suspense builds, and the reader is drawn into not only the everyday aspects of what needs to be remembered, but also the remembering of big life events.

Spine tingling, chilling in places, full of suspense but mostly the terror of memory and time loss, Close to me is a dazzling 5 star read.

Slow, precise, intriguing, I was drawn in from the start, never sure where the author was going with the story, or who was to blame. But like life, nothing is ever straight and clear cut in this novel, and everyone has their share of the blame and everyone holds a portion of guilt close to their hearts.

The author cleverly and gradually brings the past in line with the present, and I like the way the reader sometimes gets a glimpse of what really happened when Jo is still in the dark, and sometimes doesn't, and on other occasions is led astray or is forced to guess or assume. And this continues right to the very last page.

A tale of obsession and love, the way Jo is controlled and manipulated is disturbingly compelling, and her relationships with her husband and her children are convoluted and complex, and in some scenes quite sad. Yet this isn't a dark story, and although a question or two remains unanswered, I didn't find that an issue - I found it refreshing!

Amazing I was totally captured if you like books like girl on a train then this is a must for the reading pile. jo takes a fall and loses a year of memories but what is hidden in those memories. Who is being economic with the truth and why. Warning it's highly addictive so clear the day

Very enjoyable read. Jo wakes up after a fall down her stairs at home. She has lost a year's memory and she believes her husband pushed her. The story flashes between the time before the fall and the events leading up to it, and after the fall as Jo tries to piece together what has happened in the last year. She soon finds that she cannot trust what her husband is telling her as he seems to have his own agenda.
This is a well written psychological family drama and I will look out for the next one by this author.

read enjoyable book to read and easy to follow story line. look forward to reading more from this author.

This novel is full of suspense. I found it psychologically quite challenging; we all hope that our friends and loved ones are truthful and loving and 'looking out for us', but what if we were wrong? How devastating is it if they are lying to us? The main character has memory loss and so we are kept thinking whether it is her condition tricking her, or whether something more sinister is taking place. I found this hard to put down. Very much recommended.
Thanks to publisher, author and NetGalley for an advance copy in return for an honest review.