For those of us with sons, this is one freaky, scary book! It really pulls you in at the beginning, kind of slows a bit in the middle, and then, wow! Things start happening and you don't know in what direction it's going. It's girlfriend versus mom of boyfriend, both at fault for lying about the other, and it causes things to really go wrong for both. This is a a great psychological thriller that had me staying up late because I just had to know how it was going to end. It didn't disappoint. This is one I'll be recommending to my friends.

I received an advance review copy of The Girlfriend through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A page turner of a read for sure, and found myself rooting first for the mother and then for the girlfriend, as the story unfolded. The author kept pulling on my heart strings as I felt empathy for a Mom as her son is grown, and her marriage is collapsing, and now maybe she will find a friend in her son’s new love.
Then we have the girlfriend, and you find her a very smart girl that born into a different family would have achieved a lot, but she is poor, and not happy about it. Of course, there are other ways to achieve what she wants, but then Daniel becomes her obsession.
I really didn’t see the ending that happened, but this was quite the ride, and pitted against each other the mother and the girlfriend were quite the pair.
A book that is going to keep you up late reading to find the answers, and when you do, surprises abound.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Kensington, and was not required to give a positive review.

This is an odd love triangle....the mother, the son, and the daughter in law. Both the mother and daughter in law love Daniel, which is a good thing. But....when a serious accident happens, things get to be a bit 'strained' between Laura the mother and Cherry the daughter in law. Lies are told, that changes their lives. This is a wonderfully twisted psychological thriller with a great ending. I would like to than Net Galley for a copy of this book.

This book nearly killed me with the suspense of it - in the best way possible.

Laurel seems to have it all - a successful career in television, a long marriage to her rich husband, and a wonderful relationship to her 23 year old son Daniel. However, her life from the inside isn't quite as perfect as it looks, with cracks in her marriage, and her relationship with Daniel bordering on obsessive.

Suddenly her perfect son meets the girl of his dreams, Cherry. Cherry is beautiful, charming and very, very clever. Cherry's background is no where near as privileged as Daniel's was, and Laurel quickly becomes worried that Cherry's intentions for her son are not nearly as pure as Daniel believes.

Laurel and Cherry find themselves locked in a battle for Daniel's affections - and when tragedy strikes, it will all come crumbling down.

Michelle Frances knows how to write perfectly complex, and wonderfully horrible characters. One of my very favourite things about this book is how much I enjoyed disliking most of the main characters - I am a sucker for a good villain, and this book delivers on that! Generally speaking, I am usually quite good at sniffing out twists before they happen, but I am happy to admit that this book had me on the edge of me seat, and unable to see what was coming next.

I don't want to give away any plot points, because this thriller deserves to be read without expectation - I will say that this read had my anxiety ratcheted up to the highest possible point (in the BEST way) as I was dying to see what would happen, and who would come out on top, the mom or the girlfriend.

A completely delightful and scandalous read - this will be a favourite for book clubs everywhere.

This book incited all kinds of emotions in my heart, from irritation to anger and then panic and despair. In many ways, it was not what I expected. Michelle Frances’ The Girlfriend is an addictive, suspenseful and thought-provoking thriller.

I'd like to say that this story was original, maybe I'm just gullible I don't know anymore! I felt for almost every lie, and was shocked at every revelation ha! definitely a page turner, and only a few times I found it predictable, but it didn't take away form the story. it was an easy read, and one that I enjoyed. will def be recommending this one.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

This was a book about two women who were basically trying to one up each other in being awful. Don’t get me wrong, it kept my interest, and I found myself reading it whenever I got a chance... but it made me think. Why are women so awful to each other sometimes?

Although the main characters were not people I would want to be friends with, I enjoyed this read, and would definitely read another from this author.

EXCERPT: "You're deluded. Just let go, let go of him." He looked at her with a new distance, as if he didn’t know her. "Stop making excuses for your obsessive behavior. You've driven him away- you- and you've only got yourself to blame. "

THE BLURB: A girl. A boy. His mother. And the lie she'll wish she'd never told.

The Girlfriend by Michelle Frances is a gripping and chilling debut psychological thriller, based on the fall-out following an unforgiveable lie. It looks at the potentially charged relationship between girlfriend, boyfriend and his mother, which most women can identify with, and locates it in an extreme but believable setting.

Laura has it all. A successful career, a long marriage to a rich husband, and a twenty-three year-old son, Daniel, who is kind, handsome, and talented. Then Daniel meets Cherry. Cherry is young, beautiful and smart but she hasn't had the same opportunities as Daniel. And she wants Laura's life.

Cherry comes to the family wide-eyed and wants to be welcomed with open arms, but Laura suspects she's not all that she seems.

When tragedy strikes, an unforgiveable lie is told. It is an act of desperation, but the fall-out will change their lives forever.

MY THOUGHTS: The Girlfriend by Michelle Frances is a good, but not great read. It is a little slow in places, and I was not particularly enthusiastic about the ending. The level of suspense varies, and I found that some situations that ought to have been suspenseful just weren't. The opening chapter, a scene from later in the book, didn't work for me. I imagine it was designed to increase the reader's anticipation, but it did nothing to increase mine. This is one book where the story should have just started at the beginning and continued to slowly build up the tension until the final denouement.

But, having said that, the characters are well portrayed. I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Laura and Izzie, Laura's best friend. The close bonds between the two women, friends of old, is well depicted. As were the scenes where Laura and Cherry first meet. Cherry's social awkwardness just oozed from the page, and while Laura is doing everything to make Cherry feel welcome, Cherry is almost searching for things to take offense at. And everything escalates from there, with Laura trying to be friends and Cherry pushing her away, both from herself and Laura's adored only son, until Laura catches Cherry out in a lie and decides that there is more (or perhaps less) to her son's girlfriend than meets the eye.

The basic storyline is good, and although The Girlfriend missed the mark with me, only just, I think that it is a good debut novel from new author Michelle Frances, and I will be a definite starter for her next book.

Thank you to Kensington Books via Netgalley for providing a digital copy of The Girlfriend by Michelle Frances for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system. This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.

My Thoughts: The Girlfriend is your typical gold-digger girlfriend story, but with a twist. Michelle Frances did a nice job setting up her story, giving each of the characters fairly convincing backstories that wove together nicely. From the very start you know that Laura, the devoted mother, and Cherry, the conniving girlfriend. are going to have issues. You’re just not sure how they’ll play out. The tension between the two rises with each chapter, and then the story takes a surprising twist, followed by one big lie that turns the story on end.

Sounds pretty good so far, right? Well, it was, but the lie is also the point where this fun story began to derail for me. First of all, the lie itself was was a whopper and one that I had a really difficult time seeing anyone make. The revenge for the lie also took some unlikely turns and the ending had two big problems. First, you clearly see it coming, and second? Really! Just too unbelievable. Still, if you’re willing to overlook the over-the-top drama, you just might enjoy The Girlfriend. Grade: C

Note: I received a copy of this book from the publishers (via netGalley) in exchange for my honest review. My thanks to all.

Laura’s son, Daniel, is home briefly from medical school. She loves seeing him. He tells her that he has met a girl named Cherry, a realtor helping him find a flat for when he begins his hospital work.

Laura and Howard are quite wealthy and live in a large home. But, their marriage is not happy. Howard has had a girlfriend for many years and Laura just accepts it. She has been the one to raise Daniel as Howard never took an interest. Laura now has a good job herself.

Cherry lives in a poorer part of town. After her father died, she and her mother had to struggle for money Now, Cherry tries to appear as classy as she can. Daniel is quite taken with her and when his mother invites her to visit their home in southern France for a weekend, she is thrilled. Laura is kind to her and does her best to make her feel welcome. But Cherry is aloof, not accepting Laura’s friendship and wants to monopolize Daniel’s time. Cherry pulls some stunts that makes it look like Laura is at fault.

To Laura, Cherry doesn’t appear to be who she says she is and Laura can’t help but check into her. When Cherry finds out about that, she is livid. But a devastating accident turns their lives around. Can these two women come together as friends?

I found this to be a mesmerizing book that I did not want to put down. The twists and turns will have readers doing the same. I think that every mother who has had to walk on eggs around their son’s significant other will see themselves in this book. I loved it!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

What do you get when the ultimate helicopter mom and the ultimate gold digger go head to head? You get a pretty spectacular book!

Laura is a true mama bear who cannot let go... her obsession with her only son borders on odd...Cherry grew up thinking she deserved so much more... and she will stop at nothing to get what she feels she deserves.... so who will be left standing at the end.

The beginning of this book was a definite slow burn.... watching these two equally unlikable women manipulate each other and Daniel... was quite entertaining.... as a mother who has sons I tried to empathize with Laura.... but the woman just went WAY. TOO. fAR! I actually had more sympathy for Cherry during this book, there were times I truly felt she loved Daniel, maybe?

About halfway through, this book takes a crazy turn.... and the speed absolutely picks up.... I couldn’t wait to find out what woman did what next, it was crazy! Poor Daniel, he was basically screwed no matter what happened.... he should’ve locked them in a room and let them battle it out and then take off to San Tropez....



This book is proof positive that you can like a book and not like the characters.... because even though Laura and Cherry were terribly unlikable they were extremely well developed.... by the end of this book I felt as though if I had run into either of these women walking down the street I would know who they were... then head quickly in the other direction!

Highly recommend! A crazy ride with a fresh approach and fabulously developed characters....

*** thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for a copy of this book ***

THE GIRLFRIEND is about a mother, Laura, who owns a TV production company. Her 24-year old son, Daniel, comes home to continue medical school, and meets a young woman named Cherry, who he is instantly smitten with. Over the course of only a few days, he and Cherry are already getting serious, and Laura asks to meet the lady who's taking all of his extra time.

Cherry has had a very unhappy life, growing up poor (what she believes) and embarrassed of her mother, who always worked hard to support her. When she meets Daniel, she knows this is her way out. He has wealth, a great future planned, and more...What could be better?

Laura sees there's something not right about Cherry, and decides she's going to uncover her secrets and expose her lies to save her son heartache. What she doesn't realize is that Cherry will stop at nothing to get Daniel and keep him.

This sort of sounds like a cliched Lifetime movie, but this book was absolutely fantastic! The tension builds between Laura and Cherry, and there's a point about halfway through where I was a bit shocked and appalled by the actions of one character and wondering how the story would proceed. It completely exceeded my expectations and kept the suspense mounting to a great conclusion.

This is one of those books that I didn't want to end because I was so engrossed in the story and couldn't wait to find out what happens next. This is the author's first novel, and I cannot wait to read more from her!

Thanks to Author Michelle Frances, Publisher Pan Macmillan & NetGalley for an ARC of this novel.

Despite being a relatively “new genre,” domestic thrillers have really over-saturated the book world recently, making it difficult to weed out the fabulous ones from those far less compelling. I was worried The Girlfriend might fall into the latter category when I first heard early raves and was thrilled to discover just how excellent of a read it was. This is truly a nail biting “cat and mouse” edge-of-your-seat, need to know, story!

This whole story was told from three different perspectives, and I think Laura and Cherry shared the spotlight as the main characters, and Daniel was kind of supporting actor. I really enjoyed reading these different perspectives, I like to see what different characters think and how they analyze the situations. One thing was very obvious to me, that no one would be excepted into the “rich circle” with the name like Cherry. It just sounds trashy to me. I really enjoyed the unique personalities, which characters brought to this novel, as well as the complex relationships between each other. If I would have to pick my favourite in this book, I think it would be Daniel, I liked his personality and was feeling pity, that he was stuck in this crossfire.

Even though the narrative was sometimes quite repetitive to me, I enjoyed it. I liked the twists and turns which author incorporated in this novel, they made me more curious about what else the author has up her sleeve. I can easily see authors personal experience in this book. This book felt like some of the movies I saw, I think that’s where author’s knowledge of scripts and film industry comes in, as well as details of the TV serials which Laura was creating. I think that the daughter-in-law – mother-in-law relationship was quite realistic and relatable to some of the readers, I heard plenty of stories about evil mother-in-laws/ daughter-in-law.

I really enjoyed the easy flowing writing style of this novel, as well as great knowledge of London and rich people’s lifestyle. I loved the short chapters of this book, which kept me interested of what will happen next, till the last page. Even though the ending was quite predictable, I think it rounded up the story nicely and left me very satisfied with it. So, to conclude, it is a chilling thriller filled with unique characters and interesting story, which really hooked me, as I really wanted to see how this mother-in-law – daughter-in-law relationship will evolve. I really enjoyed it and I do recommend to give this book a try.

Listen up sons: Your mother always know best even if we go about it in the wrong way. Laura knew that something was off about Cherry but other than figuring she was a gold-digger after her son’s money, she couldn’t figure out what was nagging her about Cherry.

Cherry, on the hand, is all about seizing an opportunity that will help her and Daniel is that for her from the minute he walks into her realty office.

What happens then is a lot of build up to the point when you wonder if Daniel is really all that smart!

If you are looking for a novel that slowly builds up and lays a lot of crumbs, then this one is for you.

This book was fantastic with great characters! I loved how this book kept me guessing and kept me turning pages into the middle of the night. When I thought I had things figured out, things would change again. The main characters in this book were intense especially Cherry! This book was quite chilling and the psychological thriller that I needed to keep my mind off of things! I highly recommend this book!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing and Michelle Frances for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Clear your schedules now and read this book when it is published on Tuesday! It's a long book but it won't matter - I literally could not put this one down because my heart was pounding to see what was going to happen next.

Laura Cavendish has revolved her life around her son Daniel, now 24 and in medical school. Although Laura started her own production company, besides Daniel, her life is pretty empty. Very wealthy, her and her husband, Howard, are basically just going through the motions of a marriage - he golfs and has a mistress. When Daniel meets Cherry, a girl from the wrong side of the tracks, Laura is at first excited to meet her. Then she starts thinking that Cherry is a gold digger and only out for Daniel's money. Both women have their claws into Daniel and won't let go. Then Laura makes a fateful error and lies to Cherry. When Cherry discovers the deception, watch out.

This is just a thrill ride - don't miss it!

Mother (Laura) clashes with grown son's (Daniel) girlfriend (Cherry). Is Cherry a gold digger as Laura suspects? Or, is Laura a little too overbearing and protective of her grown son? Read this suspenseful thriller to find out!

There have been so many thrillers that focus on the crazy wife or the crazy husband, so it was fun to have a different perspective this time. Who is the crazy one this time? The girlfriend or the mother??

With my boys getting closer and closer to dating age, reading this story was like my worst nightmare coming true. I thought I knew where the story was going until about halfway through when something unexpected happened, changing the course of the story. This one will keep you in suspense and on your toes. I felt my heart racing a couple times as I tried to guess what would happen next.

I could tell here and there that this was a debut writer, but overall, it had a strong plot and I look forward to more from this author!

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and the Great Thought’s Ninja Review Team for a free ARC of this book! All opinions are my own.

The Girlfriend by Michelle Francis has received a great deal of buzz in the months leading up to its publication. I've heard people call it addictive, spellbinding, and unputdownable, so, of course, I had to give it a try. It's a complicated story filled with extremely flawed characters, and I imagine it's perfect for readers who enjoy their mysteries with a lot of interpersonal drama mixed with the suspense.

Laura loves her life. Well, that's what she wants people to believe anyway. Her marriage might be crumbling before her eyes, but that's a closely guarded secret. Everyone around her is only aware of the good things: her successful career in the movie business, the close relationship she has with her twenty-three-year-old son Daniel, the beautiful house she lives in, and her wide circle of fashionable friends. FOr Laura, Daniel is the most important part of her life. She considers him to be the very best part of herself, and she would like nothing better than for him to spend the rest of his life at home with her.

Daniel, as one might imagine, has other plans. He loves his parents, but he's very aware of the cracks in their marriage, and he's ready to spread his wings and move out of the family home. To this end, he wanders into a local real estate office in hopes of picking up some leads on a flat, and that's where he meets Cherry, the pretty, young real estate agent who will change his life in ways he could never have imagined.

Cherry hates being poor. She grew up the only child of a single mother who worked a series of low-paying jobs just to keep food on the table, and Cherry knows she wants more than that. She'd like fancy clothes, a flashy car, and a rich husband to lavish her with gifts. When she lays eyes on Daniel, the obviously well-off med student, she knows he's exactly what she's been looking for, and she formulates a plan to seduce him.

When Daniel brings Cherry home to meet his parents, Laura is immediately suspicious and isn’t taken in by the younger woman's wide-eyed innocent act. She's sure Cherry is hiding something, but she can't lay her finger on exactly what that might be. Still, she does her best to make her feel welcome, knowing that's what Daniel expects her to do, but, as time passes and Cherry becomes ever more enmeshed in their lives, Laura's sense of unease increases. Now, she'll do anything to free Daniel from the web Cherry has woven around him, even if it ends up costing her everyone and everything she holds dear.

If you're looking for a fast-paced, clear-cut mystery, The Girlfriend probably isn't the book for you. It's a slow, meandering story that relies heavily on the machinations of its characters to keep it moving forward. It's not filled with startling twists; instead, everything is laid out for the reader to see, and the fun of the story is watching the characters try to figure out what you already know to be true. It's not something that will work for everyone. In fact, I found myself troubled by parts of it, but those who are willing to suspend their disbelief for a while are likely to enjoy the story.

Both Cherry and Laura are incredibly manipulative people, and I sometimes grew frustrated with all their scheming. Both women come up with some outlandish ways of getting even with one another, and while I was initially fascinated by the strange ways their minds worked, I did eventually grow a little tired of the constant cat fighting. For some reason, neither woman seems capable of straightforward communication, something I think the novel could have benefited from, and I was occasionally tempted to scream at them to just talk to one another instead of coming up with all these elaborate revenge plots.

It's obvious that both Cherry and Laura absolutely adore Daniel, but I wasn't always sure why. He's kind, funny, and super smart, the kind of character who often seems too good to be true. He never flies off the handle or stomps off in a huff, but, despite the many virtues with which Ms. Francis imbues him, I never felt he was worth the fuss Laura and Cherry made over him. In some ways, he felt more like a puppet than a flesh and blood man, and for someone so (supposedly) smart, he did some really stupid things sometimes.

Having said all that, I did find The Girlfriend to be a compelling read. I wanted to see how things turned out for the characters, and so I kept reading, even when the story bordered on the ridiculous. The ending was satisfying, and not something I completely saw coming, so I count The Girlfriend as a qualified win.

Buy it at: A/BN/iB/K

I appreciate the chance to read this and I truly hoped that I would enjoy it but unfortunately I feel this is simply a case of "it's not you, it's me".
Despite my rating, I can see why many have/will enjoy it. It is a solid read and I believe my main issue with it was that I expected it to be more of a psychological thriller than it turned out to be. As a result, getting through this was a bit of a chore. I don't necessarily mind unlikable characters but there wasn't one that I even remotely cared for so I found myself not caring how it turned out.