I almost gave up on this early on because the first few chapters were quite confusing- I could not figure out who was who and why I should care. Once I powered through, however, this turned into a pretty good thriller about Mags trying to find out what really happened when her estranged brother Abe went over the bannister and ended up dead. There's secrets (lots of them) between Mags and Abe and Abe's fiancé Jody. There's childhood abuse bubbling up. There's Mira the neighbor who might have more to do with this than is obvious. As usual for this sort of novel, Mags takes the lead because the police have brushed things off. It's convenient in some ways that Mags is an attorney (in the US) but at the same time it's irrelevant. Stick with this. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

The one part I found a little confusing about this book was how every chapter switched between a few characters as the focal point. It made the story a little confusing to follow however it was laid out nicely so that made it a little better. After being a part from her family for a long time main character. Mags gets a phone call from the cops. They tell her that her brother tried to take his own life and he is in a coma. This is very out of character for him so Mags tries to figure out what really happened to her brother. And the more she digs into his life the more concerned she becomes between his dark apartment and his mysterious girlfriend who was the only witness to his accident. She unravels more questions than answers. Once I figure out who was who in the book however the story really tightened up and I became immersed in it. I loved the concept and thrillers are my go to reads at the moment so I had high hopes and this book did not disappoint. The one thing that I would change about this book was I thought that there were to many characters it made it hard to pin point who was important and who was almost just thrown into the story as filler. I did like the sense of mystery that this whole story had and I liked Mag's never give up and fight for the truth attitude that she had. She didn't believe that her brother would do something like that so she took matters into her own hands to try to figure out what did happen. I also liked Jody (the girlfriend) she had such a mysterious vibe to her and you knew something wasn't right but was it just because the story was being told through Mag's character or was Jody really as shady as she felt? There was so many times in this book that the author left you thinking one thing happened just to turn around and present something else. I love a book with twists and this one sure did that. The whole story ran together seamlessly and every page had me flipping to the next one in a hurry to try to
figure out what happened. I just could not seem to put this book down. Great book and the best part was
how the reader and Mags were finding out the information of what happened at the same time very well
done. This was one of the best mysteries that I've read in a long time.

WOAH.

This is a very, very, very cleaver book. I don't know how to review this without giving too many details but basically this is an onion with layer, after layer, after layer.

There are very dark, difficult themes and this book will wreck your mind and emotions a bit.

But it's worth it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this exciting book.

If you like books where you don't know who to trust then this book is for you.

Mags is a corporate lawyer in Las Vegas. When her brother Abe is seriously injured in London she gets on a plane and returns to London, despite having not seen or spoken to him in years. She's girlfriend Jody lives in th same complex and is the one who found Abe bleeding out and called the ambulance. now Abe lies in a coma in hospital and Mags does not believe that he tried to kill himself as the police believe. She must learn about her brother and his life in order to find out what happened that night... and the more she learns the more she wants to find who tried to kill her brother.

A great fasstory paced story that is hard to put down. Highly recommend this book. Thanks to Source Books Landmark and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and enjoy this book in exchange for my honest opinions

Great story! Whenever I thought I had figured it out, a new twist took me into the opposite direction. Kept me guessing until the brilliant conclusion. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Note: those with an aversion to graphic scenes of child abuse should avoid The Girlfriend by Sarah Naughton.

The book starts slowly, and it takes awhile for confusion to recede and the reader is able to figure out who is who and what is really going on. Abe, has fallen in the old tenement building where he lives, and is in a vegetative coma in the hospital. Jody, his fiancée, who lives on the same floor as Abe, is heartbroken and spends her days sobbing at his bedside. Mags, Abe's sister and next of kin, isn't sure it was an accident at all, but can't get the police to look into it further. Mira, who lives on the first floor of the tenement building, seems to know more than she is saying.

Told from the viewpoints of Mags, Jody and Mira. The backgrounds of the characters are slowly revealed to the reader, while the main story of what really happened to make Abe fall continues. The Girlfriend is full of damaged characters, damaged relationships, secrets, and manipulations. The reader never knows who to believe, what is real, what is a mistaken perception.

I found the ending unbelievable, which takes this book to 3 stars for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for allowing me to read an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

This was a very interesting book for me that pretty much had me from the beginning. I was a little unsure at first who was historically talking (pretty sure I had frown lines) in the background. When I figured out that it was two people, the light bulb when off and I was off to the races.

I missed it if there was any clue given as to how this was going to end. And when I did get to the end, my first thought was "well done".

This was definitely an entertaining read that kept me spellbound throughout.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Mags is a corporate lawyer from Vegas flying to London to visit her estranged brother Abe who is in a coma. The police report says that Abe's fall from the fourth story banister in his building was an accident. Jody, Abe's grieving fiancé, was with him that night and tells a tale of depression and suicide. Mags is convinced that Abe was pushed and Jody is lying. As Mags investigates the events of that night she discovers a web of lies about her brother and the other residents of the building. Mags is driven not only to find out what really happened that night but to make sure someone pays for what they have done.

The Girlfriend is a slow burn psychological thriller that will have you guessing until the end. The novel transitions between Mags and Jody as they recall memories from their past as well as what happened on that fateful night. I will say that this novel is a bit slow to get started as it requires some back story for both Mags and Jody and their relationships with Abe. The story also introduces some past memories that do not specify who they belong to which will all play a role in the final storyline. The novel definitely picks up and gets more complex as the truth about events of that night unfold. I would definitely recommend this to readers who love psychological thrillers with a surprise whodunit/twist ending.

Mags is notified that her estranged brother is in a coma. The police suspect a suicide attempt, but Mags isn't convinced. Her brother's girlfriend seems to be holding something back, and Mags is determined to discover what really happened.

A complicated thriller with dark themes. Loved the setting of the converted church. It set the perfect atmosphere for the story. The characters were complex, but not exactly likable. While I enjoyed the setting and complex characters, I felt the story to be a bit disjointed and confusing with the layered timelines and alternating viewpoints.

The Girlfriend by Sarah J.Naughton is a good thriller which finds Mags returning from the USA to deal with her brothers accident which has put him into a coma.The only witness to his accident his girlfriend Jody,but all is not what it seems with her.Mags tries to get to the bottom of her brothers accident but keeps coming up against brick walls.This is a good solid 4 star read which i enjoyed reading and would recommend to anyone who enjoys this genre of book.

Great book. Really enjoyed it. Had a great storyline. Strong characters. I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommended.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Sarah Naughton. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

I'm a big fan of psychological thrillers, and something about the blurb for this one completely grabbed me. Mags' brother has a fall under mysterious circumstances, and ends up in a coma. There is only one witness, the grieving girlfriend, hence the book's title. She has a story about what happened to Abe, but Mags isn't so sure she believes it, and sets out to uncover the truth.

To begin with the book is a little confusing, as it is told from the perspective of three different characters, and it takes quite a while to remember and work out who is who, and how they fit in to the story. For this reason I didn't pick up momentum with reading this book, because my brain felt fried every time another character started to narrate and I couldn't work what they were all about! That aside, once you've sussed the characters out, the plot is GREAT. Each character has their own backstory and the tales are all woven together so seamlessly, that you find yourself wondering how exactly the writer has so cleverly managed to weave this tale.

I thought several times that I had the plot twist sussed out, but with each chapter you'll find yourself changing your mind, with each new bit of information that is uncovered. By the time of the final reveal, everything comes together and I was really pleased with how the story ended.

Thoroughly recommended!

Mags Mackenzie is a thirty year-old no-nonsense corporate defense lawyer who works in Las Vegas. Many years have passed since Mags last saw her younger brother, Abe, but she leaves her comfortable home and flies to London after receiving news that Abe is in poor medical condition. She moves into his apartment temporarily and begins to piece together the traits she knew of him from when they were young children. What Mags learns about Abe’s adult life makes an everlasting impact on her own life..

Disliked/ Liked?
I really liked Mags up until she started interviewing all of the tenants in the various apartments. Her thoughts shifted then and became nonsensical and ridiculous (even though she was determined to honor Abe’s memory by finding out the entire truth about his death). Overall, Mags was an interesting character to shadow. Some of her thoughts on romantic relationships?

See, this is why I don’t have relationships. Even if you’re lucky enough to meet someone you genuinely care about, someone who feels the same and isn’t a complete asshole, as soon as you let your guard down and start to rely on them, bang! Out of the blue comes some shitty tumor or terrorist attack or a fall down a stairwell. It’s not worth it. You can’t miss it if it was never there.

This story contained the following:

Delusions ✔
Flashbacks ✔
An unexpected friendship ✔

► I loved the author’s writing style, just not the structure of the story. The multiple POVs broke up the pacing/ momentum of the story and I favored the first half of the book most. The final chapter was bittersweet and a tear-jerker, though, and I loved it!

► Favorite line spoken by Mags?

“Don’t they call stalking ‘murder in slow motion’?”

This is a story of broken people. Mags is successful and well off, but she has many resentments from her past. She is not a nice person. Jody survived a childhood filled with indescribable horrors. She is weak and an inveterate liar. Can Mags trust her account of the accident that left her brother in a coma? Could it have been a suicide attempt as the police think? Did someone, maybe even Jody, push him? Mags is very smart, so she will figure it out... eventually, and moving into her brother's apartment is step one. Other characters get involved in the drama. Mira, a Muslim woman who lives in the same building as Jody, also knows something but is not telling. A mysterious man breaks into Mags' brother's apartment for some unknown reason. The more Mags learns about her brother, the less things make sense. I liked the plot and I loved the ending, it just felt a little too long and I found my attention lagging at times. Other than that, I really enjoyed this novel. The characters are realistic and they end up growing on you. Even a selfish witch like Mags can change for the better.

Just when you think you know what happens, everything gets turned on its head. Usually, I love these kinds of books as we get into characters heads. for this and because little by little you get drawn into the framework of the neighborhood, just as the main character Mags does. The emotion was raw and unfiltered.
Unfortunately, the book was just too graphic both in language and subject matter. If you are ok with that, though, this will be a book you can't put down. thanks to Netgalley and Sarah Naughton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC from NetGalley. The below is my honest, unbiased opinion. Thank you, Sarah Naughton, the publisher, and NetGalley, for allowing me to read an early copy.

After years of estrangement from her family, Mags receives a shocking phone call. Her rebellious brother, Abe, is in a coma, and the police suspect he tried to take his own life. But Mags isn't so sure, and she begins to crack away at the life of the brother she once knew: the dark apartment building, the whispering tenants, and her brother's mysterious girlfriend, the only witness to the incident, who raises more questions than answers. As Mags picks up where the police left off, she begins to unearth the secrets her brother left behind—and awakens her own talent for revenge.

THE GIRLFRIEND is a horrifically gripping thriller (with a gorgeous cover). The setting is eerie, and the characters are extremely well done. There are so many amazing aspects of this book, but discussing any of them would give away what makes this book so great. A must read!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest opinion. I would actually give this a 3.5 if I could give an additional 1/2 mark. I enjoyed the book, but I found it somewhat confusing to keep the plot and characters straight. I also want to be careful not to give spoilers. Once I got past being confused, I did enjoy the plot. It's got great detail and twists.

This is a great psychological thriller, at times disturbing but nevertheless a great read. It has many twists and turns and an ending which I didn’t expect at all. A very well thought out storyline. For readers who like this genre then this is a must read.

An intense riveting psychological study and a suspenseful twisty mystery. Superb!

i love thrillers and more times then not i can see the plot twist or in some cases who the killer(s) are which in this case i saw the plot twist coming from a mile away and once again that is all my fault but with that being said Sarah Naughton is a very good writer its just this book lack something that i really cant for the life of figure out what iit is