one of the most disturbing book - Karen is being groomed by someone close to her friend, she doesn't realize what's happening until she starts to realize that it's happening without her consent.
Sandra's life is spiraling as her dad was full of surprises, and now she has to fight her way to get money that she thinks she is entitled to.

Overall a good book, but felt a little dragged in some spots.

Its a crazy read and quite the page turner, very sensitive issues which I love. Lots of twists and turns. It starts out so innocently and then turns to chaos.

What lies beneath. Who do we ever truly know? Do we even know ourselves? This book raises many questions and is a rollicking good read in the process.

This was a very harrowing read in which a young girl is groomed by an older man, and how this influences this girl's life. It was good read, and very suspenseful. Recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC copy of this book which I received in return for an honest review.

I tried several times to get into this story and once I was 'in', I was compelled to finish it despite not being completely immersed in the story.

I found the characters rather unlikeable. Despite the interesting handling of a rather sensitive subject matter, I was sometimes wondering if we needed such vivid descriptions and whether some things could simply be left to our imagination.

As we grew closer to the big reveal, I was tempted to add this to the DNF pile as I wasn't at the point where I actually cared about the outcome. The ending was something of an anti- climax, I am sorry to say. I wasn't sure whether to be annoyed at the waste of my time or relief that it was over.

Unfortunately, this book was archived before I got chance to read it.

Published by: Urbane Publications (18th May 2017)

ISBN: 978-1911129912

Source: NetGalley

Rating: 4*

Synopsis:
Two women. One man. A buried secret.

They were reunited at his funeral, school friends with a shared past. A past that is anything but straightforward. A past that harbours secrets and untruths.

Karen has a seemingly perfect life. An adoring husband, two wonderful children and a beautiful home. She has all she has ever wanted, living the dream. She also has a secret.

Sandra's once perfect life is rapidly unravelling. The man who meant everything to her had a dark side and her business is failing. To get her life back on track she needs to reclaim what is rightfully hers. She knows the secret.

As the past meets the present, truths are revealed - and both women understand the true cost of betrayal.

Review:
With Beware the Cuckoo, Julie Newman has written a powerful debut centered around a sensitive subject matter. At times, this made for very uncomfortable reading. If you're the parent of a teenage girl, this book will certainly make you worry about what could happen right under your nose.

I like how the story is told in both present day and past tense, so we learn the story of Karen and Sandra's friendship from the beginning and the end at the same time. I found some parts of the story quite compelling, and others I managed to guess before they happened, hence just missing out on the 5* review. I was intrigued by the title of this book and not really sure what to expect, but I'm glad I decided to read it, it's really worth it. I recommend it to readers of psychological thrillers, crime and harder hitting women's fiction.

Thanks to Matthew Smith at Urbane Publications, Julie Newman and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

A big thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for copy of this book in exchange for a review.

What a great book - I couldn't put it down - it's a fast paced page turner about 3 best friends growing up.

It does touch on the delicate subject of "grooming teenage girls" but I didn't find it that shocking or disturbing that I was unable to read the story like some other reviewers have suggested.

Loved the way the story flowed so it was one chapter in the present day and one chapter in the past but they were always linked so made the story easy to follow.

Definitely recommend reading.

Awesome book. Five ☆☆☆☆☆ . Looking forward to read more books from this author.

A confronting topic that has resulted in outrage from other reviewers. Underage sex is not pleasant but the writing and the guts of this story were very engaging. Friendships of a lifetime are tested and true characters come out. A satisfying end from a murky beginning. This is the first novel and I hope to read others. Well done.

This is an excellent debut, gripping and well written. Looking forward to the next one from this author.

Loved this book. Secrets, betrayal, fantastic story by this author. Would like to read more by her.

Whilst I was really excited to read this book, and I thank you very much for allowing me access to it, I couldn't read it further than 20 pages. The punctuation, or lack of, made it unreadable for me. I do apologise, out of respect for the author and a wish that the book does well, will not post any reviews unless you request I do so. Thanks again for providing a copy of this work.

This book is another book that works with the past vs. present points of view. However, it is some very sensitive subjects so if you are triggered by pedophile don't pick this up. If you are interested in the dark side of humanity you may like this book. There was some really good writing, but the ending seemed a bit rushed, I could have used a little more suspense near the end. However, it did keep me on the seat of my chair trying to figure out what could happen and I had a few surprises that I didn't expect. This being a debut novel is worth the read, looking forward to more by Ms. Newman.

This book was provided to me in exchange for a honest review by Netgalley and the publisher.

I shan't be reviewing this book - see Notes for the Publisher for explanation.

I very nearly didn't read this as I foolishly read an unforgiving review on Amazon. I'm so glad that I followed my instincts and decided to read and judge for myself. I really enjoyed this book!
It reminded me a little of the 80's book/movie "Lace" by Shirley Conran.
A great mixture of characters with multiple layers within them.
I was first drawn to "Beware The Cuckoo" by its striking cover. The flash of green really drew my eye to the eye pictured, it made me wonder what was going on in the girl's mind...
Many Thanks to the author and the Publisher, Urbane Publications, for granting me a copy in exchange for my fair and honest review.

Great fast read! Very different. I would definitely recommend.

Overall, a very intriguing story. Believable characters that were well developed. The story kept you wanting to read more.

I have been very torn by this book there are things I liked and disliked . I liked the fact that once you start reading you soon realize why the cover fits well because truthfully at the beginning I didn't understand it and thought it didn't fit the book but now I do. I liked that the book is pretty disturbing but I think that's the charm of the book in a odd way. I liked that I couldn't stop reading it because I needed to know more. I didn't like that what I thought would be a good twist at the end wasn't as thrilling as I had hoped not to mention I didn't care for the ending I found it very lacking .the build up was great but disappointing at the end.

This book was quite fascinating and I was eager to get to the end, so I guess it was quite addictive. But I didn't enjoy it quite as much as I expected to, I think this was partly due to the writing style which I felt lacked sophistication and also due to the subject matter, which was uncomfortable a large part of the time. The main character is Karen who we see groomed and exploited throughout her teenage years by her friends father, Bill. Bill is clearly very manipulative and experienced at this crime and you can identify with how trapped and ashamed Karen finds herself. The story flips back and forward between the present and this dark secretive past, with shocking revelations along the way. It finally comes to a head when Karen is forced by Bill's daughter to take a stand.