This was one of the first books I ever got for Netgalley and one I think about often. I tried to read it again years later with a different frame of mind, and it still wasn’t for me.

Unfortunately this book just wasn’t for me. The writing was good, and I can see why other people will like this book, but it just wasn’t for me.

The Woman Before You by Carrie Blake
#NetGalley


Not quite thrilling.

This book was billed as a thriller, sort of a "gone girl" sort of story.

It is told from Isabel and Matthew's points of view.

I was expecting thrills and chills, instead I got a vibe of 50 shades.

The bulk of the book was sex.

I did not like either character and I did not feel anything between them other than sex and control or wanting control over the other person.

If I'd known this book was more smutty erotica than thriller I might have not been let down as much.

So that said, I give it 2 1/2****

Recommended for people who like smut over thrillers.

My thanks to the author and publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and honestly review this e book.

Omg talk about a roller coaster read wow this book kept me on the edge of my seat threw out I just couldn't put it down this writer keeps you hooked and once your hooked your not letting go I found this book thrilling the characters were fantastic and well thought out and the little clues all the way threw keep you guessing until the end this book stays with you long after you close the book this book is well worth the read I promise you wont be disappointed

This book grabbed my attention and kept it. I took a chance on this book and I am so very glad I did. Will look for more from the author. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on my review.

I have tried picking this book up multiple times but have never been able to get fully into it. There for I am DNF this one

The Woman Before You was a quick read. It reminded me of Fifty Shades except Isabel wasn't as likable as Anastasia Steele, and Matthew wasn't as well-developed as Christian
Overall, I enjoyed this book.

I was excited to receive this book as it is different from the novels I usually read.

Sadly, the book didnt do anything for me. It was so difficult to even finish it. The summary really caught my attention but sadly it was not as promised. Not suspenseful or thrilling, more erotic/porn.

Isobel is difficult to have emotions about - either positive or negative. Again, I really really struggled even finishing this book.

I think it comes down to expectations and the summary does not accurately portray what the book is actually about. I think it will miss its target audience because of this.

This was a good read! I was completely drawn in, right from the beginning, and ended up finishing the book in one sitting! I loved the back and forth between the two main characters. The plot twists kept me guessing right until the very end. 5/5 Would Recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley, as well as the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

This book was okay, I really feel like I've read so many books like this lately. I want something new and refreshing.

Well I did say I wanted to read something different, after having read lots of missing children stories or I’ve just woken up from a coma story and thankfully this was different from what I expected!!

Isabell is a wannabe actress, after several failed auditions she ends up taking on a job selling mattresses. On a date she meets Mathew and rather than put on an act with him she reveals her true self.

Mathew’s boss wants him to have an accomplice to complete a task and seems to think Isabell would be perfect. Mathew is playing Isabell like a cat would with a mouse, but why? Whenever Mathew and Isabell are together there is a very strong sexual chemistry but Mathew is always in charge giving her little tasks to do to prove herself!!

This book definitely kept me guessing, loved the mixture of mystery mixed with erotica and yes I would read another of Carrie Blake’s books.

Aa little twisted but a lot of fun! Really enjoyed this book! I revived a copy of this from NetGalley.

DNF @50%. I tried, really I did. I have this book two separate tries a month apart, but I just couldn't do it. It was much dirtier than I expected and not in a titillating way. I kept hoping it would get past that and have some more PLOT, but it seems determined to just be smut.

“It’s always a nasty shock to learn that what you believed was your deepest self, your inner core, was, all along, only your surface. It’s even more shocking to discover how fast that clean, pure surface can crack - and reveal the darkness and dirt beneath.”

Isabel Archer is a struggling actress living in New York City and working at a mattress store when she meets The Customer (Matthew). They meet on the Bumble dating app before he comes into the store to buy the most expensive mattress they have. Soon she is invited to his apartment, presumably to put the mattress to good use. Only he doesn’t make the move.

“His features were chiseled. He looked a little like Gary Cooper, a little like Robert Mitchum - like old-school movie stars used to look before actors began to look like the guy next door who’s going to get fat and bald and jowly the minute he turns forty.”

This book is told from both Isabel and Matthew’s points of view, which allows the reader to gain an intimate view of the deception that is taking place. I found that Isabel had a unique voice but Matthew’s was a little less so. However, I found Isabel annoyingly naive and compliant at times.

The descriptions of the lavish apartments are well done. The author invites the reader into the world of the super wealthy. The book is extremely sexual as Matthew plays mind games with Isabel.

This book wasn’t to my taste, but if you were a fan of 50 Shades of Grey, then you might enjoy this book.

Grade: C-

As a note, a copy of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.

This was one of those books that I just couldn't get into. I found the plotline to be tedious and the synopsis to be exceptionally misleading. Which lead to disappointment and one unfinished read. There's marketing a book in-correctly, and then there's The Woman Before You. She's really not who you think she is.

While I DNF this book, there's a chance that one day I will come back to it once I'm in a different state of mind. Now that I know it's less of a thriller and more of an erotic story, I may be able to give it another go in the future and embrace it as it was meant to be. Until then, I have to admit that the publisher really did an injustice to Carrie Blake based on synopsis and promotion as it is.

I could possibly get behind the characters and their highly unlikable nature in the future, but for now? The Woman Before You was a massive miss.

This book is listed as a thriller but should really be listed as a erotic psychological thriller. I wasn't expecting the erotica and sex in this book and while I didn't mind it, there was nothing about it in the description and could see why some people might not like it or would feel the book description and category is misleading. Isabel is a very weak personality character who finds herself meeting Matthew who is very dominant and they have this dominant and submissive relationship with each other. Matthew is originally doing this because his rich boss asked him to, the man likes to play games and manipulate people. While the characters and storyline didn't have a lot of depth I enjoyed the book but feel someone who doesn't like erotica wouldn't like this book since it is heavily written in the storyline in the book. My main issue with this book is the ending, which I feel came to a screeching hault and left me with a lot of unanswered questions. I received this book as an ARC from Net Galley.

Right away I will say that it is apparent this book doesn't match the synopsis provided. I thought it was going to be a psychological thriller or mystery, and it became apparent to me that it was more like erotica.

I cared about absolutely none of these characters. They were all very two-dimensional, with rapidly changing motivations and assumptions that were beyond understanding.

I cared about absolutely none of these characters. They were all very two-dimensional, with rapidly changing motivations and assumptions that were beyond understanding. The book felt like it was composed of cut-and-paste tropes that didn't quite fit together. Not worth the time to read.

The book was a huge NO! The summary is not at what it’s about it was borderline erotica. Isobel is a struggling actress and bored with her life so when she meets Matthew at on a dating app after she sleeps with a bunch of men que fifty shades of grey and a bunch of sex games and she does whatever he asks it was just so ridiculous I wanted to throw up

***I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for this opportunity.***

This was a great book. The story was captivating and kept me interested throughout. Can’t wait for more from this author.