I read "Her Name is Rose" on a five hour long flight. I must have startled a few fellow passengers with my gasps at least a couple of times in that duration.

I totally fell in love with Claire's writing style. The way she wrote Emily's POV in present and Rose's POV in past as alternating chapters was wicked good.

A un-put-downable book, through and through.

When Emily lets a stranger step out in front of her, she never imagines that split second will change her life. But after Emily watches a car plough into the young mother – killing her instantly – she finds herself unable to move on. Then she makes a decision she can never take back. Because Rose had everything Emily had ever dreamed of. A beautiful, loving family, a great job and a stunning home. And now Rose’s husband misses his wife, and their son needs a mother. Why couldn’t Emily fill that space? But as Emily is about to discover, no one’s life is perfect, and not everything is as it seems.

I was pleasantly surprised by this read, I was not sure what to expect but I was astounded by this intoxicating, exhilarating thriller that Allan has created. This is everything a fantastic thriller should be, dark, twisting and incredibly absorbing. I found myself completely addicted by this read, I could not put it down or stop thinking about it, Allan really gets inside the reader's head with this read, both where the plot and the characters are concerned.

An aspect that I really loved about this is how Allan starts the plot one way and then keeps throwing twists and turns in until the plot has completely changed. This really keeps the reader on their toes and meant I was never too sure what was going to happen next, meaning 'Her Name Was Rose' was even more exciting than it could have been.

Now, a word of warning, Allan tackles some very difficult, dark subjects in this book but does so in a very compassionate way. Nothing is included for shock factor, it only enhances the plot and endears the reader to the characters more. I already loved and felt protective for the characters but Allan's plot twists only deepened this.

'Her Name Was Rose' is an intoxicating read, okay it is a little obvious in places but it is so rewarding and so exhilarating. I highly recommend this high-octane thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an advance copy.

Her Name Was Rose is a gripping read - and a debut novel from author Claire Allan that far exceeded my expectations. Although it's a little slow to start - a bit of a slow burn initially - it quickly picks up pace and was hard to put down once I became invested in the story.

Emily is trying to be nice when she lets a stranger (Rose) step in front of her - but then a car ploughs into the young woman, who ends up also being a mother. Rose is killed upon impact, and Emily finds herself stuck, unable to move on from the horror of witnessing such a tragic event.

That is, until she finds out that Rose had her life - the life she dreamt of. The loving family, complete with doting husband and angelic son, a job she loves, and a beautiful home. And now there's a vacancy in this life - Rose is gone. Why shouldn't Emily step in to fill that place?

Unfortunately for Emily, things aren't always as they appear..

I really enjoyed this novel - and have since recommended it to several friends. It was twisty, riveting, and downright fun to read. I would absolutely suggest it to others, especially those who enjoy a good psychological thriller.

Special thanks to Netgalley and publisher for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Claire Allan’s thriller was addictive, complex and full of all the twists and turns of a great book that you won’t want to put down.

I really enjoyed this, quite a page turner for me.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I liked the premise of this book and was intrigued to read on. One morning Emily let’s a woman and her infant son cross the road before her when the woman is hit by a car. Emily feels guilty and suspicious that she may have been the intended target with her past catching up. Slowly, slowly Emily starts to become obsessed with Rose - the woman who died - and fills the slot Rose left taking over her life...
It’s a compelling set-up with a strong opening image however I did find that after the 40% the book got repetitive and certain tropes that I’ve seen many times in the psychological genre were being used. Also the backstory about Emily’s past fizzled out. There was a surprise or two at the end but overall I found this a predictable and lacklustre read. 2.5/5

Three and a half stars!
This book was quite intriguing and took a different path to the one I thought it was going to take. Emily lets a young woman, Rose, go ahead of her out of a lift and for this reason Emily thinks Rose is killed by a hit and run driver when it should have been her, Emily is already unbalanced and is extremely disturbed when she witnesses this accident and the story takes off from there.
Cleverly written with good descriptions and well-drawn characters.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Claire Allan/Avon Books UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

With Claire Allan's second thriller, Apple of My Eye, published this week, I thought I'd post a review of her first thriller, Her Name Was Rose, published in 2018. Her Name Was Rose is a story of obsession, paranoia, and grief. When Emily watches the eponymous Rose die in front of her, she becomes obsessed with researching and infiltrating Rose's life. Emily looks at the social media accounts of both Rose and her husband Cian, a successful writer, and finds that their posts are always positive and showcase a seemingly perfect life and marriage. Emily fantasises about becoming part of Rose's life and soon realises this dream when she applies for and gets Rose's old job in a dentist's office. She discovers that everyone at the office holds Rose in very high esteem, adding to the idea that Rose lived the perfect life.

But the cracks soon start to show as Emily delves deeper into Rose's life and it becomes clear that her marriage wasn't as happy as it appeared to be online. Cian, traumatised after Rose's death, writes about his love for his wife in perfectly worded posts that show how much he loves her and misses her. But his actions often contradict his words and Emily soon becomes suspicious of him. Her Name Was Rose cleverly comments on our modern obsession with social media, both with our preoccupation with creating the perfect version of ourselves online for everyone else to see and our fascination with looking into other people's lives. The book also importantly reminds us how easy it is to fabricate an online life that we wish we had rather than our online profiles being a reflection of the truth.

Allan cleverly switches between Emily's narrative in the present and Rose's narrative in the past which gradually reveals what her life was really like. Each of Rose's chapters begin with a positive Facebook post from Rose about important milestones in her life. The remainder of the chapter then reveals the sadder truth behind that post and we soon recognise that there are many similarities between Cian in his relationship with Rose in the past and in his relationship with Emily in the present.

There are also important similarities between Rose and Emily as Emily herself also experienced a physically and emotionally abusive relationship a few years previous and is still damaged from it. Her own anxiety and self-doubt make her a very vulnerable and delusional character, the kind that immediately suspects that she may have been the intended target of the hit-and-run that killed Rose. Her vulnerability also leads her to become infatuated with how perfect others appear online and she cannot look past the mystique of the online facade. All she wants is to find love and happiness and she will do anything to achieve this. She is an intensely lonely character and feels abandoned by her own family following her messy breakup. Her only friend, Maud, now lives in New York so she is too far away to be fully instrumental in Emily's life.

Before Her Name Was Rose, Allan published eight women's fiction titles and this is her debut thriller. Her Name Was Rose is often surprising as the central mystery of who killed Rose and why they did it is gradually revealed. But it is the character of Emily and her relationship with Cian that is the driving force of the book. It's full of twists and unusual characters which showcase Allan's skills as a thriller writer. It's also so refreshing to read a thriller that's set in Derry. I look forward to reading Apple of My Eye very soon.

INFO:
Her Name Was Rose by Claire Allan
Published: June 2018
Pages: 452 pages
Genre: Thriller
Source: NetGalley

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS: “Her name was Rose. You watched her die. And her death has created a vacancy.

When Emily lets a stranger step out in front of her, she never imagines that split second will change her life. But after Emily watches a car plough into the young mother – killing her instantly – she finds herself unable to move on.

And then she makes a decision she can never take back.

Because Rose had everything Emily had ever dreamed of. A beautiful, loving family, a great job and a stunning home. And now Rose’s husband misses his wife, and their son needs a mother. Why couldn’t Emily fill that space?

But as Emily is about to discover, no one’s life is perfect … and not everything is as it seems.”

MY THOUGHTS:
Her Name Was Rose was a very timely book. “The grass is always greener on the other side” is a thought trap we fall into so much more often in this age of social media. We look at everyone’s highlight reel on Instagram and Facebook and judge it against our not-so-pretty reality.

What I loved about this book was that I couldn’t figure out who Emily should believe. At times I thought that she was being incredibly reckless and foolish. But then it would turn out to be okay. Then it would come back and bite her, but then there would be an explanation. It had my head turning this way and that with indecision about what I thought was the truth. It is a book that teaches us not to judge a book by its cover! It was very readable with a satisfying ending and plenty of twists and uncertainty along the way!

YOU NEED THIS BOOK IF: You are a fan of domestic thrillers in the vein of Ruth Ware.

MY RATING:
Entertainment Value: 5
Characters: 5
Voice: 4
Plot: 4
Overall: 4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3 stars ⭐⭐⭐

I really liked the story of this book and although I found the main character to be really unlikable, it didn't stop me from turning the pages quicker and quicker.

That being said, while this is a good thriller, the story lacked a bit more backbone and I took one star off my rating just for the last two pages. I hate when writers wrap up their story so quickly with a pretty bow and everyone matched with each other.

Overall, this is a good thriller, suspenseful and original and certainly enjoyable.

This book was really good, but I felt like I’ve read books just like it a million times before. The writing was great, but the plot was cliche.

Emily carries some baggage with her from a previous abusive and manipulative relationship. She hears low self worth and is constantly seeking approval from others. After shopping, she allows a lady with a baby to exit the elevator ahead of her. When they get to the street, the stranger with the baby is struck by a car. Emily begins to wonder if the accident was meant for her. Then she becomes obsessed with how perfect Rose’s life was. She applies for Rose’s job and begins having relations with her widow. In the mean time, Emily is becoming more and more wrapped up in an investigation which may prove that Rose’s death was not an accident. An interesting read, but not super engaging. It could have gotten the same point across and been shorter.

Her Name Was Rose is a psychological thriller with an important message at its heart.

Emily could never have imaged that letting a woman step out of the lift ahead of her would have such an impact on her life. As she watched the woman get hit by a speeding car and die instantly, she could never have thought how much this woman would affect her.

The woman’s name was Rose, and, as Emily soon finds out, she had a perfect life. A perfect husband, a perfect son, a perfect house. Everything Emily is missing from her own life.

So when the chance to fill the space that Rose left in the world comes up, Emily doesn’t hesitate to take it. But she soon finds out that Rose’s life wasn’s as rosy as she had made out. And now Emily is in too deep to get out.

Emily is an idiot, in my opinion.

Now, as a reader, I know that’s easy for me to say. I guess we see a slightly bigger picture than her, we get the intonations that the author drips throughout the story, and have that little bit more information than she does.

But still, Emily is an idiot.

Okay, I’m being harsh. She’s gone through a lot before we meet her. She’s been through an abusive relationship, lost friends and family, and she’s just lost her job. But that doesn’t mean you should stalk someone after their death, go to their funeral, take her old job, and muscle your way into her family. It was a bit weird and unbelievable to me.

And then there’s Rose’s husband, Cian.

I’m not sure if we as the reader are meant to believe his good guy act, but Emily sure does. She doesn’t see at any point during their relationship (I’ll call it that) that he’s *spoiler alert* an abusive asshole.

Okay, I’m being overly critical here.

I wasn’t a fan of Emily’s behaviour, but that didn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the book. I really did, actually. It’s a great psychological thriller with some interesting characters and enough twists and turns to keep you on your toes the whole time.

Emily was a great unreliable narrator of sorts (I bloody love an unreliable narrator!). It’s not that she was lying to the reader, it’s just that she has such a skewed sense of the world and how it views her that she can’t help but give us the wrong information. It made for some gripping reading, I’ll tell you that.

‘Facebooks’ can be deceiving…

…and the way Claire Allan illustrates this is one of the best things about the book. Her Name Was Rose is an excellent showcase of how fake social media can be and of how people only put the good parts of their life online.

No one knows what’s going on behind the scenes, and that’s the exact trap that Emily falls into. Believing everything she sees on Rose’s Facebook page.

It’s a lesson we should all be learning, and such an important thing for this book to put across. Don’t believe everything people post on social media! It’s mostly either a lie or a muddled truth (Okay, rant over).

Her Name Was Rose is definitely worth a read for fans of psychological thrillers and domestic noir. Give it a go, you might learn a little something along the way.

I was eagerly anticipating Claire Allan’s first thriller novel and I wasn’t disappointed! This is a book about Emily, who lets a stranger step out in front of her and the woman gets hits by a car and she dies. Emily can’t help but want to know more about Rose and begins looking her up on social media. She finds out that Rose had an amazing, perfect life and she begins to embed herself into the lives of those Rose left behind. The novel explores how the life people present to the outside is not always the one they are really living. I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading Claire’s next thriller!

Totally addictive and excellently written, I couldn’t put it down! About a troubled girl who witnesses someone being killed and her obsession leads her to slotting into her shoes. Thanks for the read

Emily does something that someone does across the world every single day; she lets a stranger with a pram step out of an elevator before her, but that small action of kindness affects the rest of her life. The woman is ploughed down by a car and killed instantly. This touches Emily deeply and she finds herself intrigued by the dead woman’s (Rose) life and makes a decision that sends her on a road she can’t come back from. Rose seems to have had it all, a happy life, a happy child, a happy husband and happy friends. Emily deserves this kind of life too surely? Though it soon becomes clear that not everything is as perfect as it seems. Everyone has secrets.

Once I started this book, I couldn’t stop. I devoured it up as quick as I could. This is definitely a page turner and one of those books where stopping at the end of a chapter is torture. It’s full of twists and turns; some of which I predicted, some that did have me blindsided. There are so many sensitive issues covered in this book (which I won’t go into because I don’t want to give spoilers) that I think it sometimes distracted me from trying to second guess what was coming next…very very clever.

Emily is such a complex character, my feelings towards her changed constantly through the book. She most definitely kept me on my toes. I went from sympathy to pity, back to empathy and then anger. Upon reflection, I was probably a little harsh on her whilst I was reading. I wanted her to “man-up” as the expression goes. Pull herself together an do the right thing.

If you would have asked about a quarter of the way through the book if I could guess the ending of the book, it would have been a wild stab in the dark and I would have gotten it wrong. However as I got closer and closer to the end, there were some definite clues that I picked up on. Though it doesn’t detract away from the reveal, I still gobbled up those words and flicked the pages as quick as I could on my iPad.

If like a whodunnit type story with suspense, twists and turns and some tugs on the heart strings thrown in for good measure, you’ll love this book. I really enjoyed it and I think it came at a good time for me as I haven’t read a thriller or a psychological thriller in quite some time. I will definitely be recommending this book to my pals.

A gripping psychological thriller, that was thoroughly absorbing. It kept me guessing the whole way through. Great read..

So happy to be given a whole budget to replenish our senior shelves in the school library. The books in there are far from appealing at the moment and I have been delighted to find books here that will intrigue, captivate and engross my senior students.

This is a fantastic read with characters they will be able to connect with, a pacy narrative and an ending that will provide plenty to talk about.

It's great to read a book that does not feel formulaic and gives some credit to their reader's intelligence too. Young people are very fussy about the books they choose to read and in this time-precious day and age it really has to be something above and beyond the ordinary to get them to put down their devices and get their noses stuck in a book.

I think this is one book that will capture their imagination and keep them turning the pages until the end. This is definitely going onto my 'must-buy' list and I really look forward to seeing what the young people themselves think of this twisty, clever and engaging novel.

Emily lives a lonely, fearful life, always looking over one shoulder. When she sees young mother Rose get mown down in a hot and run she becomes convinced that it wasn't just an accident. Someone had meant to kill her but Rose had gotten in the way. Guilt and curiosity leads Emily into finding out what she can about Rose and to her it seems like she had a perfect life. There's a big hole been left in the lives of her husband, son and friends....could Emily fill that hole.

On many levels I quite liked this book but an implausible twist and very weak ending kind of ruined it for me. Emily is a bit of a drip and for me the reveal about what Roses life was actually like came too soon. Enjoyable but not a must read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC.

Her Name Was Rose was a book that had a creeping sense of doom on each page. As the story got deeper, the secrets got darker, and I found the book hard to read in some spots. Rose's chapters were sometimes upsetting to read and I felt like I was reading someone's diary at times. This was very well written and the writing alone drew me into the book.

Rose was a loving mother, doting wife, someone who had it all...but only on the outside. We don't really know about other's lives. What we see on social media only depicts a representation of that person. To everyone, Rose was living a charmed and beautiful life...until the day she was killed.

Emily's life changed forever when she let beautiful Rose and her baby step out first. Out of nowhere a car comes and ends Rose's life. Emily is left feeling as if the wrong woman died. She begins to obsess about Rose's life. She sees the beautiful posts that Cian, Rose's husband, writes on her wall. She goes through Rose's pictures, her posts, and begins to paint the 'perfect life' that Rose had. Emily wants some of that happiness too. She begins to picture herself in Rose's shoes...married to the handsome author, working with Rose's co-workers, she could be happy and help to fill the void left in everyone's life. She sets out on her plan to find the happiness she so desperately is seeking, only to find more darkness and secrets than she could have imagined.

Emily's character is hard to relate too and then relatable at the same time. Some of the things she goes through in this book made my stomach turn. I have a difficult time reading books with narcissistic characters in them and this book was no exception. While Emily wasn't the narcissist, other characters were. I had figured out a few things early on in the book, but the twist at the end was one I didn't really see coming. All in all, Her Name Was Rose is a good thriller with a dark twist.