Thirty years ago Toni and Bridget made a pact, never to tell the details of their traumatic childhood. After many tough and fraught years they live together, Toni a widow with a fifteen year old daughter, Rosie. Toni, understandably is very protective of Rosie - she's seen the worst of people, both in those she should have been able to trust and herself. But despite her monitoring and protecting Rosie wants to do her own thing....she wants a career and she wants love. But how does a girl who's hardly let out on her own meet a boy? Why on the web of course. It's no spoiler to say it ends badly as the novel begins with Rosie unconscious in hospital, apparently after an overdose. We then hear the story from each of the women's perspective as Toni's over protectiveness, Rosie's naivety and Bridget's complacency lead to tragedy.

This is classic domestic thriller, preying on our worst fears of how vulnerable our children are and how little we know what the hell goes on in those heads. It's one of those books where you know where it's heading, the suspense is in the how and why. The problem with books like this sometimes is whether or not the author can get you to care. If the mom is too flaky, or the teenager just vile it's hard to empathise. But happily the author has done a fantastic job in making it easy to root for this dysfunctional but ultimately very loving family unit. The end is a little predictable though so this isn't quite 5 star, but it's still a riveting read.

The Pact is a disturbing and modern story about child grooming and family secrets. Written from the viewpoint of Rosie, a fifteen year old girl and her over protective mother Toni it explores how easy it is for young people to be trapped by strangers on line. I did not find it an easy read and was somewhat let down by the ending.

This book ticked all my reading boxes! With twists and turns I was reading this well into the night. Highly recommended.

A pact made between sisters over twenty years ago leads to one of the sisters - Toni - being extremely anxious and over-protective of her 15 year old daughter Rosie. Trying her best to shelter Rosie from the big bad world only ends up causing her daughter danger. Bridget, Toni’s sister, has devoted her life to caring for her sister and her niece. Their past pact could have terrible consequences.

Rosie is in a coma, her mind desperately trying to work out what, or who, put her there. A parent’s worst nightmare - their child being befriended on the Internet by someone who is not who they say they are.

Chapters alternate between the three main characters perspectives.

Thanks to Bookouture for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a good modern thriller. Rosie is 15, she has been brought up by her mother Toni and aunt Bridget. At the beginning of the story Rosie lies unconscious in hospital. She has been keeping secrets from her mother and aunt. They try desperately to find out what she has been up to. Can they save her? Read on.

The title refers to a 30 year old "pact" made by 2 sisters, Toni and Bridget, to always protect each other and never speak of secrets from their childhood. As the book opens Toni's 15 year old daughter Rosie lies in a coma unable to communicate what has happened to her however the author writes from the viewpoint of all 3 characters and we see the secrets that all 3 have been keeping begin to unravel.
I liked all 3 characters although Toni irritated me at times in how over-protective she was. The character of Rosie was very well-written and I really heard the voice of a 15 year old during her narrative - her secrets, her naivety, her hopes and dreams.
It's always topical to read about the education of our young people around the dangers of social media and I found this relevant and, as a mother of a 15 year old daughter, a timely reminder to have that conversation - again!
Overall an enjoyable read, not action-packed by any means but a well written, slow-burning character study worthy of a solid 4 stars!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the advance review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I could not force myself to read this entire book. I was 44% into the book and as still bored. I didn’t finish reading this book.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

How far do you go to protect your daughter? This follows Rosie, her mum and her aunty. Rosie is secretive mainly due to her mum’s overbearing control. Aunty Bridget holds them together but now Rosie is in hospital.

For me it was just too slow despite being well written it wasn’t memorable for me.

Another tense and well written thriller from this author.
Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this ARC.

Thank you Netgalley for sending me a pre-release copy.

This was a pretty good book. Kind of messed up. I can see why the mother was overprotective but she got a little annoying. Loved the Aunt. Thought she was a tough cookie. Kept you going to the end. Good page turner.

This is the third book I have read by the author, S E Lynes, and her writing just gets better!
The story is told via narrative from the point of view of each of the three main characters: Toni, the over protective mother, Rosie, the teenager desperate to be allowed freedom and Bridget, the aunt who lives with Rosie and Toni. Toni and Bridget share the secrets of a troubled past and the pact they made when young themselves.
This fast-paced psychological thriller also tackles the very real and very current topic of the dangers of social media. To escape the strict and sheltered life of home, Rosie begins to have secrets of her own. Due to the way Toni protects and almost suffocates her daughter, Rosie does not share what is happening in her life. Bridget tries to be the voice of reason but knows why Toni is like she is.
The book opens with Rosie in hospital fighting for her life. The reader gradually learns how she came to be there, interspersed with the story of what happened to Bridget, all the time becoming more and more involved with these three women. As well as being a great thriller, this is also a great character study. I had to keep reading as I never wanted to leave the characters in mid flow. I needed to find out what had happened and to see how everything worked out for them.
I can’t wait to see what the author does next.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy.

Oh wow! Susie Lynes really is at the top of her game with this fantastic book. She commands you to become absorbed in her writing because everything about it is class. The storyline and the characters are beautifully portrayed and as a reader, you experience all the emotions that a great psychological thriller should bestow on you. Absolutely brilliant, can't wait for the next one.

I really enjoyed this title, however it was a slower paced thriller than my usual reads, but not once sis I feel that was a bad thing. The tension slowly builds to the finale, and this is well worth a read!

The book follows Rosie, Toni, and Bridget, alternating between them throughout the book in a hazy collection of memories that eventually trek back to the past. Something dark happened years ago--a secret that sisters Toni and Bridget swear never to speak of. But Toni's daughter Rosie knows something happened...

Immediately in the story we're drawn into an eerie sense that Rosie has been drowned as her underwater recollections begin to surface. But what exactly happened is yet to unfold as the book chronicles distant memories from chapter to chapter in a stream-of-consciousness format. Written with the stylistic musings of a teenager, readers get a feel for the relationship dynamic as the events unfold.

While this back-and-forth collage of memories comes together, it can be a little hard to follow at times, but it's interesting enough to hold the reader's interest. Overall, it's an enjoyable read, solid prose, compelling characters, and enough of a mystery to keep the reader engaged from the beginning to the end.

I found this book to be particularly slow, so much I skim read to the end.

I felt the plot twist to be predictable but maybe I have read to many of these types of thrillers. This one just did not do it for me.

The pact is the story of a young girl who is unconscious and tells the story of what got her there...telling the story from the different perspectives. I had read mother and thought this book was much better! A gripping thrilling read!

The Pact is told through three viewpoints, Rosie who is unconscious in hospital, her mother Toni and her aunt Bridget.
This book looks at families and the lengths people go to to protect each other.
I struggled initially with this book and very nearly gave up but due to loving previous books by the author I decided to try it for a bit longer and boy am I glad I did.
A great psychological thriller that you will certainly enjoy.

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

You made a promise to your sister. It could destroy your daughter.

The Daughter

15-year-old Rosie lies in hospital fighting for her life. She’s trying to tell her mother what happened to her, and how she got there, but she can’t speak the words out loud.

The Mother

Rosie’s mother Toni has a secret. She had a traumatic childhood, and she and her sister Bridget made each other a promise thirty years ago: that they could never speak the truth about what happened to them as children, and that they would protect each other without asking for help from others, no matter what…

Rosie was Toni’s second chance to get things right: a happy, talented girl with her whole life ahead of her. Having lost her husband in a tragic accident, Toni has dedicated her life to keeping Rosie safe from harm.

But Rosie has plans that her mother doesn’t know about. She has dreams and ambitions – of love, of a career, of a life beyond the sheltered existence that her mother has created for her. But the secrets Rosie has been keeping have now put her life in danger.

The Pact

In order to save Rosie, Toni may have to break her lifelong promise to her sister… and open doors to her past she hoped would remain closed forever.

Unlike most psychological thrillers, the plot is quite slow going. That's because this story isn't about its plot, which was great; it's about the characters, their lives, and the pact they made to each other. Their promises and secrets keep you hooked until the very end, which was intense in many ways. I recommend to anyone who enjoys a slow-burning psychological thriller.

the pact by se lynes.
This was a fantastic read. very moving and emotional.
This story is told by Toni Bridget and Rosie. Toni is Rosie mum. Bridget is Toni sister. but when Rosie goes to meet Ollie a boy she knows from Facebook she is in for a shock.
Omg. an absolutely fantastic read. Loved the story and the characters. apart from Owen and Emily who were evil. highly recommended. 5*.

This is now the third book that I have read by S.E Lynes.... with having LOVED her debut Valentina.

The Pact was so incredibly slow that it was so tough for me to be interested until around 75 percent :(. I was really disappointed in this one and the previous book that I read by this author. I was HOPING to fall in love with this one like I did with Valentina but unfortunately I was very bored in this one.

The twist at the end was pretty predictable and nothing that was unique or different to me.

I feel like a lot of books have the same subject whether it's a dysfunctional childhood where secrets follow them into adulthood or having a hot mess of a family with a lack of "twist".

Eh.....2.75 stars.

Thank you to Bookouture for the arc in exchange for my honest review.
Published to GR: 4/13/18
Publication date: 2/28/18