Cover Image: Her Greatest Mistake

Her Greatest Mistake

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Her Greatest Mistake by Sarah Simpson is a debut psychological thriller which I picked up when I saw it compared to B.A. Paris who I’ve actually loved the books I’ve read. Unfortunately taking a chance on this new author didn’t quite work out as well as I had hoped it would.

The story in here is one that is familiar and very dark. Eve and Gregg are a married couple that from the outside seem to be absolutely perfect but what we all know is that looks can be deceiving. Eve finds that Gregg has a dark side and fears for not only her own life but that of her young son, Jack.

As soon as I started this one I knew I was going to end up having issues with it, not the story inside although I’m sure it is an obvious trigger warning for some. Instead it was the style in which the author writes that I wasn’t a fan of. I knew right away this one was on the wordy/overly descriptive side that I find a bit tedious to wade through although I’m sure others would love it more than the more straight forward style I prefer.

What really sealed the deal in this one not grabbing me at all though was also in how the story is told. We begin with a short eerie prologue to gain interest which wasn’t too bad but then come the chapters that jump all around. The sections include one week after, Cornwall 2016, the before (going further into their past) and a current time. Toss this jumping around time wise into what was already slow moving for me and it really just wasn’t my cup of tea at all unfortunately. If this one sounds good to you though I’d certainly suggest giving it a try as I know some will love it.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

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A gripping thriller once again let down by the end and at times the odd writing style. The main part of the book is a real page turner as you learn about Eve's past life with Gregg and her present paranoia. Along the way there are several twists to the story as the present situation unfurls. It is not an easy read particularly the sections dealing with Eve's past and the abuse she suffered and many will find it hard to believe she stayed and endured it for so long.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for gifting me an advance reading copy of this book in return for an honest review.

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Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the Publisher, Aria for this review copy given in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately I really struggled with this one. The writing from the beginning was very confusing and I struggled to understand what was going on. Perhaps if I had persevered with it a bit longer it may have got better, but to be honest I had lost interest by that point. It has had some good reviews and the actual plot of the story sounded good, but it just wasn't for me. Sorry!

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Unfortunately I struggled through this book. I couldn't connect to the characters, and didn't particularly enjoy the style of writing. That is merely personal preference though. This story IS good, is interesting and does include some very well written pieces of description. I know there will be readers who love this book, but it wasn't for me.

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Review: I would first like to thank Aria for asking me to review this book and to be apart of the blog tour.

This was an interesting book. It follows a turbulent relationship in great detail, using physiological descriptions and ideas from therapy, which I found very interesting to read in this novel.  It added a very good element to the story which gave a very different and real aspect to the characters. It was very hard to read at times in the respect of the topic but after a quick delve into a more easy-going book I was back into this one, I just had to find out what her mistake was.

A very good read.

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Truth be told I had a hard time getting into this book. I am now 31% into the book and it’s bedtime and I don’t want to stop reading. Isn’t it always like that? This is another book about spousal abuse and you find yourself constantly wondering why she doesn’t put an end to it. Yes I know that it can happen to anyone but you still find yourself wondering why on earth a woman who is smart and has a university degree cannot find a way out of this situation. Eventually Eve takes her son Jack and sets up a new life but with her husband Gregg still in contact with Jack because of visitation rights. Strange things start happening and from the “before” parts of the book we find out a lot more of Gregg’s manipulation. These before and after chapters/parts get confusing at times and it can be hard to get back to where you are. I found the ending a bit of a letdown because after all how else could it really end? All in all I liked the book but would get rid of the before and after sections which stops the flow of the action and can be confusing. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for my unbiased review. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery.

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Feels like I've read this one before. Formulaic and cliche.

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I was a bit confused initially by this book, where I couldn't make sense of who was saying what but I could just have been tired! It was a pacey thriller with two different timelines - some of the characters seemed a bit unnecessary, not sure of the purpose of Sam but enjoyed this book and would recommend others to read.

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I would like to thank Aria and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Her Greatest Mistake’ written by Sarah Simpson in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Eve thinks she’s found the perfect husband in Gregg, a successful solicitor and partner in his law firm, but before long he turns into an abusive and vindictive psychopath who loves to punish her for simply existing. Eve fears for her life and that of their young son Jack and eventually runs away from their home, but she knows that he’ll come looking for them and will find them. Is Eve’s greatest mistake in marrying Gregg or having the audacity to leave him?
If I was being finicky I’d say that the sentences in this novel were too short and stopped the narrative from flowing easily, but the gripping narrative more than compensated for it. ‘Her Greatest Mistake’ is a tense and exciting psychological thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. The plot was unbelievably chilling and culminated in a nerve-racking conclusion.

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I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and independent review.
I think when you read a lot of a specific genre your expectations are high, as there have been so many good psychological thrillers lately.
Unfortunately I found this book lacking in pace and intensity. On a positive note the characters were good and well developed, despite Gregg being so evil that he made my skin crawl. I wanted to shout at Eve and tell her to have some backbone and stand up to him, so I was a bit frustrated with her.
The last 20% of the book was more exciting upgrading this to a 3.5 Star review.

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I enjoyed it a lot but I did not love it. I felt that the characters were a bit unbelievable but the story itself was good

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This was darker than I expected and therefore hard to read at times, but I am not being critical it was well written and really atmospheric , it was edge of your seat stuff.I don't want to give anything away .I think if you are looking for a realistic and dark tale this is it.I didn't know how it was going to work out.Thanks to the publishers and netgalley for an ARC.

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Ahhhh a mother’s worst nightmare! What a ending! Very much enjoyed reading

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Such a dark story. A great book, considering the content. I raced through this book wanting to know what was going to happen and hoping that Eve would get her freedom.

Eve and Greg were the perfect couple on the outside. Behind closed doors things were very different. For 10 years Eve was abused both mentally and physically by Greg until she finally got away with her son Jake. But they are forever looking over their shoulders and living in fear of being found.

I really did feel sorry for Eve.. Nothing that she did or said was ever good enough and she tried really hard. Jake was a lovely boy despite who his father was.

A really great book with some tough scenes to read. Highly recommend this book.Thanks to Aria and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read in exchange for my honest opinions

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This book was provided to me by NetGalley in exchange for a review. Don't want to give a thing away. Read this book. Now!! SO great! You won't be able to put it down! Loved! I'd give it 10 stars if I could!!

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