Loved this book! Well written, sucks you in from the first page. As a mother is trying to extricate herself and her daughter from an abusive home, her friend is sucked into the situation unknowingly. The daughter disappears while with the friend at a school carnival. No one has any idea that the mother and daughter have been living in an abusive home and has no clue that the disappearance is staged. Loved everything about this book!

This book contained many twists and turns and really kept me wanting to see what happened next. The book goes back and forth between before and now and tells the views of the mother of the missing child and the woman who was watching the child when she goes missing. I really did enjoy this book and will purchase it for the library.

Not a big fan of this book. I don't mind dark books, but this one just didn't hit on all cylinders with me.

Would you watch your best friend's child along with your own 4. Charlotte offers Harriet her time by watching offering to watch her 4 year-old daughter, Alice. Things go terribly wrong when Alice doesn't return from a ride with the rest of the kids. It's a mother's worse nightmare. The writing is good, characters are pretty developed and the story has an edge.

Charlotte’s world is turned upside one day while at a school fair, her friend’s daughter Alice, who she’s supposed to be caring for, disappears. In the weeks following the disappearance, Charlotte faces the judgement of the community and her own self-loathing for having let it happen. Meanwhile, Alice’s parents, Harriet and Brian are dealing with the loss of their daughter and the interrogations if the police, as well as some deep hidden secrets of their own. Told from the alternating points-of-view of Charlotte and Harriet, the story takes readers on a roller coaster ride of anxiety-ridden emotions.

I found that the first half of this moved along very quickly as I was swept up in the story, eager to find out more. Then the main revelation occurred and I found the second half to be a little underwhelming and not nearly as exciting. I feel like if the twist had happened a little later on or if there had been multiple twists, there would have been more tension and suspense. I also found the back and forth between time periods to be a little confusing. Chapters would have the heading of “now” or “then” but it didn’t really make any sense. To add to the confusion, some of the chapters were headed with a date, which just seemed inconsistent. I feel like if all the headings had been in the date form, it would’ve been clearer.

Despite my misgivings, I found this to be an entertaining read and a refreshing take on missing children fiction. I do look forward to reading more from this author. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Gallery Books and Heidi Perks for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was a good read. The characters were well created, the story had unique elements that set it apart from the league of mom thrillers that have come out recently. Overall, I would recommend this read. The only issue I had was I felt it start to lose momentum for me about 75% in. I started losing interest, but it picked back up again towards the end and I liked the ending.

Brian and Harriet Hodder are new to Dorset. Harriet has never left her daughter, Alice, in the care of another person. Other mothers think Harriet is a little too over-protective of her four year old daughter.

Harriet was raised as an only child by her mother. A mother, who had peculiarities and always kept a close eye on Harriet. Harriet didn't remember much about her father, who had died.

Brian doted on Harriet and saw her as the perfect person for him. Brian's father was also dead, and although Brian's mother was alive, they didn't have much to do with her. All they needed was each other.

Charlotte Reynolds is the divorced mother of three. Charlotte became friends with Harriet before Charlotte's divorce when they both had infants, where Charlotte's other friends' children were older and couldn't relate to the baby phase. They often met at a park or at Charlotte's home.

When Charlotte convinced Harriet to let her take Alice to the local fair along with her own three kids, she was surprised when Harriet agreed. While at the fair, Charlotte's two older children and Alice ran to play in the Jungle Run, except Charlotte saw her children get off the slide, but not Alice. After a search and no sign of Alice, the police were called. Alice vanished in thin air.

Charlotte's life is turned upside down and she is vilified. The one encounter where Charlotte goes to the Hodder's home, she is met with hostility from Brian. Harriet won't look at her. People who Charlotte thought were friends are turning their backs on her. Charlotte hasn't heard from Harriet for days, when out of the blue as she is rushing out the door, her cell rings. It's Harriet, begging Charlotte for help.

I love how this book went from past to present telling the story from Charlotte's and Harriet's side. This book tugs on the heartstrings, losing a child is every parents nightmare. There were so many puzzle pieces to this story that the more you read, the more each piece was revealed. I would recommend this book to those who enjoyed The Wife Between Us, The Other Woman, and What Lies Below.

I received an ARC from NetGalley via Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great mystery with lots of twists and turns. The characters are believable and the plot original. It points out that domestic abuse comes in all shapes and types. The ending is shocking.

It all started at the school fair…
Charlotte was supposed to be looking after the children, and she swears she was. She only took her eyes off of them for one second. But when her three kids are all safe and sound at the school fair, and Alice, her best friend Harriet’s daughter, is nowhere to be found, Charlotte panics. Frantically searching everywhere, Charlotte knows she must find the courage to tell Harriet that her beloved only child is missing. And admit that she has only herself to blame.

Harriet, devastated by this unthinkable, unbearable loss, can no longer bring herself to speak to Charlotte again, much less trust her. Now more isolated than ever and struggling to keep her marriage afloat, Harriet believes nothing and no one. But as the police bear down on both women trying to piece together the puzzle of what happened to this little girl, dark secrets begin to surface—and Harriet discovers that confiding in Charlotte again may be the only thing that will reunite her with her daughter....

The is told through Charlotte and Harriet. I liked the back and forth between the two, it was one of those types of books with an unreliable narrator, which are my favorite! I would recommend this one to anyone who likes domestic thrillers that keep you guessing!

Thanks to #Netgalley for the ARC
Pub Date 08 Jan 2019

I haven't read a 5 star book in awhile but Her One Mistake definitely deserves that ranking. Full of emotion, suspense and surprises, Her One Mistake is a book I'd definitely send out to ALL my friends.

Heidi Perks had me on the edge of my seat for most of this book and so afraid for my grandchildren, too. It was an exciting novel with twists and turns that leave you guessing until the end.

Harriet is a abused Mum. Her husband Brian is making the whole town think she is crazy . She knows if she does not do something he will have her locked away or worse. Her whole world is her 4 year old little girl Alice . She asks her best friend Charlotte to take Alice to the school carnival . At this carnival little Allice goes missing . The town blames Charlotte . But there is a big secret to what really happened. If you want to know I recommend you read. This book is very good.

Harriet has never left her four-year-old daughter with anyone, even though Charlotte, her only friend, has repeatedly offered to watch her. Now that Harriet has signed up for a class to hopefully land employment, she has no choice but to allow Charlotte to babysit. Charlotte plans to take Alice along with her own three children for a day of fun.

Charlotte only looked away for a few moments—and now Alice is missing. The young child seems to have vanished without a trace from a heavily populated school fair.

As the investigation into the child abduction evolves, the story digs deep into the twisted marriage of Harriet and Brian, and into the seemingly one-sided friendship between Charlotte and Harriet.

I sympathized with both women in this painful dilemma. Could I face my best friend knowing I was responsible for her only child being taken? Could I face a friend that I trusted with my flesh and blood, only to learn that her carelessness ended in the loss of my child?

The tension mounts quickly in this riveting psychological suspense. Secrets trickled out as this story threw me for a loop! Expertly descriptive writing pulled me into the scenes. Twists and turns I didn’t see coming kept me glued to the pages to the very end.

I give this book five stars. I particularly enjoyed the lack of foul language and explicit sex.

Her One Mistake details the intricacies of what happens when a child goes missing and the emotional damage between two women - the child's mother, and the one who was supposed to be watching the child. It's the one time that overprotective mom, Harriet, has agreed to let her child go on out without her, and of all days, her daughter goes missing while in the care of Harriet's best (only) friend Charlotte. Harriet's emotional toll is heightened by (trigger warning) her mentally abusive husband,. Charlotte is scapegoated on social media, and begins to spiral down, avoiding social events and afraid to talk to Harriet out of guilt over losing her daughter. The first part of the book dragged a little as the author laid out the background for the killer second half of the book. When the twists and turns start coming, they really take off. I would have liked a happier ending, but the ending the author choose was much more realistic than a tidy little ending would have....perhaps we could have a sequel, Ms. Perks?

What a great story! It had me on the edge of my seat. I just loved trying to figure out what happened to Alice. The twists and turns were terrific!!

HER ONE MISTAKE is the debut novel from Heidi Perks, and it is a suspenseful, original take on the "kidnapped child" story line.

Charlotte agrees to watch her best friend Harriet's daughter, Alice, for the day so Harriet can go to an important secretarial training session. Charlotte brings Alice, along with her own 3 young children, to the fair to spend the day. When the kids go on one of the attractions and finish, Alice never comes back with them. It seems she has disappeared in those 5 minutes.

Charlotte is sick with the guilt of losing her best friend's daughter, and Harriet can't talk to Charlotte or even look her in the eye. As the police get involved and question both parties, it becomes clear that there might be more to the story than a simple missing child case.

This was a great read. It was suspenseful, and the main characters were drawn out very well. It was a very visual read, which I love, and very impressive for a debut novel. There were also some twists that I wasn't expecting, which is always a nice surprise. I'll be interested in reading more from this author.

Thank you to Heidi Perks, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Young mothers, Charlotte Reynolds and Harriet Hodder, have become best friends in their English village of Chiddenford. Open hearted discussions revolve around their children and Charlotte’s recent separation from her husband, Tom. Although as we begin to better understand the friendship, the discussions are extremely one sided on Charlotte’s part. Later we find the reason for this. Harriet is totally over protective of her little girl, Alice, and has never allowed her to be away from her. So the day Harriet needs a sitter, Charlotte jumps at the chance to take Harriet’s four-year-old daughter, to the local school festival. Not long after arriving, Alice disappears while playing on a slide with Charlotte’s two older children. Little Alice has seemingly vanished. Harriet is devastated, as is her controlling, manipulative husband, Brian. Public empathy soars for Harriet, who can barely function without her child. This leaves Charlotte, who must deal with the scrutiny of her neighbors and the police who seem to blame her for not paying attention to the children when Alice vanished. As the reader is given a window into the actual home life of Charlotte and Brian, the focus changes. After the big reveal of the stranger from the deep past, the search for Alice speeds up dramatically.
Almost too fast as the domestic thriller comes to a close. While the book was completely engaging throughout, this reader was not satisfied with the way the saga of Charlotte and Harriet ended. Although I am not sure exactly how I wanted it to end.

Thank you Netgally and Gallery books for the opportunity to read this advanced readers copy. I devoured it and plan to see more excellent writing from new author, Heidi Perks.

Her One Mistake is a story about a woman named Harriett that is considered an overprotective mother of a four year old girl named Alice. Harriett allows Alice to go to a school fair with her friend Charlotte and Charlotte’s three children. While there, Alice disappears in the blink of an eye. I found this book annoying to read due to the constant going back and forth between characters and timelines. One minute you're reading about before Alice goes missing and the next, it's after only to be quickly brought back to before again. Once Harriett's husband enters the picture, there is very little suspense left. His words and actions spoke volumes and I found it hard to believe that no one noticed what was going on. After someone from Harriett's past shows up; well, let’s say it isn't hard to see what is going to happen next. I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley, in exchange for my honest review.

This truly keeps you on the edge of your seat and leaves you guessing. I couldn't put it down. This is every parents nightmare and it goes to show you how fast it can happen. In mere seconds your child can be gone. Is checking your Facebook, Twitter or Instagram that important to you? Because just looking down at the screen for a few seconds is all it takes.

Each wife was going through their own set of mind games. Charlotte was entrusted to watch Harriets little girl which she never does. Now her little girl Alice has been kidnapped from the fair but Charlotte's kids who were right there with Alice wasn't?
Harriets husband is not letting Harriet out of his sight.. He's out for blood. This book never lets up!!! Every page is a nail biter. Make some popcorn, get a large drink and get comfortable because you are going to be here for awhile.. Happy Reading!!! 🌝

Couldn’t put this down. More Gone Girl than triller, but a wonderful read.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.