Love when a book turns out to be way better than you expected it to be, and that is certainly the case with this book. I had a hard time putting it down and at the same time did not want it to end. Excellent read. This books comes out next week and I strongly suggest buying it.

Her One Mistake by Heidi Perks is a stunning thriller that takes place after a child, Alice, is left in the care of Charlotte. Charlotte takes Alice and her 3 children to a fair. While in her care Alice disappears, seemingly without a trace. Her children don’t know where she went and no one at fair saw her either. Not only is Charlotte devastated but Alice’s mother, Harriet, who made the choice to leave Alice with her friend. As it goes when people disappear, everything is not how it seems.
Her One Mistake, in a world of thrillers that are full of the same things happening over and over, is not entirely unique. However, Perks manages to build tension and keep it there leaving you wanting to keep reading until you finish. I found myself to actually be nervous while reading the book, waiting to find out what happened, especially during the last third of the book. It was refreshing to know a good majority of the plot twists, by guessing, and still be held in suspense through the authors writing and pacing.
As I said before there isn’t really anything special plot wise about this book. There are thousands of books that are about children who go missing and even more that have questionable parents. However, the author chooses to not use physical or sexual abuse, but goes for mental abuse using gaslighting. This gave me a sense of doubt who was telling the truth and who was not. This helped build tension and kept me guessing if my theory was correct or not.
Her One Mistake is a quick read, mostly due to the fact that there aren’t any luls in the suspense of the story. There was really no good place to stop reading that wasn't going to leave you with some kind of desire to pick the book up again with in minutes to continue reading. I really appreciated that the book didn't follow the detective of the case. Instead Perks utilises the families involved. There is part of the novel that takes place in the a police station but again the focus is on the main character's thoughts when being questioned by a detective and not the other way around. So often this side of a thriller is missed when the main character is involved in the investigation.
Her One Mistake was definitely not a mistake to read. This easily the best thriller that I’ve read all year. I highly recommend it to people who like mystery and thriller novels, especially psychological thrillers.

Hooked from the beginning as Charlotte loses her best friend's daughter at a school fair. At first, you believe that this will be a story of how Charlotte and Harriet will navigate their relationship as the hunt for Alice and the person who may or may not have abducted the girl continues. However, not all is as it seems between all the main characters. A great little thriller begins as some people are not what nor whom you believe them to be., and the rest of the plot is a great ride as we find out what took place that afternoon of the fair. Not a predicable story which was refreshing even as you begin to see people's personalities and motives beginning to emerge. I recommend it.

Another great book by Gallery and NetGalley!

I liked this book. I was intrigued by the story. I tried to guess, right from the start and while I knew that my initial feeling wasn’t how the story would end (it was just too easy), I couldnt figure it out. Even once you knew what happened, you are still left wondering how it will resolve itself. It’s nice to read a book that isn’t predictable.

One thing...I never really felt like I knew any of the characters but honestly, I’m thinking that was by design.

This was the first book that I've read by this author and I wasn't disappointed. It had me guessing about where Alice could be and I was totally shocked when the situation was revealed. I enjoyed it and I would gladly read other books by this author.

Her One Mistake # NetGally
Heidi Perks

To the author, Heidi Perks, I really did enjoy your debut novel. I found myself loving both of the two main characters in your story. Harriett and Charlotte had a special friendship until life turned it on its ears. They each had secrets that were hard to reveal to each other. When circumstances became too difficult for Harriett, she made a decision to commit an act that would change the dynamics of their friendship and put Charlotte into a very trying situation. They both struggle with trying to do the right thing for each other and themselves and ultimately put each other into suspicion of committing a wrongdoing. The book was hard to read at times as it portrays danger to a child and an unrelenting evil husband. I found myself pulling for both characters to successfully get themselves through their ordeal without breaking their friendship. There are a lot of circumstances that happen to bring the story to a successful ending. It has all the elements of a good psychological thriller and keeps you guessing until the end of how it will all turn out. All in all, a very enjoyable and satisfying book to read, one I will definitely recommend to everyone.

Thank you to the publisher, Gallery Press, and NetGally for providing an advance read copy for an honest review.

4..5 stars for Her One Mistake by Heidi Perks! I am a huge fan of fast-paced psycho thrillers and this one did not disappoint. Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of Her One Mistake for an honest review. What could possibly go wrong while enjoying the school fair with your children & your friends' 4-year-old daughter you may ask? When the 4-year-old goes missing both Charlotte & Harriett are beyond devastated but just when you think you know what's happening nothing is what it seems.

Her One Mistake, a psychological thriller, a book that takes you on a suspenseful and twisted journey. Harriet leaves her 4 year old daughter, Alice, for the first time, with her best friend Charlotte. Is this a decision she will soon regret? Charlotte eager to watch her friends daughter, takes Alice and her three children to the school fair, where she makes the mistake of taking her eyes of the children for a brief minute. Alice vanishes is the blink of an eye. Nowhere to be found. Is Charlotte to blame? She is now having to live with this guilt, while Harriet and her husband, Brian, are having to deal with a parent's worse nightmare. Will Alice be found? Although some of the twists were not too hard to figure out there is plenty of wondering and guessing that makes you want to keep reading. It was a book I found hard to put down, I had to get to the end to know how it all played out. A very well written book! I will be looking forward to reading more from Heidi Perks.

Thank you #NetGalley for an advanced copy of #HerOneMistake!!

I don’t even know where to begin with this review... This book was one of my absolute favorites. It was so incredibly suspenseful with twists left and right you’ll never see coming...

Can you imagine your best friend trusting you with her daughter and when you look away for 5 minutes she disappears into thin air??? Well that is exactly what happened to Charlotte when Harriet allowed her to take her daughter Alice to the school fair one day. The emotions both of these women go through, one being the grieving mother/victim and the other being the careless mother who was more interested in posting on Facebook then watching her kids, is so incredibly excruciating to read, but so realistic in regards
To how mothers are treated in today’s society. So now, #1 worst character? Harriet’s “loving” husband Brian! OMG! From the very beginning everything this man did to belittle his wife, Harriet and make her think to both herself and others that she was losing her mind, was at times difficult to read. I wanted to jump into this book and beat the you know what out of him for how horrible he was, especially considering how cleverly he portrayed himself in front of others.

In a nutshell, highly recommend this book! It was fantastic!

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I started & stopped this one a few times. It took me a while to really get going and even once I did I had to push myself to finish it. I never connected with the characters even to feel invested in the story.

I felt like there was a lot of unnecessary details, like a missing boy that ends up having nothing to do with the storyline. I kept waiting for that plot line to be tied in some how, considering how much it was mentioned but it’s not.

The ending was exactly what I thought it would be. I know plenty of people will enjoy this one, I was not one of them.

I don’t know what I would do if a child that I was watching for a friend went missing while under my care. I can’t imagine the thoughts, fears and anger that would course through my body if I was either of the mothers in this book.

Charlotte and Harriet were friends, at least that is what Charlotte thought, but as time moves forward and the police look further into their lives, the depths of their friendship is questioned. So many different things kept drawing me into this story. I was able to read this quickly and it surprised me. Although, this is the first time I’ve heard about or read anything from this author, I doubt it will be my last.

Her One Mistake is a psychological thriller that will hold your attention until the very end. Overall, it was a unique story, with realistic characters, and a plausible ending. This was my first time reading a Heidi Perks story, and it will not be my last.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Every time I thought I knew where this story was going, WHOAH- didn't see that twist coming! Then before I knew it, another startling revelation had me rethinking what was going to happen next. This is a fast-moving thriller that kept my attention throughout. The jumps between characters and times were jarring at times but not enough to detract a lot from the enjoyment of the story.

I confess I did expect something more to happen in the very last few pages - and was surprised when it didn't which left me wondering if it had been better if the book had ended when the most shocking twist took place.

Overall, a very entertaining book and I look forward to future books by this author.

I was pleasntly surprised by Heidi Perks, Her One Mistake. It is a book that draws you in from the first page, but it alao gives you an immediate sense of unease. Something just seems off, although you can't really pinpoint what causes that feeling. As the story continues, things do not progress as you think they will and your sympathies will change many times throughout the reading of the book.

At first glance this might seem like a book that would interest primarily mothers or females in general, but I think anyone of any age or sex could find reading this thriller an enjoyable experience.

A thought-provoking story that begs the question of just how far a parent would go to protect their child, and how many secrets a person can expect a friend to keep. While the storyline did hold my interest, there were a few things that bothered me about this one, leaving me somewhere in the middle with how I felt about it. The timeline jumps back and forth between the now, about two weeks past Alice's disappearance, and the day it happened, plus some glimpses from even further back. That, in itself, wasn't problematic, but the jumps from first person to third person were a little jarring, pulling me out of the story. There were also a few things that just weren't believable, especially the investigators, who were a bit caricature-like for most of the investigation into the abduction. I will add that I felt like the court of public opinion where Charlotte was concerned was done very well, painting an accurate picture of the naysayers and those fair-weather friends who all think they know the circumstances. The story was a mix of too obvious twists and those we can't see coming, but it ended pretty much as I expected it to once the key elements were revealed. In the end, there were things I liked and things I didn't, but it was interesting enough to keep me turning the pages. All in all, Her One Mistake is a promising debut from this author, and I look forward to checking out whatever she does next.

When Charlotte Reynolds, a mother of three agrees to babysit her friend Harriet’s four-year-old daughter Alice while Harriet goes to a bookkeeping class, neither woman realizes how much this favor will test their friendship and alter both of their lives. Harriet was very protective of Alice and had never left her with anyone else until that day and was hesitant about leaving her with Charlotte, even though she was a good friend. Charlotte convinces Harriet that everything will be fine and takes her children and Alice to the school fair for the afternoon. A short time into their fair visit, Charlotte realizes she has lost Alice. In the next few weeks as the fevered search for Alice continues, both women’s limits are tested. Alice must deal with the loss of her daughter and the stress of unanswered questions as the police try to locate her daughter. Charlotte discovers quickly how someone can be vilified by acquaintances and complete strangers for a life-changing mistake. This book will make every parent of young children think twice before taking their eyes off of their children in public, for something as mundane as checking social media on their phones. This novel is a twisty good read which will be hard for readers to put down.

Really good book. I enjoyed reading about Harriet and Charlotte’s relationship. It was written in switched chapters, between the women, as well as past, and present. Even once the twist was revealed, it kept me reading. Well written, edge of seat book. I was lucky enough to get an ARC through Netgalley.

All parents know that it's impossible to keep your children in view all the times, and all parents know it only takes a moment for them to disappear. That's why Her One Mistake is so hugely relatable to so many readers. We know it could happen to us, it could be our child.

Harriet has asked her only friend Charlotte to watch her 4-year-old daughter, Alice, for the day while she attends a bookkeeping class. This is the very first time Harriet has ever been separated from her daughter (odd to say the least) and both mother and daughter are a bit nervous about the separation. However, Charlotte, with three children of her own, is happy to help. It's a beautiful day, one perfect to attend the local summer fair. As the children run around the back of the inflatable jungle house to get in line, Charlotte settles herself down on a nearby bench to wait for them to come through. But Alice doesn't reappear. Charlotte waits a few minutes, thinking she may still be on her way through, but when she still doesn't see Alice, she questions her children as to where she is. They don't know - in fact, they're not even sure she was in line with them.

Charlotte becomes more and more frantic in her search, asking others around her to help. Soon someone calls the police and the search and investigation begin in earnest. It was only seven months ago that a boy disappeared in the local area. He's still missing, so tensions are running very high.

Charlotte is devastated that her friend's child disappeared while under her care. Social media soon reacts to Alice's disappearance, some showing support for Charlotte and sorrow for what Harriet, Harriet's husband Brian, and Charlotte must all be going through. Others are quick to vilify Charlotte, especially when it is discovered that she had checked her phone while waiting for the children to finish the inflatable.

Each of these women have secrets, and the reader is fed bread crumbs until they are fully revealed. There are some delightful twists too. All of the characters in the book are well drawn and believable. (One I found exceptionally easy to dislike right from the start, but I won't say who!)

How much can a friendship bear without splintering? How much can a person forgive?

This is a well-done, entrancing psychological suspense read. I highly recommend it!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for allowing me to read an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

<b>One sentence summary</b>
Her One Mistake is a heartbreaking and terrifying look into a mother’s life after her daughter disappears.

<b>My thoughts</b>
How do you continue to function after your child has disappeared? And what do you say to your best friend, who was watching her at the time? Is it worse to lose your own child or someone else’s child?

This novel follows the lives and friendship of two women as they are torn apart over the disappearance of a child. It will make you want to cry and scream at the same time, but you won’t want to stop reading!

Charlotte is watching her best friend’s daughter Alice, when she disappears. The devastating incident has shattered their relationship...and will change the course of their lives.

I can’t imagine being in either woman’s place and I’m not sure which woman I felt more sympathy for. As a mother myself, the thought of losing a child is unimaginable, so my heart instantly went out to the mother—Harriet. At the same time, I can’t imagine the guilt Charlotte feels knowing she’s responsible for her best friend’s anguish. I felt no sympathy for the father—Brian. He was controlling and over-the-top with the doting behavior of his wife, which drove me crazy.

It took a little bit for the book to hook me, but once it did...WOW! Heidi Perks is a new author for me and I loved her writing style...I highly recommend this one! She is now on my list of favorite authors.

<b>My Rating: </b>4.5 ⭐️’s

Thank you to NetGalley / Gallery Books / Heidi Perks for this digital ARC, in exchange for my honest review!
#NetGalley #HerOneMistake

<b>Book Blurb</b>
What should have been a fun-filled, carefree day takes a tragic turn for the worse for one mother when her best friend’s child goes missing in this suspenseful, compulsively readable, and darkly twisted psychological thriller.

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....

This breathless and fast-paced debut—perfect for fans of Big Little Lies and The Couple Next Door—takes you on a chilling journey that will keep you guessing until the very last page.

Every so often a book comes along that is so incredibly thought provoking. It grabs you, shakes you and never lets go. This is a shocking story of one parent losing another parent's child. The story was a smartly structured riveting thriller that keeps you enthralled.

A must read