4.5 stars

If this is the author’s debut book, then I can’t wait to see what she will produce as a seasoned writer!

Charlotte faces every mother’s nightmare: a missing child. However, in this case, the child belongs to her best friend Harriet. Throw in accusations from people Charlotte thought were her friends and a manipulative husband, and you have the recipe for a gripping story.

The story is told from dual perspectives (Charlotte and Harriet), as well as from the past and present. This gives a well-rounded look at the story unfolding. Numerous twists and turns, as well as a fast pace, will keep the reader guessing throughout. Just when you think you have it all figured out, you may discover that you weren’t even close to correct … which I really enjoy with a psychological thrillers!

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley, but I wasn’t required to leave a positive review.

Maybe I'm just too tired of Gone Girl type stories but this book didn't do anything for me. It's well written and interesting but it doesn't cover any new ground. It's ok for what it is, but there is nothing new here.

As a mother of three myself, the premise of this book terrified me. Even just imagining the scenario playing out in my real life: watching my friend's child for her and then losing the child- was difficult. This book is about Charlotte, a working mom of three, who seems to have it all to her friend, Harriet. Harriet is married to Brian and has one daughter, named Alice. Charlotte is Harriet's only friend, so when Harriet reluctantly agrees to let Charlotte watch Alice so Harriet can take some classes to help get a career, Charlotte is thrilled. I don't think it gives anything away to say that things go awry and Alice disappears while Charlotte is watching her. The police and the public are quick to blame Charlotte, and of course, she blames herself. But what if there is more to this story?

Everyone has secrets in this book, and not everyone is who they seem to be, especially in public. There were some good twists in this book, as well as some that were more predictable. I really liked Charlotte, and found myself relating to her, especially as a working mom myself. Despite appearing to have the perfect life, she had recently separated from her husband and had to adjust to taking care of her kids on her own. After the incident, she realizes that she wasn't as good a friend to Harriet as she thought. Their relationship was actually more one-sided than she ever realized. The Harriet character was a little less realistic, given some of the things that happen and choices that she makes. Overall, this was a solid thriller that reminded me of The Couple Next Door.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for an honest review!*

** 3 1/2 STARS**
I dare you to put this down, I dare you. This is a mind gripping, page turning, suspenseful read. A fun filled day at a school fair turns into every parents worst nightmare as a child turns up missing, even worse, a child in the care of a friend. Charlotte has convinced Harriet to leave her daughter for the first time, and now she has to tell her that she is gone, when all of Charlotte's children are safe.

This is a FAST paced thrill of a read with plenty of twists and turns to keep you on your toes. Some of them come from no where, and could benefit from a little bit of a build up in my eyes, but overall the story line was enjoyable, and the can't-put-down factor was excellent. It is hard to not like a book when you are drawn to it!

Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced reading copy, in exchange for an honest review. Her One Mistake releases on January 8, 2019!
Simon and Schuster

In this book we go back and forth between Charlotte and Harriett's POV "before" and "after" the fair. Most of the chapters are labeled "before" or "Charlotte", and then some are not labeled at all... so that can get a little bit confusing - however it is easy to figure out where you are within the first 4 sentences usually. I will say that Perks does a great job at differentiating between her two main characters and their feelings on the opposing sides of this situation. You really feel for both of the women in this story, of course the mother that lost her child, but also the mother that lost someone else's child. The feelings and reactions were relatable and I didn't catch myself rolling my eyes or questioning a characters mourning/grief responses.

The plot/twists - obviously with this genre I can't delve too deep here.. but I will say, I could pretty much see everything coming.. that being said, I still turned the pages like they were on fire, and I still enjoyed the read. There were other ways things could have gone as well, so it isn't like there was only one outcome and it was open and close - I just so happened to guess correctly... I really think that the twists could have had a bit more of a build to them... things were really getting really intense and then all of a sudden this GIANT turning point in the story was delivered very.... flatly..

All in all, the only reason I couldn't give this 4 full stars was only because of some of the confusion and how it felt rushed a bit towards the middle - but I loved the plot and I loved the characters, and I for sure would recommend to someone looking for a "popcorn" read, as Abby at Crime By The Book would call it 🤓

This has been compared to The Perfect Mother - and for the record - ITS WAY BETTER!!!!

Just finished this beauty, which only took a couple of days because it was sooo good and kept me on the edge of my seat!
A huge thank you to #Gallerybooks and #NetGalley for the #arc of this amazing read!! I enjoyed every word that was easily read in this thriller!
Who dunnit and why they did it, that's the question and just because there's no physical abuse doesn't mean, there's no abuse. Always remember that and remember to stick up for yourself! Be proactive is the name of the game!
This felt like a great #beachread as it flowed so fast and freely. There wasn't anything too difficult to understand, it was just a truly great story. I'm grateful for these delectable tales that can keep you up past your bedtime, these are the reasons books are one of my favorite things.
Thanks again to the publisher and netgalley for the gift of reading books before they're published!!

Thank you NetGalley for the Arc of ‘Her One Mistake’ by Heidi Perks.

This book focuses on a parent’s worst nightmare of their child going missing while in the care of a friend. Harriet has allowed her daughter Alice to attend a school fair with her best friend Charlotte and her children. Alice disappears while Charlotte is distracted for a moment. The story is told from both Charlotte’s and Harriet’s perspectives and the agony that each of them endures after Alice's disappearance. This is quite well done but I found myself wanting a bit more depth to each of their struggles. All in all, this was a solid, well written book that kept my attention to the end.

Charlotte takes her three children, and her best friends daughter to the school fair. Only her children come back, little four year old Alice does not. What happened to Alice? Can Charlotte be trusted? Does she know what happened to Alice?

Harriet is Alice’s mom. Her only child has gone missing. Entrusted to her best friend, she’s never left Alice with anyone before this day. Now she will forever regret it. Who can she trust?

The police are investigating and putting pressure on the women. A child is missing and they’re doing all they can to find Alice. Will one of them have more information than they claim? What will it take to get to the truth?

The story was gripping from the start. I wasn’t overly fond of Charlotte at first and her parenting skills. This mystery thriller leads you on a psychological ride of mistrust and fear. Is she alive? Where is she? Will Harriet ever see her baby girl again? It will keep you guessing until the very end.

Thank you Heidi Perks, Netgalley, Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books.

What should have been a fun afternoon out at the school carnival ends in every parents worst nightmare. Hazel has never trusted anyone to watch her precious four year old daughter Alice, until her best friend Charlotte offers to take her to the school carnival with her own three children. Did Charlotte taking her attention away from the kids to check her phone contribute to the disappearance of Alice or were there other factors at work? Gripping emotional thriller that will have you guessing the whole time.

Her One Mistake is a suspense/thriller about what happens when Alice, daughter of Harriet and Brian, who is being watched by Harriet's friend Charlotte, goes missing during a school fair.

It's very standard stuff--Charlotte feels guilty that Alice disappeared while she was watching her, Harriet is devastated, and Brian skulks about.

You can guess what's coming. The real surprise for me wasn't how uninterested I was in the "mystery" (it's not even remotely mysterious nor is it thrilling) but how I wanted to know more about Charlotte. I know I was meant to care about Harriet but I wanted more about what Charlotte was going through.

The biggest problem I had with Her One Mistake was the ending. I think it's meant to be both a little open ended and mysterious but it just felt flat. Harriet was still Harriet but although it's clear that Charlotte has changed, there was so little given about it that I found myself not thinking "Wow!" or even "Hmmm...." but just "Blah."

Which really sums up the book as a whole for me. It's just blah, with an ending that lacks any oomph, as if the word count or page number was met and that was it.

Readable but not even remotely compelling.

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.

A solid 4.75 star rating from me!

Charlotte's longtime friend Harriet has always been overly protective of her 4 year old daughter Alice. So protective she seems to never allow Alice out of her site. So when Harriet approaches Charlotte to ask her to watch after Alice and take her to a school faire so that Harriet attend a bookkeeping course Charlotte is honored to be asked. It seems like an easy task, after all she has been planning to take her three children to the faire anyway. What could go wrong? It turns out a lot actually. As Charlotte waits outside a bouncy run with her littlest daughter for her son,eldest daughter and Alice to finish it ends up only her children come out. Alice is nowhere to be found.

As Harriet begins to live through the worse nightmare a parent can live through and things are not much easier for Charlotte. None of Charlotte's friends seem to trust her anymore, rumours begin to spread about her and how she had lost track of her own sons years ago.


"Her One Mistake" is the kind of thriller I really enjoy. One of my favorite genres is British thrillers and this was written very well. I do believe that you will be able to figure out the twists but I would be shocked if it ruined your enjoyment of the novel.

Harriet lets her friend Charlotte watch her four year old daughter, Alice, for the day. Charlotte takes Alice and her children to a school fair. Alice disappears at the fair. The rest of the novel deals with the past and present of the two protagonists and the why and wherefore of the child’s disappearance. It is very well written and almost compulsive reading. The more you learn about each woman, the more you want to know. Thanks to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster for an e-Galley for an honest review.

I really loved this book. Couldn't put it down. Wasn't deep or intellectual, but the character development was very good. You could understand where each person was coming from, even if you weren't sure about their actions. I will definitely look for this author in the future. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! If anyone is looking for a great psychological thriller....this would be the one to pick up next! The story is every parent’s nightmare......where is my child and who took her? And its also every caregiver’s nightmare.......how could this happen while I was watching her? It’s about “friends” who we find out as the story unfolds, have a very complicated relationship. Charlotte is divorced and has three children. Harriet is married and has one child who she has never left in the care of someone else before... and now her Alice has disappeared. The story takes you from present to past and back throughout the book in order to learn about the relationships of the characters and how they got to where they are today. As usual in this type of book, things just ARE NOT what you think they are, and i had to quit trying to figure it out as I went and just enjoy the words! The story has all the components of a great psychological thriller.....I do wish there would have been a bit more character development for me....who always wants more details! And i liked the way the story ended too...it probably wasn’t exactly what I expected...and that was a good thing! Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and Net Galley for allowing me to have an ARC of this book in return for an honest review, which this was.

Loved reading this book! I couldn’t put it down. I should have been wrapping Christmas presents, baking cookies, or cleaning my house for company but I kept reading this gripping novel instead. I wanted to find out how Charlotte and Harriet resolved things, though I can’t say more without spoilers. Her One Mistake is a fast paced, well-written story for all women that challenges our expectations of marriage, child rearing, and the bonds of friendship. A must read! Received an advance copy from NetGalley for an honest review.

Her one mistake by Heidi perks is a emotional rollercoaster. Following harriett an Charlotte best friends. One day Charlotte agrees to take harriers daughter to the fair. All she had to do was keep a close watch in her. She takes her eyes off of her for a brief moment and in that moment she is gone. What happens next will grip you to your core. His book has many twists and turns and an end I didn’t see coming! A must read fast paced thriller!!

Oh, the missing child genre. Every year there are a few of these titles. Her One Mistake by Heidi Perks started off slowly, picked up speed, then lost me. Maybe this plot has been done too many times to hold my interest, but overall, this title fell flat. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

It is every parent’s worst nightmare. Your child has been abducted. You have never left your child with anyone else and decide that your best friend is the best choice to look after your child. Except she wasn’t watching your child.

Her One Mistake is an enthralling thriller that will force you to stop everything you are doing to find out what happens.

Harriet has never been apart from her four-year-old daughter, Alice. But Harriet’s best friend, Charlotte, has been trying to convince her she needs some time apart and is always offering to keep Alice. Harriet finally caves, needing to take a class for a potential job. With Alice and her own children in tow, Harriet takes them to the school fair where the children play and return from a ride without Alice. There is no sign of the child and nobody saw anything strange.

This book will really make you think about all sorts of things. What was Charlotte doing when Alice went missing? Was the number of kids she was watching too much for her? What about Harriet? Why has she never left her child with anyone in four years?

There are so many twists and turns in this one! I did figure a couple of things out which is why I gave it a four star rating instead of five.
This is an extremely well written, easy paced psychological thriller that is due on shelves on January 8, 2019. Definitely pick up a copy!

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a little slow going for me. Maybe it’s because I just finished one of the best thrillers of 2018, that this one fell a little short for me.

I think the idea of a friend losing your child (not a spoiler) is quite an interesting concept, and it could have gone a multitude of ways.

There was a small glimpse of social media, and how awful people can be, portrayed in this book. I think that Heidi could have really used those moments to beef up the sorry, to add some suspense and allude to other possible scenarios. Maybe this book lacked the aggression that I believe would be present in real life?

The story takes a turn a little halfway through that I wouldn’t say was expected, but didn’t come as a total shock either. I did, however, enjoy the way the story ended!

I’d definitely recommend this book, if you’re into a more low key thriller.

Thanks Netgalley for this ARC.

This book is definitely a psychological thriller. Emphasis on psychological. I liked the 2 strong female characters . They were smart and their inner monologues realistic. I didn’t exactly dislike the book but personally the psychological abuse at times was too much to take. It’s twisty, which is great. However, after what I considered the conclusion there still was so much book left that I wasn’t exactly interested in. It could be a second book, so that a reader could choose to continue with the story or not. Overall, it’s a unique story with fresh, flawed, realistic characters which I appreciated.

I enjoyed the author's writing style and how the story was told from alternating points-of-view between Charlotte and Harriett, but I had to think it was pretty predictable at the end. I enjoy reading books that have surprising twists instead of ones where I feel like "I knew that would happen" or "ho hum, big surprise there".

Charlotte and Harriett both keep secrets from each other even though they are close friends. I can understand Harriett's thoughts about her relationship with Brian and why they were together, but I wish she could have shared that with Charlotte. I guess she wanted to, but was scared for herself and especially for her daughter Alice. I felt like this was just another 'sleeping with the enemy' story.