This book was definitely a slow burner. I did consider giving up but I’m glad I didn’t. I enjoyed the book.

I'm afraid I found this book way too slow. There was lots of added detail about what each character was wearing or eating or drinking or reading or watching on tv or.........
Because of this, I started to skip whole paragraphs and then missed some character or plot development.
The story is actually pretty good but needs some really tight editing to be the pacy novel it should be.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC

Hey, meet Katherine, a ‘boxed in’ Mum who has a ‘happy’ marriage to Paul but wants to realise her life long ambition to publish her book....enter Sam, a successful writer who wants to mentor her ( to be his Pupil ) and Viola, his larger than life wife who after one meeting realises she knows Katherine from a previous life....but what previous life? What secret that is so bad is Katherine hiding? And why is Viola so hellbent on destroying Katherine because of her past?
Intrigued? So was I and the book didnt disappoint as you were led by Katherine through her life and her relationships and highs and lows that ends with the secret being unveiled and Katherine being in very real danger
I loved the book, its a ‘wordy’ book with much description of events and people and conflicts but all done in an interesting way, at one point I realised the author had just described Katherine making a cup of tea and that it had been described and written in such a way it was part of the story and not something to dismiss, I am kinda finding it hard to describe the way the mundane in some books came alive in this book and the author wasted no words but made every sentence worthwhile and one scene to the next played out in my mind, very difficult to do when there is so much to distract you ( yep even when reading!! )
A dark, intense and fascinating book that really did have me hooked and one of those books I felt excited to read
I loved the characters and the descriptions of them and how they interacted throughout the book made for an immersive read
My only small criticism would be the slightly rushed ( to my mind ) ending and thats only because I didn’t want it to end!
A true psychological thriller which manages to add a new feeling to a busy genre
Thoroughly enjoyable 10/10 5 stars

Katherine has a crush on her writing instructor, Samuel. Samuel is a famous author. He reciprocates feelings towards Katherine. There is one slight problem...his wife, Viola. Viola won't give up her husband so easily; especially when she recognizes Katherine from the past.

This is the perfect set up for a good thriller. Yet, it fell flat majorly in my eyes with the biggest issue...the characters. There was nothing interesting about any of the three characters. Also, when Katherine was receiving the threating texts, she didn't really react and there was no build up. I kept reading hoping that the story would get better but it was still the same one monotone theme through out the storyline. The ending was fine but as they say "a little too late".

Since childhood Katherine has dreamed to become a writer. After finishing and passing a writer’s class. Sam the tutor and also a successful writer, agrees to tutor her to help her fulfil her dream of writing a book and getting it published.
Katherine has everything in life. Two beautiful children and a loving husband and a happy marriage, the only thing wrong with her life, her husband disagrees in her writing a book. Instead she should be at home looking after her kids and making him happy, cooking him dinner. He stifles her.
So Katherine decides to me Sam behind Pauls back. Sometimes with his wife Viola who is a literary agent present. Viola thinks she knows Katherine from her past. And Katherine starts getting notes from someone saying that they are watching her and wishes her dead.
From quite early on I thought this book was slow. This book had no likeable characters. It did not grab me. I found it quite irritating. The way her husband treated her and I didn’t care what Katherine cooked her husband for dinner and annoyed me she didn’t stick up for herself. Sorry to the author but, this book didn’t do it for me. Others might like it but for me personally it didn’t.
Thank you NetGalley and Aria books for a Copy of The pupil by Dawn Goodwin.

A quick and easy read that was predictable, but fun to get lost in. Great for the beach or a doctor's waiting room, because its great to dip in and out of.

Excellent storyline. Wonderful main characters. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it highly.

Definitely a book that stays with you! Could not put it down!

Highly recommended if you enjoy suspense genre! Thank you for my review copy, which I received through Net Galley.

There are minor spoilers in this review.
This novel really did not work at all. I guessed what the issue was from about one third in and the rest was just waiting for the details to be revealed. (Which turned out to be just an accident and nothing to blame herself for.) None of the characters were likeable or consistent. The main character, Katherine, was all over the place, acting like an idiot mostly. The friend Hels, was obliging and supportive, surprisingly as the rest of the parents were hostile. The husband changed his spots right at the end. The background story was not very relevant, and the mother only revealed her true feelings after she was conveniently bumped off. Anyone could see that the liaison with Sam and Viola was going to end in tears (or worse as it happens). The ending was melodramatic to say the least and the aftermath was too saccharine. I guess this is going to be yet another author who churns out a plot driven, formula "psychological thriller" with no depth every year.

I avidly consumed and thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I read it in under a day. It hooked me from page one and didn’t for a second let me go. Sure, the plot can be summarised in a minute and there’s not many layers of story here. It’s also not a very memorable book - you know, the kind that stay with you for years and years; the kind you dread finishing because you’ll somehow ‘miss’ the characters. But the way the story is presented is intriguing, thrilling, and keeps you on the endge of your seat, always hungry to find out more. I very much enjoyed reading it! It’s the perfect beach read, book to take with you on a long commute, or enjoy before bed. It’s the kind of novel that you find yourself buried into, forgetting the world around you. I would recommend it to those who like thrillers, especially of the psychological and ‘character study’ kind.

First book by this author that I have read but I have already borrowed another. This is really enjoyable, told by a likeable and relatable character who wants to get back her sense of self worth despite a long held secret bubbling away in the background. Really enjoyable.

This was an overall good psychological read. I read the author's first book which I loved, and although I didn't think this one was as good, it still had me hooked. I did kind of guess the twist but it's well written from start to finish.

Wow! It was a slow burn and I thought that Katherine's husband was one who exerted co-ercive control. The reasons for his patronisation became clear as the story unfolded.

The mentor, Sam was also in a relationship where his partner operated control.

Bring Sam (mentor) and Katherine (the mentored) together, and you can tell that other factors are at play.

Both Sam and Katherine have controlling partners but for entirely different reasons, which are slowly revealed..

for me, this was a slow burn which was worth following in order to see if Katherine and Sam could recognise the control and take steps consort it out.

Many thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to make an honest review.

I recommend this book.

Loved it! Not at all what i expected it as better. Katherines husband truly got on my nerves I wanted to slap him. Brilliant ending that took me by surprise! First book of dawn Goodwin thay I have read. It won't be the last!

Firstly I must say I’ve never had cottage pie with a green salad! Also, I’m not sure Advil painkillers are readily available here in the UK! saying that, I did thoroughly enjoy the book, it was a different type of crime thriller, albeit at times a little long winded in finding out what heinous crimes Katherine had committed.

I felt sorry for Katherine, her children were delightful, but straight away, I could see how controlling her husband was, he was an emotional bully, and I’d have kicked him into touch years ago. I didn’t like viola either, she was very devious but kept it well hidden and Sam was living in a dream world most of the time.

My thanks to the author and netgalley for the ARC. 5**

4.5

“There’s often more going on behind closed doors than we think.”

It seems Katherine has everything she needs. A house in the suburbs, a loving husband and two adoring children. She is the ideal house-wife. She cleans, cooks, attends to the children and cleans some more. But underneath it all Katherine feels trapped and suffocated. Her husband dictates her every move. What to cook, what to wear, where to go, what to do and who to socialize with.
Therefore, when Sam, a well-known author and her writing course tutor suggests helping her to achieve her life-long dream of writing a book, she dares to go against her husband’s wishes and takes every opportunity she gets to write.
Would Katherine be able to finish the manuscript? Would her past mistakes catch up with her eventually? Who is sending her threatening messages? And why is Viola, Sam’s formidable wife asking so many questions about her family?

The Pupil was a fast-paced, suspenseful and enjoyable psychological thriller.
The characters were either pathetic or hateful, which was the point of the book I suppose.
Paul, Katherine’s husband, made me swear several times during reading and I actually stopped to take a few deep breaths to calm down. And if he said “Do you think it is wise?” one more time….. 

Thanks to Dawn Goodwin, Aria publishers and NetGalley for providing me with a copy.

I enjoyed this book even though the main characters are not particularly likeable. The story moves along well and keeps harking back to an event in the past and builds to the big reveal at the end. I would definitely recommend this book.

Such a suspenseful and gripping read! I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what was going to happen!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

4.5-5 stars! Gripping from page one, had me turning pages to figure out what was going to happen and to who and why. Thought it was an amazing book for those who love well written suspense thrillers. I knew I would love this book as soon as I read the first page, and truly had a hard time swapping to others, because I needed to know what was going to happen.
Will be recommending this week in Chapter Chatter Pub!

I really enjoyed this book. I particularly liked that you didn’t find out what the connection between Katie, Sam and Viola is until the very end which kept me intrigued.
The characters aren’t likeable but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment of this book.
There was no real twist in the story but it’s well written and easy to read.