An enjoyable read if slightly far-fetched in places with a first half that was actually quite hard to get through.
Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.

This was a brilliant read. As soon as I started reading this book I just knew I was going to love it. Highly recommended

This was an interesting book and I enjoyed the read. The characters were engaging and I thought the plot was mostly good.

This book was an amazing read. The suspense kept me in my toes the entire book. One for the ages will be recommending to friends and family.

Omg wow this book is amazing it's full of twists and turns it will keep you up all night I really enjoyed this book

The Proposal is a gripping psychological thriller by S.E. Lynes.

Her Novels Include:
Valentina (2016)
Mother (2017)
The Pact (2018)
The Proposal (2018)
The Women (2019)
The Lies We Hide (2019)
Can You See Her? (2020)
The Housewarming (2020)
Her Sister's Secret (2021)
The Baby Shower (2022)

This is my review of The Proposal.

The novel opens with:” The first thing you should know, dear reader, is that I am dead…” What an opening! I was hooked!

The truth about the Wiltshire Murders.

Thirty-four-year-old divorcee, Pippa Gates, is a romantic novelist who used to live in south London as an English teacher before moving to Cairn Farm, Wiltshire, to make a fresh start.

Pippa’s editor was hounding her for her draft of her novel as the extension deadline was hours away. And she had nothing in the works! She was desperate.

Then there was a knock at the door, a stranger selling cleaning products. She asks Ryan Marks, an ex-con into her house and over a glass of wine listens to his life story which she uses as a basis for her new book. But that is not the last she sees of Ryan, with him becoming obsessed with her.

But what was Ryan’s story?

So was Ryan’s story the answer to all of her problems?

You will have to read it to find out!

The novel is told mainly from Pippa Gates in the form of blog posts, her private diary entries and Ryan comments.

The Proposal is a suspenseful gripping thriller about the lengths we will go to for someone we love.

Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and Net Galley for my digital copy.

I am a huge fan of this author, so when I found this in my list of TBR’s (somehow, I must have overlooked it), I was excited to read it. Unfortunately, it is quite obvious that this is an earlier novel by the author because there was very little of the intensity and twistiness that I have come to identify with her writing. Pippa, the main character, was whiny and unlikeable. There were times in the first third of the book where I caught myself thinking that she probably deserved anything that happened to her. She was demanding and unrealistic. In spite of that, I couldn’t get why she was apparently so desperate that she would let this stranger dominate her life suddenly and unexpectedly. I didn’t connect or care about what happened. It was just bizarre in so many ways. Additionally, the story was told from no fewer than four points of view/styles. Blog entries, secret diaries, narration…it became a bit confusing, especially at the times where it was unclear as to who was narrating. I like the creativity of it all, but the execution was lacking. Fortunately, later books by this author are much better, and I look forward to reading more of them.

Thank you so much for this ARC! I will not be giving feedback on this book as I did not read it and cannot provide a fair review.

Another good book by this great author. Full of mystery and suspense, twists and turns, this book will keep you hooked until the very end.

I would recommend this story to all thriller lovers. This book took me by surprise. It kept me interested throughout the story and I needed to see what was going to happen. I truly enjoyed the pacing of the story and the well-written characters.

Unfortunately I didn’t love this one as much as I was hoping to. I liked the idea behind it and the storyline, but it fell flat for me. I can see why some people love this one, but it just wasn’t for me.

Wow what a chilling thriller this is! I loved it from the start and found myself completely consumed by this gripping story. I found the two main characters Pippa and Ryan unlikeable, flawed but totally fascinating. The characters are written in a way in which you can almost see into there souls. I just couldn't rest until I knew the outcome of this excellent psychological thriller.

Please be careful who you open your front door to everyone!

I chose to read and review a free eARC of The Proposal but that has in no way influenced my review.

Well, this book is a bit bonkers! And by 'a bit' I actually mean 'totally and completely' -- and I loved it! What an intoxicating and unexpected ride the author took me on. I'll be completely honest, from the design of the cover, I was expecting a fairly run of the mill psychological thriller. But I should have known better! S.E. Lynes is always pushing the boundaries and The Proposal is proof of that. I have loved this author's work ever since I read her outstanding debut, Valentina, and I continue to do so (although I have fallen a little behind with her books I'm ashamed to say). If you haven't read an S.E. Lynes book before, then I heartily recommend you remedy that as soon as possible.

Teacher and romance author, Pippa Gates, is uninspired with life. She's recently divorced, has had a string of depressing Tinder hookups and is facing a deadline from her editor. The clock is ticking and she doesn't have the foggiest idea of even the basic storyline for her next book, let alone any of the details her editor wants to hear. That's when the doorbell rings. She's not expecting company, but reluctantly opens the door and comes face to face with door-to-door salesman, Ryan Marks. Ryan has had a tough life but is trying to find his way back into society. It's hard to describe, but Pippa feels an odd connection to this man. She wants to hear his story, it could help inspire her writing - the bestseller she's dreamt of for so long could be stood in front of her - so she makes a proposal. She's a street-smart and intelligent woman who knows exactly what she's doing, doesn't she...?

Oh my flipping goodness! What a compelling novel The Proposal is. There's such a delicious sense of foreboding from the start and I was hooked instantly. I'm not sure I liked Pippa Gates, Novelist but I was more than happy to spend time with her. There's 'something' about this character that made me want to follow her, I was drawn to her. The story is told in the main by Pippa in the form of diary entries. She speaks directly to the reader, which is only one aspect of the many in this book which I loved. She almost has a conversation with her reader, making judgements about you, your thoughts and your feelings. I loved it. And if you're not a little intrigued by that first line: The first thing you should know, dear reader, is that I am dead… then WTF? There are also blog posts, references to Instagram posts and audio recordings which all put you thoroughly on edge and wanting to know more.

The first half of the book I devoured as I felt nervous as hell for a very reckless woman who seemed intent on putting herself in the most dangerous of situations. Lynes's writing carried me along and I was lost in Pippa's world. The second half of the book (it could have been the last third - I'm afraid I was so caught up in the action, I didn't take note) slowed down a little for me as what I had feared, happened in full technicolour glory. The anticipation dropped a little, although my concern for Pippa certainly didn't. This is one dark and devilish tale and I still stand by what I said earlier in this review - it's a little bit bonkers. I was able to guess what one of the big twists was going to be but that didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book at all. In fact, it made me read faster as I was desperate to have my suspicions confirmed or proven incorrect.

Would I recommend this book? Absolutely! I would, yes. The Proposal is an edgy, no holds barred psychological thriller. There are times when the characters (or Pippa) do some pretty daft things, but just go with it. It's such an intriguing, captivating, well-written book and goes to prove that Lynes is a 'must read' author (but I knew that already). Twisted, twisty and impossible to put down. Recommended.

I chose to read and review an eARC of The Proposal. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

WOW! This book was riveting. A bit odd and wish the character development could have been better but I couldn’t put it down!

What a crazy read. I had started this one and somehow not gotten far but being stuck inside for coronavirus has freed up my time, so I am trying to get through my to be read pile! I received this title from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review and I must say I'm somewhere in the midde - I'd give it a 3.5,

Pippa and Ryan were very interesting characters and while the story kept it going for me I didn't like the multi format of how the story was told until the end. Intrigued for a first read from this author, and would definitely read another.

This is my first novel by this author. It did start well but as the story went on I really didn’t like the main character, Pippa, as she was quite a selfish person but later in the book you understand why. The plot was good but it did get a bit repetitive and there were too many ‘flashing skin’ comments for me. I would be interested to read some of her other novels though to compare. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for letting me review it.

Thank you NetGalley!

Have to hand it to Lynes, I was kept on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading this! This was a crazy, fun ride

This book was almost terrifying. An interesting story with fabulous characters. I was so determined to find out what was going to happen...no sleep for me!

I really struggled with this. I think it had a good story line. But found it hard to stay focused on it..didnt pull me in and keep me hooked. Again it did had a good story line to it. More of a 3.5 star than a 3 that I gave it

I started this book three times and really struggled to get in to it. I found the first few chapters weren't particularly gripping however once I'd powered through I found it full of suspense.

3.5 stars.