I've always enjoyed Bookouture's Pick of thrillers, they're craftly edited and error-proof and the pace is consistent enough to hook the readers. Thanks for this binge read!

4* Mad As A Hatter Stars

This book centers around Pippa Gates who is a school teacher by day and failing romance author by night. After her first book bombed she is desperately trying to meet her third deadline extension on a hopeful bestseller which is due to be sent to her editor the following morning but sadly has nothing worthy to send.

When there is an unexpected knock at her door she opens it to find a sickly looking man with faded old clothes standing there offering to sell her household cleaning products. The moment Pippa opened her door and the proposal made with Ryan to tell his story, her fate was sealed.

I struggled to like Pippa as her behavior throughout the story was irresponsible and dangerous. Ryan was dark and crazy creepy.

This book alternates between Pippa Gates Private Journal and Pippa Gates Author Blog Post. In between these we also have some Audio Excepts. It was a bit confusing in the beginning but it all came together in the end.

The Authors imagination takes you on a dark and twisty journey with this ill-fated couple. It was a chilling and disturbing read.

Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced copy to read and review.

I actually gasped at the end, gasped! Wiltshire is where I grew up so I love reading about places that I may have been to although there weren’t many references to exact locations here.

Pippa is a lost and lonely soul, typically pushing away everyone who dares to love her. When the ex-con door-to-door salesman arrives she just can’t trust her instincts not to get involved.

As he tries to infiltrate her life, she takes his life from him and soon turns it into a best selling novel, until he comes knocking for his royalties.

I think the novel did end up more of a love-story that a psychological thriller but the bones of it were there; I’d have liked to have seen more about the Stockholm Syndrone, the police investigation, a piece from Marlie or Steve or perhaps some additional exploration about the events that happened. It was a bit too ‘clean’ and although I detest the jumping back and forth of the different narrative, it made a lot of sense at the end as to why is was so wildly different. This was a very clever and incredibly unique book that literally left me gobsmacked at the end. I truly thought it was based on a true story and was just about to go and google the Wiltshire Murders!! Convincing...

This book was a bit confusing the way it was written in different sections but it all came together at the end. A good read

Pippa is a school teacher who dreams of becoming a successful author. Her first published book didn’t do well and her editor wants her to churn out something better if she has to stay afloat. But, Pippa has a major writer’s block and just doesn’t know what should be her next plot or story.
Ryan is an ex-convict, recently released from prison, who is trying to make a living by selling cleaning products door-to-door.
When he lands up at Pippa’s door, she is beyond desperate for the story outline.
She makes him a proposal – one which will change her entire life forever.
She invites Ryan into her flat, to let him tell her his life story, so that she can use it for her next book. Ryan becomes infatuated with Pippa and starts to stalk her. He is convinced that they are soul-mates and are meant to be together.

Told alternately, as entries in Pippa’s private journal (where she pours out the truth), her blog posts (for the masses) and few glimpses from Ryan’s point-of-view, this novel is dark and the characters border on dysfunctional.
The book deals with and sheds light on the thought process of someone who has underlying mental problems.
Pippa is a bitter and dark character, reeling from a bad divorce, with no friends. She fills her life with random dating and one-night stands, when she isn’t writing. She has no place in her life for normalcy or commitment. Her only friend, Marlena, is equally worried and frustrated with her. She could have had a happy life with ex-husband, Bill. But it was always her changing expectations that led to her constant and impossible disappointment.

A paragraph which stayed with me:
“Love is no more than the compatibility of madness. Love is no less than the handing-over of the power to destroy from one human being to another. When you love someone, you give them the power to annihilate you – they can cheat on you, stop loving you, abandon you, belittle you, humiliate you and leave you bewildered and broken. This is why you have to be very careful about who you love.”

Will Pippa succeed in publishing her second novel?
Will Ryan end up harming her?
Or will Pippa finally find the love she has been searching for her whole life?

Pippa is divorced and is a teacher by day but she wants to be a full time Author. She has had one book published but her agent wants another and she can’t think of anything for a story in her new book.
Along comes Ryan, an ex-con who sells products on doorsteps, Pippa offers him money for his story for her new book which fast becomes a bestseller. However Ryan won’t leave Pippa alone and he stalks her and she becomes worried that he will hurt her. She decides to move into the countryside to be by herself but Ryan isn’t far behind.....

A super chilling read which you just have to keep reading from the very first page until the last. I had to stop at 70% because I was reading it too fast and I needed to make it last longer! I enjoyed every minute of reading it.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Proposal is described as “an unputdownable psychological thriller” and I can tell you that is exactly what this book is!
Pippa Gates is a romance author whose debut novel did not turn out so well. So, when Pippa has Ryan knocking on her door doing door-to-door sales when she is most in need of a new story line, she invites him in thinking nothing else will come from it. However, she is very wrong.
I have never read any of S. E. Lynes’ books before going into The Proposal and can honestly say that I will be looking into more of her writing to add to my ever expanding TBR list! The book was very unique in itself, I have never read a book that is like this. I was very much hooked on the storyline from start to finish, the book was very powerful especially due to there being different parts to it (Pippa’s personal journal, audio excerpts and blog posts). I loved the way Pippa also communicated with the reader through the use of the personal journal.
I cannot say that I came across a single thing in this book that I did not like, no faults with it whatsoever and therefore why I have given it a 5/5 star. If you’re looking for a great psychological thriller read that hooks you in from start to finish through plenty of twists and turns this is a book for you and I 100% recommend it!

Having read a few books from this author I was delighted to receive an arc . Wow what a book .. a psychological thriller of uniqueness. S. E Lyons is an amazing author and this book is just the Queen of them all . Thanks to netgalley and bookouture for my chance to read . 5 stars easy

The Proposal is the second book by S.E. Lynes I've read, and my first thoughts off the bat is that she is not a one trick pony. This book is so vastly different to The Pact, and I love that she can diversify in this one.

The Proposal is about author Pippa, who opens the door to an ex-con, Ryan, selling cleaning products. She invites him into her house, and as thus her life changes irrevocably.

The book itself is told as a journal entry, with some chapters appearing as blog posts, and others from the perspective of Ryan.

It's gripping, and completely unputdownable. It's chilling, but like a train wreck you just can't look away because even though its creeping you out, you just have to know what is going to happen next. And the end! That inevitable climax is just so perfect and completes the novel perfectly.

THE PROPOSAL by S.E. Lynes is a true winner for fans of unputdownable thrillers with tons of surprising twists!

Pippa is an author...of one romance novel that didn't do as well as she had hoped (she still has to keep her day job). One night after some lonely wine drinking, she hears a knock at the door. She meets Ryan, a scruffy, dirty, down on his luck man who is selling cleaning products door to door. After bantering with him for a bit and finding out he's an ex-con trying to better himself, she has an idea...invite him in and get his story to use as inspiration for her second novel. In return, she will buy all of the cleaning products he's selling so he can go back and tell his employers he sold out. Sounds like a good idea, right? It's not.

That is all I can say without giving anything away, but I will say that the suspense in this book was palpable. The tension and situations become more intense as the story unfolds, and it is a credit to Lynes for bringing her characters to life in such a believable fashion. The writing is absolutely fantastic. I must say I loved the character of Pippa as well. Her cynical, sarcastic nature actually had me chuckling out loud at various points, and it was a nice welcome for such a dark novel. I will remember her for a long time to come, which is impressive because I read so many books in a similar genre. THE PROPOSAL is definitely a step above the usual, and I can honestly say I wasn't expecting the ending(s).

The only downfall that this book is about to come out is that we will probably have to wait awhile for the next masterpiece by S.E. Lynes, and I don't know how well I'll be able to handle that. This is highly recommended.

Thank you to author S.E. Lynes, publisher Bookouture, and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. A+

I'm not sure I quite understood part's of this book, found it quite jumbled with blogs and diary entries. However still a great read.

Story: A criminal and a writer write Pippa’s second book. Pippa wrote one unsuccessful book and needs to write a best seller. She needs inspiration. When a salesman knocks on her door Pippa makes him an offer he can’t refuse.

Love by definition is an intense feeling of deep affection. For Pippa she references several characters in her life with definitions of love. Pippa is a promiscuous woman who is lonely. Pippa is a writer who walks along the edge of danger. Pippa wants to find someone who matches her madness.

Overall: The story is sectioned by journal entries, blog posts, and audio excerpts. The journal is written specifically for the reader. Within the journal is the truth or a confession of the truth.

I’m not diggin the delivery or format of this story. With the way it is sectioned and the dual perspective I can’t seem to find my rhythm. There’s mild curiosity, but nothing thrilling. I continue to struggle with this book. I’ve had to skim through the pages. I skipped to the back where I found a letter from the author explaining how she came up with the idea for this book. Reading that information helped put things into perspective, yet it didn’t alleviate my confusion. I wouldn’t call this book thrilling. I’m not sure how to identify this book. The characters had some psychological problems, yet I couldn’t quite say that this was a psychological thriller. It was unique. The cover is stunning. Even the blurb was enticing.

The proposal is an incredible psychological thriller ! I couldn’t put this book down, so many times esoically toward the end I was screaming what is wrong with you Pippa! Runnn!!! A truly amazing author and creative mind to create such a masterpiece! I loved how the book mixed in so many things such as murder, mystery, romance and lets not forget the most twisted Stockholm syndrome I’ve ever read. I’m honestly interested to know if this was based on a true story based on notes toward the end, or if those were the conclusions to the book, since it ended abruptly but then we find out why it ends literally mid sentence... an incredible book that will be staying with me for many years ! I will be adding this book to my collection of hard covers ASAP because I have to read it again and again !

This is the first book I have read from this author and it did take me a while to get into it. I always like to give a new author a bit of a chance but I did find this just didn't have the 'grab factor' for me.

In my opinion I don't agree that this is an unputdownable psychological thriller but I am sure I am in the minority. Based on this read I don't think I will read more from this author, sorry.

What a rollercoaster of a read. Page turning at its best. Was gripped from beginning to end. Lots of twists and turns - loved it

I read this book after recieving a copy courtesy of Netgalley.

The Proposal at best is Humorous. Laughed out loud at times!

*Though saying that* it was hard to get in to the book and I have listed the reasons for this;
The author uses quite the volcabulary of "big" words, i had to refer to my dictionary numerous times and was wondering was this really necessary to tie in with the novel? Some of which foreign terms "recherché" which do not show in the dictionary so I have no understanding of what this was supposed to mean!?! Others include "superciliousness"
"Nil sine magno labore"
" Tout vient à qui sait attendre…" it's all very jibberish unless you are to know Latin & French.... Which I do not!

The over use of literate words where there need not be would of made this novel easier to read.

The 3 different storylines running through the book Pippa Gates Private Journal, Ryan (Audio Excerpt) and PipsBlog are confusing. Is this part of the suspense so you don't guess the plot?

Overall I probably would not read another novel by this Author. I'm not undereducated, I read a lot of books and have a great understanding, but this was way above any phsycological thriller I've read before, and found it unnecessary as without it, I'm sure I would of been more gripped by the storyline.

3.5 stars! I really hate to say this, but I struggled to get through this book. It was interesting and engaging at times, but I thought the beginning and middle was way too drawn out. The ending was great though and definitely unexpected. Thanks to NetGalley for the early copy of this book!

Like the author's earlier book, Mother, I found The Proposal a disturbing and at times harrowing read. I can't honestly say that I 'enjoyed' it; rather that it pinned me to my chair and wouldn't release me till the final page.
Pippa is an author, struggling to come up with an idea for her latest book. Until down-at-heel salesman Ryan appears at her door, and she senses that his life story might be just what she needs. Thus the scene is set for a dark, troubling and twisted tale about … what exactly? You'll have to read it to find out, but be sure that this will not have you 'grinning like a ninny' to paraphrase the author – 'because smiling is the automatic response of women to everything, even incipient danger.' There can be no doubt that Lynes is an extraordinary writer, her mastery of the English language something to marvel at. Although I consider myself well-educated, I had to look up 'flocculent', and adored such descriptive phrases as 'a hedgehog of sluttish cigarette ends spiked in the ashtray.'
So, I will cautiously recommend this book, but be warned. This is not a light-hearted read and those seeking happy ever afters might want to look elsewhere …

I devoured this read! I hadn't read the author's previous works, so I was excited to find a "new to me" writer, and I was not disappointed! The book is about an author writing a book - I've noticed this trend in several novels lately; it's definitely meta! The author is stuck, and in a moment of desperation, invites a perfect stranger into her home for some literary inspiration. What was a couple hours of well-paid assistance to the her was a binding emotional contract to the stranger. I really enjoyed the plot line - it felt entirely new and different; difficult to do ever since domestic thrillers became all the rage. Anyway, the story continues, and there is a bit of a stalker/courtship dance before a mid-novel plot twist. Oh, and it was so good and unexpected! What happened hadn't even occurred to me. The second half of the book reads quickly, and the surprises keep on coming - I couldn't believe how fast I was reading!

The Proposal leaves you feeling a bit unsettled - I wondered what, exactly, I'd just read? What genre, even? Domestic thriller or romance? I love when a book makes you question your feelings and reactions to what you read!

I would've given 4.5 stars if I could. The only reason it wasn't perfect is the second half of the book required a little too much suspension of disbelief for me, and there is one last final little twist in the last couple pages (make sure you read the last chapter, the "editor's note"!) that I would've liked fleshed out more. I really think the author could've done a lot with the psychology in the back half of the book, and I wish that had been explored a bit more. It all seemed a bit neatly tied together.

Quick, binge read that I thoroughly enjoyed! Would definitely recommend!

I really liked this book! It was full of tense moments and the story seemed to flow very naturally! The characters were believable and I enjoyed reading it a lot.