The opening of The Proposal by SE Lynes was gripping. You can't help but get sucked into the mystery after reading the first entry in Pippa's private journal.

While I struggled a bit to connect with Pippa as I would have even opened my door to Ryan, let alone invite him to live with me, I still found her to be a compelling character. I also enjoyed how the book flipped between her journal entries and blog posts. It was interesting seeing the juxtaposition between the two sides of her tangled life.

Pippa is bound and determined to make a better life for herself. Moving to the country is her first step. Ryan is looking for a second chance to start over. He is selling house products door to door. He knocks on Pipa's door. Before she k pas what's happening he is in her home and they are enjoying a glass of wine. He tells her his story. She is so taken by his story that she offers him money to buy his story to write a book. Then starts the terror. Every where she looks Ryan is there. He is determined to stay in her life.
This book is unique in that it's a story within a story. It is very well written. Exceptionally great character development the storyline is full of all kinds of twists. I enjoyed reading it. Recommended!

The Proposal was an intriguing and complex book. At times I questioned the sanity of the main character and the how realistic the story was. I did however, have to finish to bòok.

"When confronted with madness, survival depends on playing along."

Oh Pippa. What a character you are. Funny, dark, and yes, mad..."the way my mind works amuses me...sometimes it is all that separates me from despair."

Pippa. Bored out of her mind by a teaching job. Desperately trying to create the plot for her next novel, the outline of which is due asap, her first being a flop. Unhealthily "I'd drunk more wine, eaten a packet of Kettle Chips (one of my five a day because potatoes)" squandering her days swiping Tinder and just generally making poor decisions. Dragging her friend Marlie into the daily drama. Why? Because Pippa feels unloved...or not loved enough...and when Ryan Marks shows at her door under the guise of selling cleaning products, well, there's no turning back. "Now, of course I know that it was him. That burning was - was always - him." Pippa is at once fascinated and repelled by Ryan, yet finds herself inviting him in, and offering him money for his "story." Ryan sparks something in Pippa - she fears him, but realizes how valuable he has become to her creative processes. And while he "loves" her enough, it comes at a huge price.

"The Proposal" is comprised of Pippa's private journal and her blog, and while Lynes drops various clues along the way "The first thing you should know, dear reader, is that I am dead.", nothing quite prepares us for the events that unfold as Pippa and Ryan hurtle towards their destinies. I, too, was fascinated and repelled.

P. S. Thanks much to Netgalley for the Advance Reader Copy.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I thought it was a well written, unique, all consuming, twisted and chilling psychological thriller.
I highly recommend this book.

The Proposal by S E Lynes is a psychological thriller that hooks you in and keeps you reading.
Pippa is a teacher who dreams of being a full time author, she has had one book published but is having writers block and her agent wants a draft of her new book.
Ryan is a ex con selling cleaning products door to door. Pippa makes him a proposal that she will pay him for his life story so she can use it for her book.
Ryan becomes infatuated with Pippa and starts to stalk her and she is worried that he may do something to harm her.
This book is a roller coaster ride and I didn't know what was going to happen next.
A strangely enjoyable read.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have to be totally honest and say that I really struggled with this book. I normally love this authors style of writing but found this one totally confusing. I did stick with it however and started to enjoy it half way through. It was extremely well written but just not for me personally.

Sometimes a book freaks me out. I get goosebumps, I get stressed for the characters, I bite my nails. I dream about it. The Proposal will freak you out and then some. I love books that jump around because they give only tidbits to keep you going. This was really well done.

While I thought the premise and introduction was intriguing, I had to DNF the novel about a quarter of the way through. One thing I found did not appeal to me was the back and forth between the journal entries, blog posts, etc. There was a lot of jumping around and I didn’t want to do it anymore.

Well Susie Lynes you are a genius and this was a superb novel and as others have written totally unique. I have loved all your other books but this one surpasses them all by far it was just so very different if I could I would give it far more than a 5 * review and can only praise the wonderful writing and a brilliant, twisted plot so totally recommended to anyone who wants a damn good book to read. Thank you so very much it was a blast !!

Pippa lets a door to door salesman (Ryan) into her home one evening and her life is never the same. Turns out Ryan is a crazy ex-con that she can’t get out of her life. And so begins a dangerous game of pursuit But, he says, he’s a reasonable guy and he’s willing to wait until she’s ready. But is he. Little things around the house seem to move when she’s out. But do they? Or is it her imagination? This dark twisted tale is told through Pippa’s blog, her personal journal and Ryan’s transcripted audiotape. I loved Ms Lynes writing style - I had enjoyed her book “Mother” so I had hoped I would like this too and I certainly wasn’t disappointed. A good psychological thriller that even had me laughing at times. I honestly couldn’t put this book down. .................Thanks to Netgallery for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Excerpt from Pippa Gates: Private Journal
The first thing you should know, dear reader is that I am dead. Not now, writing this, here at the farm, obviously. But if you are reading these words, then the most likely reason is that this journal has been published posthumously.

Pippa Gates is the author of a romance novel. Not well reviewed, but published and the deadline for her second novel is looming. She has writer’s block. So when a traveling salesman, hard on his luck, knocks on her door one night, she offers him a “proposal”- that he tells her the story of his life in exchange for a one time payment.

As he shares his story, she learns that Ryan is an ex-con. She tries not to let this make her nervous. She tries to remember that he is a human being, and when her heart starts to hammer, and trickles of sweat begin to roll down her back, she tells herself that it is her own prejudice that is causing this to happen.

To be polite, she smiles when she should. She laughs when it seems appropriate.

She offers him food, and wine.

She should’ve listened to her gut.

I FELT THE TERROR!

The story continues through journal entries, blog posts, and audio excerpts.

It is a story of obsession.

Be sure to read Chapter 31-Letter from the editor. IT is the true ending of the book. A 5 Star ending!

The only reason I gave the book 4 stars, is because the book got a bit bogged down in the middle for me. Also, if you did not read Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier, the “Mrs. Danvers” references could be a bit confusing.

I would like to thank Netgalley, Bookouture, and SE Lynes for the ARC I received in exchange for a candid review! This book will be available on Sept 21, 2018! Pre-order now!

I got a bit confused at the beginning with the blogs etc (not the authors fault! ) but once I worked out what was what, I could not put this book down. A book within a book! As with all of Susie Lyne’s books, I highly recommend this one

Dark, unnerving and all consuming but most importantly for me, deliciously different! This book had me desperately wanting to turn the pages but needing to read slowly to savour every wonderful word and nuance. The characters, the pacing, the structure and the writing in this novel are a sheer delight and dare I say sprinkled with Genius?

With S.E. Lynes you don't just know the character's thoughts, you get right into the deepest, darkest, maddest part of their psyche - and the scary thing is that no matter how dark and despicable they may be, you find yourself relating to and empathising with them ... just wonderful, a truly unsettling, memorable psychological thriller that has joined this author's earlier work, 'Mother', in my all time favourite reads.

Thank you, thank you, thank you S.E. Lynes for once more raising the bar of excellence in this genre - I'm utterly in awe!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this unique book - this review reflects my honest thoughts and opinion.

I’m increasingly impressed with S.E. Lynes, who’s clearly a very diverse, creative and also very prolific (four books in what seems like a short space of time) author. All four are pretty different and The Proposal is a very unusual and original read - the only thing I don’t love is the title (can we please stop with the “The [proper noun]” titles now and allow writers to think of something more interesting?). As is pointed out in a rather meta way within the text, various standard psychological thriller elements are there - e.g the sinister stranger - but it all adds up to something rather different and much more thought provoking. It’s definitely one of those books which makes you want to go back and read bits again.

Pippa Gates is, at the beginning of her story, a teacher and moderately unsuccessful romance author (reviews of her first novel are pretty scathing). She needs to come up with a second, but inspiration fails to strike, at least until ex-con Ryan Marks knocks on her door with a tray of overpriced cleaning products.

I don’t think most of us would have invited Ryan in. I’m sure I wouldn’t, not so much because he’s down on his luck or physically unprepossessing as because right from the start he’s making worrying sexual innuendoes towards a woman he’s only just met. But Pippa isn’t most people and she doesn’t behave in ways which are either normal or sensible, relying on best friend Marlena (named by her parents, rather tellingly, for Suzanne Vega’s ‘80s song Marlene on the Wall) to rescue her from ill-advised situations.

Told through blog posts from Pippa Gates, Author (describing an idyllic writing life at Cairn Farm with her faithful “Mrs Danvers”), Pippa’s private diary, and occasional testimony from Ryan himself, it’s not always clear what to believe.

The Proposal is a twisted tale of love(?), madness and the act of storytelling itself, which has the reader utterly confounded at times. To say more would only spoil it...

In a closing letter to the reader, S.E. Lynes refers to the book having her in its “gnarled and nasty claws”. It did me, too, and I loved it.

Where to start with this review!!!!!

I must say I was totally blown away with this story. I read lots and lots of thrillers but this one defiantly stands out from the crowd because it's so different. I wasn't aware what was going on around me because I was in the book, captivated and engrossed in the story. At times when I was reading it I would have a look and see if anyone was watching me and had caught me reading someone's personal diary. I also found myself picking my kindle up at every possible opportunity to see if Pippa and written another entry in her diary, she is a fabulous character. I did giggle at points in the story, I know laughing at a thriller!!!!!! I did though. A must read in my opinion as the author has pulled this one out the bag for sure.

S E Lynes is currently one of my favourite authors so I was delighted to receive an advance copy of this book! Just as good as her first three, she is my go-to read for domestic noir/psychological thrillers. When I finished this one I thought what have I just read!? Had to leave it for a day or two then reread the last couple of chapters just to take it all in!.
This was an excellent read. Pippa is a struggling author who has a proposal for ex-convict Ryan, working as a door to door salesman as part of his rehabilitation, she will pay him £200 for his life story hoping this will inspire her next book. However, by allowing Ryan into her home she sets in motion a chain of events she could never have foreseen.
We all have that one friend like Pippa, her life is one never ending drama and I did feel sorry for her friend Marlena who always bailed her out of trouble. However, Pippa takes advantage of Marlena once too often and is soon isolated from all her friends and colleagues when she moves to the country. Quite a few times I was shouting at Pippa saying get a grip woman and stop being so stupid! Ryan is a fascinating character, we don't know how much of his backstory to believe but we begin to realise how far his traumatic childhood has influenced his current actions.
I can't wait for the next book from this author, I would recommend any of her books, they are all fantastic!

Pippa works as a teacher as well as being an author. Her first book hasn't done well but that all changes when she meets Ryan. I really liked Pippa though I did find her quite selfish when it came to her best friend. She is a bit of a free spirit and doesn't really think of the consequences of her actions. There was just something about her though and her lifestyle that fascinated me.

The story flicks between her blog posts and her journal. I loved the blog posts of an idyllic life of which I'm sure many of us would envy.

Ryan, from first meeting him, I was as fascinated about his background as well as Pippa. Saying that though, there was something about him that worried me also. I definitely had mixed feelings when it came to him. I was torn between wanting Pippa to steer well clear to giving him a chance.

The Proposal is a story that drew me in and held me there. I became fully engrossed and couldn't turn the pages quick enough wanting to know what was going to happen next. The story certainly takes some unexpected turns and I loved the overall feel that it gave me. I was full of apprehension whilst being thrilled with the direction the story was taking. A very cleverly written book that readers are going to love.

W.... T..... F!! I’m not even sure where to begin with this review. Me, speechless - that never - ever happens (just ask my husband!)

So..... where to begin with this one..... well, how can I paint a picture for you? How about I just say The Proposal is double scoop of intensity triple dipped in psycho! Lynes is brilliant. As you read - hell the first chapter - she sucks you in and then at the end she spits you out leaving you shaken, sweaty and short of breath. What more can I say other than - love!❤️ 5 stars and a new addition to my favorites list

Fantastic twisted story that keeps to7 guessing right until the end. Amazing characters . Once again this author delivers a 5 star story