Very interesting read! The explosive outcome of two damaged individuals was gripping and thought provoking.

Stop! I need to breathe again! Actually, think I need resuscitation! Every time I think Susie Lynes can't do any better she smashes that damn ball right out of the park!

When you pick up a book and the first line is "the first thing you should know, dear reader, is that I am dead" you know it's going to grip you & when you know it's by SE Lynes then you know it is going to grab you by the throat, punch you in the gut and mess with your mind before spitting you out a mess at the other side!

The Proposal is told through a series of journal entries and blog posts the unique narrative takes the reader on a dark and twisted journey into the life of author Pippa Gates; the public life through her social media feed and the private life through the journal entries with snippets of audio tape from the man who will change her life!

Ryan had a depth about his character that made me feel like I could see into the abyss of his soul; something about him repelled and attracted me at the same time; I had a sense of unease reading the book as though I could feel something awful about to happen! Pippa conflicted me - from feeling a terrible sorrow at the emotional mess that she was to a frustration at the self-destruct button she pushed right through to disgust at her lack of concern for those close to her. She is a damaged soul and it was difficult to know what to feel for her at times. Both characters were written authentically and to the point that I could actually see each of them, like two actors on a stage playing out their strange and twisted story.

There is a real intensity about the dialogue and when Ryan reminds Pippa of the emotional contract we make with words, a shiver ran down my spine: his understanding of the unsaid words that lie beneath a seemingly innocent statement or invitation making my skin crawl. I loved the writer narrating the life of the writer and the insight into the writing process, albeit a very dark process was a fascinating take on the story; it gave it something unique, something raw and something very compelling indeed!

The tension just kept building, my stomach was in knots and my brain was frying. The dripping obsession fear and descent into darkness oozed from the pages; it drew me in, wrapped its tentacles around me and swallowed me whole leaving me a bloody mess by the end. There was something so ordinarily authentic about it, reminding me of when I read the author's first novel, Valentina, it was almost as though I were friends with Pippa sat next to her on the sofa as she regaled me with tales of tinder dates and bad decisions. She irritated me yet she drew me like a moth to a flame.

SE Lynes is the mistress of her craft, she doesn't just write psychological thrillers she creates psychological masterpieces which make you work for your reward; no easy read cosy crime here but rather a breakneck hurtling bungee jump off the highest building kinda read. Genius, sheer genius! There's a dark intensity to Lynes writing which will absorb you from the outset

The Proposal is a twisted and macabre tale of love, rejection and obsession cleverly narrated from the point of view of novelist Pippa Gates. This book will make you question your own motivations and decisions in life.

Deliciously dark, dangerously deviant and delightfully daring, SE Lynes once again proves that she has magic ink flowing from her fingertips, that she has a genius that others wish could be bottled and sold. Read this book, read all her books, there is no excuse not to!
To be shared on my blog as part of the blog tour

This author has fast become one of my favourites.
Another five star winner and must read for any fan of this genre.

Wowzers. This book is so different to any other psychological thrillers I have read.
Teacher and romance author Pippa is desperate for her next novel to be a hit after her debut not quite hitting the mark with her readers. Enter Ryan Marks, reformed character trying to get back on his feet by selling cleaning products door to door. Sensing Ryan has a story to tell she invites him into her home to hear his life story. Probably not the wisest move Pippa has ever made! Gripping, thrilling, suspenseful. Highly recommended if you love a good psychological thriller.

All the stars! Every single one! What did I just read?
I’ve never read anything like this ever in my life and I don’t think anything could ever top this! My head is spinning, eyes hurt from not blinking the last 20 pages, my skin is covered in goosebumps, and I have paper cuts from wildly flipping back a few times to reread a page or four of crazy.
All the while as I’m screaming “oh my god I get it now!”
“I GET IT! Pippa, I finally freakin GET IT!!!!”

Best book of 2018! Holy wow! Put this on your read right now list.

🌟U N I Q U E 🌟

Thank you #Netgalley, the publisher and the author for my free ARC and this creepy, super unique adventure in exchange for my honest review. #AllTheStars
Posted in Goodreads (by Melissa In The City)

oooh what the heck did i just read !
Wasn't sure at the beginning of this book was almost not going to continue, but it was one that pulls you in and you need to keep reading. Glad i did. Wow what a messed up (in a good weird way) kind of book!! Give it a chance you won't regret it!



Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an early release of this book

Part time author Pippa is newly single and struggling at work, both with her writing and her day job. She is finding it difficult to think of a plot for a new book, and her agent is becoming more demanding. One evening she has a knock on the door. It is a salesman selling cleaning products. After talking to him on her doorstep, she finds him intriguing and invites him in. The salesman’s name is Ryan, and he is an ex-con trying to better his life after being released from prison. Pippa thinks that Ryan’s story might just be what she needs….

This was my second book by this author. The first book, Mother, took a few chapters for me to get into so, to be honest, I was expecting the same with this book. The Proposal, for me, does begin slowly. There’s a lot of swapping and changing throughout the chapters from Pippa’s personal journal to her online blog and then to transcripts of audio recordings and it does take a bit of getting used to! There was also a lot of slow build up, getting to know Pippa’s and Ryan’s characters. A few chapters in, and I wasn’t entirely sure where this book was going! Then….bam, about half way through the book the pace turns up a notch and the story begins to get a lot more sinister. It then became apparent where this story was going….and wow, what a journey to the end!

I won’t say any more about the plot as I wouldn’t want to spoil it. Needless to say, this is one seriously creepy and nerve-tingling book! Going from wondering what on earth was going on to reading the last 50% in one go just goes to show how much this book reels you in! By the end, my nerves were in tatters and my nails had all been bitten off – but make sure you read to the very last page as the last chapter bought everything together and nicely tied everything up!

Dark, disturbing and deliciously creepy! Would definitely recommend!

This was the first by this author for me, and I found it interesting, enjoyable, but a bit confusing. I'm not sure if this is the author's writing style or not. Reading this as a regular book may have been easier, as I wished to flip back to sections to re-read, but as an e-book, that was difficult. The idea of an author paying a stranger for their story was intriguing, and it seemed the stranger did have quite a story! But flipping between Pippa's official blog posts, her private diary posts and the stranger, Ryan's, thoughts was confusing to me. Although I must say, I am much more curious about my favorite author's now!
I'm grateful for the opportunity to read this book, and when it is officially released, I may look for a print copy & try again, maybe that will increase my overall enjoyment and rating. I did want to see what would happen next, but wished I'd kept notes while reading.

I have left the book at 5%. It did not hold my attention at all. I enjoy thriller and mystery, however the starting is too verbose and slow. I could not go ahead at all. Thanks to Netgalley for giving me an opportunity to review this book.

Starting the one soon! The Proposal by S.E. Lynes promises to be an unputdownable story! The best kind, right? Due out in September which is right around the corner. This one is being called BRILLIANT, UNIQUE, TWISTED. These are adjectives that I love to see when I am reading a review! I cannot wait to dive into this book.

Here’s the plot:

Pippa wants a second chance. Recently divorced and unhappy at work, she has uprooted her life to move to a beautiful cottage in the countryside in search of a fresh start. But her new life is not working out quite as she planned.

One night, when Pippa is at home alone, a man arrives at her front door. And Pippa invites him in, and makes him an offer she believes could change everything…

How much of a risk would you take for a stranger?

Does everyone deserve a second chance?

By the time Philippa finds out the answers to these questions, it may be too late to save herself.

From Amazon chart bestseller S.E. Lynes, The Proposal is a page-turning and utterly gripping thriller about the lengths we will go to for someone we love. Perfect for fans of Gone Girl, The Woman at the Window and The Wife Between Us.

Since I loved Gone Girl, The Woman at The Window, The Wife Between Us and all of those other twisty thrilling novels, so I am certain I will read this one in record time!

Well, well, well. What a tangled web she weaves!
This author always writes very intelligently and with such depth.
It took me a good half of the book to fully settle in to the story but I do think this was necessary given the way the book was written , through a series of journal entries, blog posts and audio excerpts.
Lonely author Pippa foolishly let's ex con and salesman of cleaning products Ryan in to her home one evening and so starts a complex and intense relationship with disastrous consequences.
This author's writing is very impressively complex and intriguing. I just love her style of writing and always feel with her books that the ending satisfies me whilst there are always things to ponder over and make my own conclusions about. Thank you for yet another fantastic read. .

This is my second book but SE Lynes that I was lucky enough to get here through netgalley and like the first, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I love a good slow burning British thriller. Like the first, I found it hard to put down and can't wait to see what she writes next

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book
I enjoyed this book and the characters.
It was written in a unique way that was. Refreshing .
This is a very good author and book

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 enjoyably different stars.

To be honest I struggled a little with this book as I felt it jumped around, with the personal blog chapters and then the public social media posts about Mrs Danvers.

Now maybe it’s me, but the reveal about what the Mrs Danvers chapters meant came too late in the book for me.

I enjoyed that this book was totally different than what I normally read but I’m sorry, I didn’t enjoy it as much as the author’s previous books.

Loved this book, I was completely glued to it. It is definitely the best thriller I’ve read in a while.

The Proposal was an addictive read, although I found it hard to like the characters it was an enjoyable read.

Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions my own.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE PROPOSAL is a deeply twisted story, showing how disturbed someone can be, and the lengths they'll go to to secure their one true love, at least in their eyes.
Told in blog posts, audio recordings (in text form) and journal entries, the story follows Pippa as she chronicles the events leading to a set of murders at her country home. The circumstances of the whole story are so disturbing but I couldn't stop reading this book! There was something addictive about it.

I wouldn't go so far as to say that Pippa is an unreliable narrator but some of her actions and reasoning are definitely questionable. I have to say, regardless of the story, I really liked the character of Ryan and how he's written. Definitely creepy and someone you'd want to stay the heck away from, but once you let him in, you can't get rid of him. I didn't really like the character of Pippa's best friend, but I liked her story arc, and how things went for her.

The story was so addictive, I read 70% in one sitting, and even now I just want to reread it to make sure I understood everything. I love how everything comes together in the end, and you see how important the blog posts really are. It's brilliant writing and I can't wait to read more from this author!

This story makes you think: has there been someone in your life you've met once or twice, and could they be following your every move? It's a disturbing thought but this story made me think about more than I ever have.

I definitely recommend if you're looking for a psychological thriller that's dark and twisty and addictive.

Before writing this review I read other reviews for inspiration as I am shocked, dumbstruck, gobsmacked, speechless and trying desperately to find the right words to give this book the justice it deserves.

Susie Lynes this is, well, just, wow! I loved it! It is unlike anything else I have read before. It is so well written, it gripped me from the very first word until the last.

If you only buy one psychological thriller this year then make sure this is the one, you won't be disappointed!

Brilliant!!!!!

Pippa Gates (author and middle school teacher) is dead. Her Journal was only to be opened upon her death. From the Journal.....


A knock at her front door. A man identifying himself as Ryan, an ex-con, is selling cleaning products. She kind of hesitates.
He goes further down the block to sell his wares. Pippa sits back down and has a great idea!
She finds Ryan and tells him that she has a proposal for him. 200 quid for his life story! She needs a bestseller -her last book sunk. Ryan agrees goes over to her house. He just knows that "she is the one" for him, immediately. He doesn't say that now, but feels it. He tells her about his childhood, teen years and his years in prison and after release, giving anecdotal referrals. She loves it. They do drink a bit too much wine. To Pippa, he is great with his story but dirty, oily, and poorly put-together. He just takes a shower, too! She is quite wary of this man, but has his information - for that she is glad!

Pippa is pounding out her book. She is in contact with her best friend, Marlena, about the book and Ryan. Marlena is not keen on Ryan.

Time goes on - Pippa writes when she is focused. When she is not focused, she is quite promiscuous haunting bars and going on lots of Tinder dates. She spends Christmas with Marlena and her family - leaving when Ryan had left a Christmas card for Pippa because her and Marlena argue over it. Ryan lets Pippa know that promises he will be a chef, has moved out of the hostel and living with a couple of "blokes".


By May, there is no further contact from Ryan or Marlena. Pippa's book goes global! (A best seller with movie rights, speaking engagements, etc.) During one of her magazine interviews, the interviewer throws Pippa for a spin - "I was wondering if you had taken your inspiration from a real criminal There was a Gary Hughes...".
OH NO ! Even though Ryan told Pippa to use this name for her novel - she never bothered to research the name! Yup! Ryan was Gary Hughes and he had been in prison for murder (not theft).


Pippa decides she best move to the country away from Ryan/Gary and her "former" friend, Marlena.


Gary has been keeping tabs on Pippa all along...

"She thinks she is going to steal MY story and leave me behind? He is still besotted with Pippa but now he feels cheated...


Pippa finds solace with Bobby in her country home - he is engaged but...


Then the plot REALLY comes to life...
Just wait! I read this SO fast!!! A great read. You will not want to put this one down. HIGHLY recommend!!!
Suspense, drama - this book has it all!

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for another superb read!

I first read Valentina what now seems like a billion years ago, when it was only two years ago, and I have since read every book by this author. Some were hits, some were misses. Then we get to this one and I am at loss with what to say. (Not really otherwise I would've just clicked rate and not wrote a review).

Bringing back what I loved about Valentina is that I didn't feel like I was reading a book, but more like listening to internal dialogue. I am by no means a writer, and my process is a little bit like the character in the movie Hush...I write what I am thinking and don't care about grammar, syntax, and all that other "I majored in English literature so adore me" jargon some authors chose to use.

This book. Seriously....I will be thinking about it for a long time. I laughed, I cried, and tensed up to a ball of "what the fuck is going on...I need to know NOW".

Unique. Chilling. Horrifying. Yet, also a love story for the ages.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture...you once again allowed me to read a winner.