I enjoyed this book albeit for me it got off to a very slow start but having read other reviews, I held in there and am so happy I did, Not sure the genre should be psychological thriller, great to see books deal with modern every day issues that is becoming more prevalent in today's society i.e. mental health, doesn't matter who you are or what you do, mental health can affect anyone. Overall a good read and will definitely read more from this author in the future.

My thanks to Random House U.K. and Transworld Digital for an eARC via NetGalley of this tense psychological suspense/family drama.

I am reluctant to say too much about the plot as with this kind of novel it’s much more satisfying to read without prior expectations and allow the characters to reveal the events that have led them to this point.

The narrative moves between Connie, who is an in-patient in a secure psychiatric hospital and is unable to recall why she’s there (though her appearance suggests something very traumatic happened), and Emma, the forensic psychiatrist assigned to her case.

Natalie Daniels explores not only the evolving relationship between Connie and Emma in the present but the highly charged relationship between Connie and Ness that had became ‘too close’.

‘Enjoyed’ isn’t the right word for how I felt reading this novel as it was quite dark and disturbing in places. I certainly felt for both women and wanted to see how things resolved. As for Ness .....

For me this novel highlighted the very real dangers associated with some medications used to treat anxiety and depression, especially when misused. It gave a chilling insight into the distress felt by someone experiencing a mental breakdown.

It’s one of those books that might prove triggering for some readers. As I had an ARC I don’t know if there will be any end notes to address the real world issues the novel raises in the final editions.

It is a novel that I would expect to be very suitable for reading groups as there is plenty to discuss.

Outstanding novel exploring the pressure of life and society on women. Amazing characterization and a superb writing make this novel an unputdownable tale of souls swimming for survival. I was gripped by the relationship between Emma and Connie and just had to read in one sitting, unable and unwilling to stop the flow of words and events to come my way.

(Longer review to come)

GREAT book! I totally get how something like this could happen, from being the perfect family, thriving on friendship and love to feeling betrayed, alone and miserable. Parts were very hard to read, very real and honest, which made me love it more.

The plot was unexpected and it's the first time I find myself liking this kind of thriller – it was interesting and really dark and twisted. As the chapters went by, I realised that I did not really care about the characters so it was a bit difficult for me to finish the book. But then there's something about Connie that really captured my attention and she's got a sense of humour that I found really dark and dangerous.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book, as I thought the relationship between Connie and her psychiatrist was well written and I wanted to know what had happened. However, the further I got into the story the more disappointed and less interested I was.

Some spoilers follow:

Believed she was visited by the devil? Threw bleach but the man who leapt on her wasn't injured? She carried two children and drove a car after slashing her wrists and arms? I can suspend belief at times for a good book, but sadly this wasn't one of them

I think the best words to describe this book are "frantic" and "chaotic". TOO CLOSE is dark and a little disturbing, but also somewhat frenetic. It's about two friends, their families, the children and it just spirals from there. I think the idea was promising but to me it just failed to deliver. I found myself struggling with this book when I did so much want to enjoy it.

The story is told from primarily Connie's POV with the odd chapter from Emma's perspective as well. Emma is Connie's psychiatrist, Dr Robinson, or Dr. R as Connie calls her. But I'm not sure what Emma's place in the story was. What was the point of her chapters? Her perspective? How did her story collide with Emma's? It didn't. I felt like her story was a little superfluous as she is there as Connie's psychiatrist and not really anything else. I mean, she didn't really DO anything else.

So we know from the synopsis that Connie and Ness meet at a park, become friends, and their families inseparable. Until Ness' marriage to Leah ends in a bitter divorce and then she is practically at Connie's all the time. So what happens out of that?

We also know that Connie wakes in a psychiatric hospital with no knowledge as to how she got there. She is told she has committed a terrible crime but she has no memory of it. And so the story begins to unfold with the how's and the why's. Or that was the plan. But honestly? I spent the majority of the book confused particularly when it seemingly jumped around suddenly to various scenes and then backtracking to where they were before that said scene. Utterly confusing and I struggled to keep up.

I felt it difficult to connect to any of the characters but Connie, particularly as the story seemingly unfold through her eyes. I felt for Connie and the predicament she found herself in with no memory or knowledge as to why she was there. It was heartbreaking yet confusing and you really get that sense of loneliness - that she is on her own. But I felt there needed to be more explanation into Connie's diagnosis in the end. In Connie's words it was "bipolar fucking psycho". Did that mean she had bipolar disorder? Or that she was psychotic? Or paranoid? And how did such a diagnosis lay undiagnosed for so long? I mean, if she were bipolar she would have displayed a little erratic behaviour. Instead that erratic and psychotic behaviour came almost out of nowhere, only building after the overprescribed medication by her GP - which caused her erratic behaviour. And then her delusional behaviour leading up to the accident that put her in the psych hospital - that was more psychosis than bipolar. I've not known bipolar to be so delusional thinking that she was already dead. Maybe I'm wrong but my brother in law is bipolar, and he displays nothing of the sort that is characterised by Connie. I felt that needed more explanation because it just left me more confused.

I didn't like Ness nor Connie's husband (whose name escapes me right now and I can only think of him as "the Weasel" as Connie calls him). We didn't see enough of Leah for me to form an opinion of her. And although I liked Emma, I did feel her story was unnecessary, as it had nothing to do with Connie or the story at hand. But Ness? She was supposed to Connie's friend. I had really hoped Connie had succeeded with the hydrochloric acid because I felt that visceral betrayal as Connie did. And the Weasel? What a complete and utter bastard! His excuse to open their relationship to seeing other people was just a way of getting permission from Connie to do just that! Sleep around without consequences. How Connie could respect him after that, I've no idea. He just wanted to get his leg over where ever possible because it was obvious he really didn't fancy Connie anymore.

Throughout the completely chaotic story, I felt for Connie. I really did. To be betrayed by those closest to you and then you are the one thrown in the psychiatric hospital because your frustrations, hurt, betrayal, and ever emotion collide to create a catastrophic event. When if it hadn't been for Ness and the Weasel and their complete betrayal and lies, none of it would have happened. Not that I condone someone doing what Connie did, but I understand. I understand her frustration, her hurt and her betrayal. I felt it in those pages. And it made me hate those two.

On a lighter note, the addition of excerpts of Annie's diary was a nice touch, as we got to see another perspective of the story as it unfolded through the eyes of a 9 year old. Although at 9, I could spell a lot better than Annie did. But it was a clever addition to the story.

The writing was very good. Hard-hitting and Natalie Daniels pulls no punches. It was also very visceral in that it really draws you in so you can feel the pain that Connie feels. For me this was Connie's story and no one else's. Everyone else was a player in Connie's story. Emma's story and POV was superfluous and I felt it really wasn't needed. Unless there was something in Emma's story to connect the two women - not even losing her daughter could do that. I just felt it didn't belong in the story.

Overall, the pace was frenetic and didn't let up but despite this I struggled. I kept going because I wanted to know what Connie did and what happened in the end. But for me the whole story fell flat. It was disappointing as I felt it could have been better. The ARC could have been better editted as the entire book was just one long story, and despite having chapters, I could not access them from the menu. As the book is to be released in a week, I would have thought it would be a little better presented. As my Kindle could not tell me how many minutes were left in each chapter (as I prefer) but only how many hours and minutes were left in the entire book, it made it difficult for me to plan my reading at times as I didn't know how long a chapter would be, as they seemed to go on forever. I prefer shorter fast paced chapters. I felt these were too long.

Having said all that, I did somewhat enjoy the story. I connected with Connie right away and felt her pain but it could have been better. It had promise but failed to completely deliver.

I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy of #TooClose by #NatalieDaniels in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to #NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book.

Not my usual type of book, but the blurb appealed to me. This is a tough emotional read.
Connie wakes up in a psychiatric hospital and doesn’t know why. She is covered in bruises but can’t seem to remember what happened.
A story of friendship, betrayal and eventual breakdown. I’m glad I persevered with it.

Thanks to Net Galley and Random House UK for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
Connie and Ness meet in the park as their 2 young daughters play together. They quickly become fast friends. Connie is married to Karl, they have 2 children, Ness is married to Leah and they also have 2 children, the two families become close and their lives are entwined.
Connie is flattered when Ness has her hair cut in the same style as her own and takes to wearing the same perfume that she uses, they are after all best friends.
Trouble starts when Ness and her wife Leah break up, Ness seems to be round at Connie’s more often, Connie is busy with her job, her kids, family life and her parents, her mother has dementia and is getting worse, Connie is struggling to hold every together,
The story picks up pace when Connie wakes up in a mental hospital and is struggling to remember the events that led to this, she seems to be choosing to block them out. Herr psychiatrist Emma takes a special interest in her case, they almost become friends, she forces Connie to pick at her memory and retell the events that led to her breakdown. As Emma is helping Connie, she is also being forced to take a closer look at her own life, perhaps she also needs to make changes.
This is a story of friendship, betrayal, relationships and recovery. Thoroughly enjoyed this book - well deserving of 4.5 stars

This is a difficult but ultimately worthwhile read. When Connie meets Ness in a park and their children become friends, they have no idea what the future holds for them. Could they have foretold how close they would become and how this would lead one of them to a total breakdown when she is betrayed? There is a swathe of books out at the moment about friends becoming too close and one them ultimately betraying the other. This is one of the best I have read. I found Connie in particular to be a sympathetic character. Yes, she appears manipulative at times, yes she is crude even shocking in what she says but who can blame her after what she has been through. Ness is not such a well formed character, perhaps because we never get inside her head in the same way as we do Connie's but at least she is likeable. In so many of the other novels I've read about a similar situation the 'friend' of the protagonist is often shown as a manipulative person setting out to destroy another life. Ness doesn't appear to do what she does deliberately so you don't end up hating her.

I don't know if this is an accurate portrayal of the sort of mental breakdown that would lead Connie to such a desperate act but it was quite convincing enough for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I was looking forward reading Too Close by Natalie Daniels. However, I found this book started off really good and then I got lost! it became a hard read.So, I put Too close down and started it again the next day. Sorry,sadly to say, it was not for me.

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House UK and Transworld Publishers for the ARC of Too Close by Natalie Daniels.

Too Close didn't live up to my expectations. I was drawn initially to the characters, and the opening, but the story seemed to drag on and as soon as the ladies met, I kind of guessed which direction the story was going in. The premise of the book was great, but I just don't think the story was gritty enough. I found the two main female characters unbelievably annoying, unfortunately. The ending was very disappointing. It didn't really have closure, as far as I'm concerned, and the story just kind of drifted. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a poorly written book, and I stuck with it, but I just think the author had a great idea, but didn't elaborate enough with it.

I have just finished Too Close and I don't like to ever say I disliked a book but this one was a hard read. It is not a happy read, so don't expect a nice happy ending, there really isn't one. I also found it left me feeling really angry at the way Connie the main character was portrayed, the story drags on for ages and then the ending is somehow rushed and frustrating. The story itself covers many topics that effect modern relationships, marriage, friendship, heartache and mental breakdown and explores how fragile the mind can be when you have suffered the ultimate betrayal from a friend and partner. I understood the feelings Connie felt and why she tried what she did but why after everything she had gone through did she still want them? It certainly brings up a lot of questions of why we punish ourselves rather than the people who are behind our pain.
As always than you to the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy.

The writing in this book was good enough that I could read it and not give up, but I didn’t enjoy the storyline. I’ve given this one two stars purely because the writing was good. Without that, I would be rating this one only one star. The only parts of writing that I didn’t like were the chapters written as a diary entry from a young girl. They were very unrealistic and, honestly, they just really annoyed me. I feel like throughout the whole story I was waiting for something amazing, a big twist, to happen and it just didn’t. The biggest event didn’t get enough coverage, as it was only briefly mentioned. I would have liked more time to read about what happened. Other than that it was just you finding out why it happened, and it wasn’t that interesting. It was predictable, and I didn’t like the ending. The characters were good to read about, although they were also sometimes annoying. Overall the writing was good and of good quality, but I didn’t enjoy this book or the storyline. It was easy to read, and I was slightly intrigued but that’s only because I was waiting for something to happen.

Like others who read this before me, I really didn't get into this at the start and, to be honest, it almost went out of the proverbial window. However, having read in other reviews that it is worth persisting, I did so and am really pleased that I did. I would not have wished to miss a moment of this heart-breaking tale of betrayal, written with clear insight into the world of mental illness and breakdown. Hats off - this was great.

This book really wasn't for me. It sounded like my kind of book from the blurb but it was not what I expected at all. All the female characters were unlikeable and annoying. The story dragged out and I really struggled with it. I was really looking forward reading it but was very disappointed and confused.

Thanks to Random House UK and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased

Wow, that was a shocking, brutal read about family life, marriage, affairs and mental illness. Maybe some parts a tad unbelievable ( could you really escape from a hospital? ). Loved it. And gave since found out that author is an actress who was in The Bill. Well worth a read.

My guess is that this is a 'marmite' read. You either love it or hate it. I am sorry to say that although I finished it as I really wanted to know why Connie was detained in a mental hospital and why she was obviously so mixed up, the journey to find out was rather long, dull and torturous. The writing was in my opinion unnecessarily crude. I understand that this book is about mental illness and in particular, a reflection about how damaging antidepressants, prescribed carelessly and used unwisely, can be. However I was expecting a dramatic close and revelation towards the end and instead it was just as I expected, nothing surprising. The final few pages presented rather a 'sugar sweet' ending which, although a relief after all the manic dialog, was not realistic or in keeping with the former tone of the novel. Sorry I cannot say that I enjoyed this book.

I must admit, I really struggled with this book. While exploring some great and current issues, such as mental health. I felt like there was just too much going on to really get to the crux of the storyline.
The book starts well and is very intriguing -Connie and Ness meet in a park and before you know it thier families are the best of friends. Then Ness is always around, not giving Connie time alone with her husband and her children. Sadly, Connie ends up in a psychiatric unit after supposedly committing a terrible crime, she is covered in bruises and scars all over her body that she doesn’t remember getting, The story then introduces Emma the psychiatrist whose job it is to unravel the situation.

Il leave it there as to not give away the storyline. But this really wasn’t the best read for me.

Too Close by Natalie Daniels for me was a 2.5 star at the most.
The blurb of this book was fantastic and immediately grabbed my attention, as soon as I started reading it I thought this book is going to be great and then it fell flat. The book opens with Connie and Ness meeting at a playground with their 3 year old daughters and then tells the beginning of their friendship but it quickly jumps 6 years and we find Connie in a psychiatric hospital not knowing how why she was there, through her conversations with Dr R and glimpses from her 9 year old daughters diary we start to piece together the story and for me it was long and somewhat boring. There wasn’t enough of the story before the hospital, I would’ve liked to have had a bit more build up of the friendship and less of the hospital situation. I’ve never read this author before so maybe I’m just not used to her style of writing but whatever it was I’m afraid this book just wasn’t for me. I can only suggest that you try for yourself and see.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley.