Wow! I loved this book. At first I thought it was going to be a formulaic psychological suspense novel and couldn’t wait for it to come to the point. Paul Andrews, Diane’s husband, is almost a secondary character. Not to much is known about him. Just returned from a psychiatric clinic Diane Andrews has no memories of what sent her there and doctors told her husband to let her recover the memories on her own. At first she seems weak and sickly and a bit paranoid but she develops into quite a strong and admirable character. The book flows along at a good pace and gave Diane and me enough red herrings to have us doubting everyone. Perhaps because of the lack of details at the beginning, the climax was a shock to me, but the ending was oh so satisfactory. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book. I can’t wait to read more of Valerie Keough’s work!

My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of Valerie Keogh’s domestic noir ‘The Housewife’.

Diane Andrews has recently had a breakdown though is now back home and getting herself together but has memory issues regarding the time leading up to her hospitalisation. Her husband, Paul, insists that their 3-year old Emma start attending a pre-school nursery even though Diane is a stay-at-home mum.

After Emma begins to attend the nursery Diane decides to take on a part-time volunteer position at a charity shop. However, on her first day a customer has a strange reaction to her and flees the shop. After that Diane starts seeing the same woman everywhere: standing outside her house, watching as she picks up Emma from school. Other strange things keep happening which I won’t go into but Diane is pretty upset. Add to this Paul is very distant.

Once started I pretty much was unable to stop reading. Keogh really captures the sense of a cascade of thoughts and apparent events that are quickly driving her protagonist Diane to the edge of a relapse. I really felt for her. Plus, although Diane seemed to have a starry-eyed attitude towards Paul based upon their early relationship, I just found him a complete control freak.

There was a fair amount of repetition in terms of Diane’s daily routine but for me this added to the sense of how trapped she was feeling and that cascade effect. I would have liked a bit more in the epilogue.

The housewife

I had the opportunity to read this book thanks to NetGalley. I love a good thriller and this one did not disappoint.

Diane and Paul are happily married with a daughter Emma. It seems Diane has had a mental breakdown and lost her memory for several weeks. Paul seems very odd and distant and soon Diane starts hearing things and believes a mysterious woman is following her. I honestly couldn’t put this book down and I loved how you suspected each character of sinister intentions. The ending blew me away. This is an amazing book and I highly recommend it! I will definitely seek out others from this author as well.
Thanks again NetGalley!

I love domestic thrillers. I did not love The Housewife by Valerie Keogh. I didn't care what happened to the protagonist, Diane, who stumbled through the story doing (mostly) what her husband told her to and consuming painkillers and sleeping pills and lots and lots of glasses of wine. Something has happened to her, but the author doesn't tell us what it was until the very end and I wasn't even sure until much later in the book if Diane knew what it was. She's a horribly unreliable narrator who keeps doing stupid things and then lying about those things and digging herself deeper into this weird hole that shouldn't exist because she's created it herself for no good reason.

This is one of them books that didn’t want me to leave it alone. I was finding myself looking forward to picking it up again to see what happens next. Although it isn’t one of them stories that throw twists and turns at every opportunity, it’s more of one that you can read and develop with the characters.

The story between Diane and Paul, is a fast paced relationship, they meet, get engaged and married within a few months, everything seems like it’s meant to be, but is it? This book contains Thrill, Love, Hate, Paranoia and Sadness.

Mid way through I thought I knew what was going on, and although I was close to the truth, the ending really surprised me. I didn’t expect the twist involving the Husband, nor the situation involving her and Jane..

Diane is a loveable character, I was finding myself imagining what i would do if I was in her situation. The outlandish accusations her brain was coming to, her reactions and her paranoia was completely relatable, considering I’m not ‘that kind of person’. My mind doesn’t go to far-fetched places but in her situation, I was almost agreeing she was right!

Really really well written book, Valerie managed to keep me hooked in, despite having thought I knew what would happen, I still wanted to read it for myself.

Would LOVE to read a sequal to this, to find out what happens to Diane, does she get better and what does she end up doing in life?

I will be keeping my eyes open for Valerie’s next book, you’ve set the bar high here and I can’t wait to see what is next!

THE HOUSEWIFE is the first book by Valerie Keogh I have read, and I must say I was filled with anticipation as it sounded just like my kind of read! It certainly is an interesting story - a little different, a little familiar and a lot of thrills!

Diane and Paul had a whirlwind romance and married two months after they met. Soon after they welcomed little Emma into their world, becoming a wonderfully happy family. Now Emma is three, and Diane and Paul have been married 4 years. On the surface it seems Diane is a housewife, happy and content with her life...but things are not always as they seem. Something happened which caused Diane to have a breakdown, leaving her with gaps in her memory. She can remember her life before and her life now, just not the months in between. She is desperate to remember what happened but Paul refuses to enlighten her, saying the doctors told her it would be better if she remembered on her own. Spontaneous recovery, they called it.

Diane has only been out of the clinic for a few weeks when Paul announces that he has enrolled Emma in nursery, citing it would be good for her. Diane feels she doesn't have a say in the matter but tells herself maybe it would be good for Emma to mix with children her own age. And maybe it would be good for her too, as she is still recovering from her breakdown. Problem is, Diane has no friends in London having come from Bristol when she married Paul. So there are many times she feels completely alone.

However, it isn't long before Diane feels the need to fill her days now that Emma is away for several hours of each day. So she decides on some volunteer work and contacts a charity shop who are more than happy to take her on for three mornings a week. She is excited at this new venture so much that Paul notices the change in her.

Her first day in the shop begins great. She meets several of the other volunteers and strikes up a friendship with a woman around her age called Anne. But when Diane is left to man the shop alone, something happens to start the downward spiral of her recovery. A woman she's noticed browsing seems to recognise her, leaving the shop in huff and her purchase on the counter. Diane doesn't know what to do, begins to feel faint and blacks out, bringing the ancient cash register down on top of her. The others rush from the back office to find an embarrassed and humiliated Diane picking herself up, grabbing her bag and racing out the door. She decides then that she could never return.

At home, she discovers her side aching terribly from the cash register, but refuses to take herself to a doctor. He will only put her back on the anti-depressants she stopped taking because they made her feel tired and foggy.

Then Diane sees the woman again. This time across the road outside her house. And again at the supermarket. And every other day she appears across the road from Emma's nursery. She seems to be everywhere. But no one else appears to see her. Then one day she decides to follow her, leading her to a house some 20 minutes away. Doing some digging, Diane discovers the owner's name and decides to confront her. Only the occupant is a little old lady who soon calls the police on Diane. Surely this woman is not a figment of her imagination?

But the woman is not the only thing that is happening to her. Diane awakens in the night to the sound of a baby crying. But there is no baby. And Emma is fast asleep.

Convinced she is either going mad or Paul is setting her up. But why? A search of his locked office reveals documents on sectioning, statements of outgoing expenditures and the most revealing - a receipt for a pair of emerald and diamond earrings costing $3000! Diane is now convinced Paul is having an affair and is trying to make out she is going mad with hearing things and seeing things - in an attempt to gain full custody of Emma. But he will not win. She will not let him.

THE HOUSEWIFE is a compelling story focusing on the concept of "gaslighting" - a term that is used to describe efforts to manipulate someone's perception of reality and making them question their own memory, perception and sanity, and appear delusional. The term gaslighting originates from the played turned movie "Gaslight" in which the husband constantly dims the gaslights in his home and then persuades his wife that she is just imagining it, ultimately slowly manipulating her into believing she is going insane.

While some aspects of "gaslighting" is apparent in this story, THE HOUSEWIFE is a little more than that. Diane spends half the time questioning her sanity and the other half believing it to be all Paul's doing. I must admit, I laid the blame at Paul's feet too. But don't be fooled - there is more to the story.

THE HOUSEWIFE is a little slow-moving in parts and Diane's constant "brushing her daughter's curls" with her hand got a little repetitive. But the story does have that air of distrust throughout that holds your attention and leaves you questioning just what is going on. When the gaps in Diane's memory resurface all is shockingly revealed. A compelling read that will have you hooked, despite the slow pace at times, with an ending that leaves you wanting more.

I would like to thank #ValerieKeogh, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheHousewife in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at <a href="https://andimabookaholic.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">https://andimabookaholic.blogspot.com/</a>.

Another hit for Keogh & BOOKOUTURE plubishing. A 4-5 star read that will grab your attention quickly with a choke hold and not let go until the end. I loved all the hidden suspense, thrills, and chills.
Will be using in a challenge and highly recommending in Chapter Chatter Pub!

I was excited to read the latest book The Housewife by Valerie Keogh. So when this came available to read I had to find room in my renovations that I am doing on my new farmhouse to read it.
It was a slow start but I became hooked and wanted to learn more about the relationship between Diane and Paul. They married within a few weeks of knowing each other and then Diane becomes pregnant with Emma who is now three years old.
Everything seems to be perfect until Diane has a breakdown and spends a few weeks in a psychiatric unit. When Diane returns lovely home, she remembers nothing about the breakdown and what caused it. Emma their three year old starts a local nursery and Diane applies for voluntary work in a charity shop. After a "very short time" Diane thinks she is being followed by an unknown woman, and starts to hear a baby crying in her house. This cry isn't Emma's.

Is Diane having another breakdown?

Is she imagining this unknown woman who is watching her? Has she got a stalker??

Is she hearing things?

Can she trust her Husband Paul?

Diane has to find out why she is feeling like this!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this wonderful ARC. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

"The Housewife" by Valerie Keogh is about Diane, a housewife recovering from a recent breakdown. After returning home from the clinic she was in, she tries to return to normal life, even though she can't remember what caused her breakdown in the first place or what life was like before. She and her husband seem to be going through a rough patch and she struggles with being the wife she once was. On top of everything, she keeps hearing things and seeing a mysterious woman everywhere she goes. Is all of this in her imagination, or is this someone trying to mess with her?

This book is a "slow burn" as another reviewer put it. It is repetitive, but I think it needs to be. Going through the daily routine with Diane allows us to see what her life has become. With Paul and their whirlwind romance, her life has become mundane compared to what it used to be. Also, it also allows the reader to feel what Diane feels. Is she crazy? Or all of her theories actually true? Can we trust anyone around her?

The ending was very rushed, but it was good. I was definitely engrossed in this book. It kept me guessing and that is exactly what I look for in a thriller.

My second book by this author and I was as charmed by it as I was by the first one.It's rather slow paced but the amosphere the author creates is so bewitching that you have to keep on reading. She keeps the past in the dark and by doing so she makes sure you can't put the book away.

There were a lot of characters created to fit the role of suspect, but who was the enemy and who was a friend?

And then the ending ... I kept tapping on my Kindle ... no avail. The story was finished, but I did not want it to yet!!!

Although it was not the most suspenseful psychological thriller I have read lately, it was a good and intriguing read that I really enjoyed. 4 stars.

Thank you, Valerie Keogh, Bookouture and Netgalley.

It starts slow and is almost frustrating to follow Diane but it is scary and a little heart breaking too as the story builds. I feel the other characters could have been more sketched out. I liked Anne but Emily was a very hasty addition.

Overall is liked the book.

Perfect life. Perfect wife. The first rule of reading from an unreliable narrator is to believe nothing which is an impossible feat. Diane is a perfect wife with a perfect life. Or is she? What’s wrong with her life? I love thrillers they really are the best type of book to grip you and mess you up. This book was fantastic! Highly recommend.

* I received this ARC from NetGalley in return for an honest review*

This book was absolutely amazing! It kept me guessing until the very end.
I very rarely give 5/5 ⭐s, but this book definitely gets them! You won't regret reading this book and I can't wait to read some more from this author!

Oh dear, I didn't enjoy this at all. It went downhill pretty damn quickly and after that, I skim read for the rest of it. This is one of the most repetitive books I have ever had the displeasure of encountering. and that's putting it politely. I honestly have no idea how this managed to get past editors and be published, but each to their own I guess. It was extremely simplistic in terms of the storyline and sharper minds will find there is not enough going on to keep them challenged. Then we come to the characters - each one is poorly developed and this one-dimensionality meant that it was nigh on impossible to engage with and invest in them.

Seasoned readers of this genre will figure out where the plot is heading almost immediately, so there really isn't any incentive to continue and the only reason I did was to provide an accurate review of the whole novel. I really can't stress enough how many times certain things were mentioned, and it really got on my nerves. The descriptions were also very strangely worded; it almost came across as though a child had written it. As the book progresses you find you need to be skilled in suspending your disbelief as this is certainly not a plausible story. The whole thing was tedious and contrived and the ending does little in the way of redeeming.

If you appreciate stories featuring unreliable narrators then this is worth a try, but it just wasn't for me. Those expecting twists and surprises will be sorely disappointed as they are very much lacking.

Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.

The Hose Wife earns 3.5 ⭐️ from me.
Diane and Paul married very quickly, found out Diane was pregnant very quickly and had what seemed from the outside a pretty perfect life until one day Diane had a complete breakdown was sent to a psychiatric unit for a few weeks and upon her return home remembers nothing about the incident that prompted this episode. So you follow Diane as she thinks she is being followed, hears a baby crying in her house and it isn’t her child Emma and decides to find out what she can’t remember and who this woman is. The premise of the book is good but it does get a little stagnant half way in as it becomes quite repetitive with all that happens is Diane being late to picknemma up from school, gett8ng other people to look after Emma whilst she does some investigating, finds she can’t eat, can’t sleep but can drink too much alcohol.
A good effort which in parts I did enjoy but the ending was too much like “oh that’s why” not OMG like it could have been.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

I was given an early copy from Net Galley for my honest review.
This wasn't a bad read but it was very simplistic, with one dimensional character. Kind of like a made for tv Lifetime movie. I had it figured it out pretty quickly.

OHHH YESSS! This one is a keeper... I have been searching for a suspense/thriller/drama novel just like this one. I absolutely loved it and cannot wait to read more from Valerie Keogh.

I truly enjoyed this book even though it took me a while to get into it. For more details do check out my review on my blog.

A real dichotomy, for sure. Originally I thought this book was riveting, but as it progressed, it became sheer drivel. The author must have mentioned the mother touching her daughters soft curles a hundred different times. Cute the first two times, overkill the remaining 98. And the descriptions of the characters expressions? She sneered, then her eyes softened. Calculating and cold, the.n warmer? Could this get any more amateurish? And the ending? That sealed the deal. If I had paid for this book, I'd be annoyed. I can't believe I wasted my time finishing it, How did this novel even make it into print? Do yourself a favor, PASS!

Oh, this book. It's taken me a few days to try to figure out what to say about it. I have many feelings about this one.

It starts off slow and you don't really know what happened to the main character, but then again, neither does she.

Diane has recently returned from a stay in a "clinic" and keeps saying she had a breakdown, but she doesn't remember what caused the breakdown. As the story progresses their are clues and you can figure out at least part of what happened.

Her husband is awful, both before and after the reveal and I just felt SO bad for Diane. I was rooting for her because she really was having a terrible time, but at the same time I found it very draining.

All that being said I definitely have mixed emotions about the book. I didn't love it, I didn't hate it. It was middle of the road for me.

Do I recommend it? I just don't know. It could be upsetting to some. 2.5 stars rounded to 3.

Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.