Having read the Paula Maguire series, I was looking forward to the new book by Claire McGowan.

When your best friend accuses your husband of rape, what would you do? That’s the dilemma Ali is facing, who should she believe? When she discovers that for the last 25 years her life has been based on lies, she wonders who is telling the truth. Will Ali finally open her eyes to see what everyone else does?

A good storyline full of secrets with plenty of twists and turns and a shocking conclusion.

I've had a pretty cruddy run of books lately...and, unfortunately, after reading this, it is very clear my luck hasn't changed.

What You Did covers the lives of 6 college grads coming together for a 25 year weekend reunion. Also in my early 40s, stories like this appeal to me a great deal. These characters are my peers, so to speak. Unfortunately, all six (and their children) were intensely unlikable assholes. Worse, our main protagonist, Ali, might very well be the most ignorant main character ever written--she definitely fulfilled her quota of stupid thoughts, stupid choices, and stupid actions. A stronger female lead would have likely made a huge difference in how I felt about this story.

But hey, with friends like Mike, Bill, Jodi, Karen, and Callum...who needs enemies?

I'd also like to mention, despite being billed as a psychological thriller--IT IS NOT. I'd classify it more as a domestic drama/suspense. A very easy one to figure out, I might add. I knew all that would happen within a few chapters. And seriously, I have to mention this because WTF!? What is up with that book cover? What is it even supposed to be? If I had written this book, I'd be peeved if I was saddled with that terrible cover.

Bottom line...while the writing is decent, the characters ruin this novel. If you're looking for an easy, quick, unoriginal read, I guess you could give this one a chance. Otherwise, I'd skip it.

**Many thanks to the publisher for my advanced reader's copy.

I received this book through NetGalley. A gathering of college friends and a terrible happening that causes everyone to question their friends, I loved this book. It kept me guessing and was a fast read. I loved the characters. I recommend it highly!

I actually read this book as an Amazon Prime First reads and found it to be more of a women’s experience novel than a psychological thriller. Seems readers either love it or hate it. I thought it was okay but wouldn’t recommend it for those looking for a thriller. For free, it was a good read.

Incredible, well written, and a novel I just couldn't put down. It's been awhile since I've found a book that grabs you and doesn't let go, and this one is it. Utterly engrossing and fabulous, with an unusual, original plot. Great characters. Ten stars to this author? Don't miss this one, a great read!!

Overall: 3/5 Stars
Characters: 2.5/5 Stars
Believability: 4/5 Stars
Personal Opinion: 3/5 Stars

This book has left me really torn. How do you like a book, but not like any of the characters? That isn’t to say they weren’t well written, because I think they were amazingly written. I just thought that there wasn’t really a decent human in the entire mix. Every single one was self-absorbed and self-serving to one degree or another, some being exponentially worse than others. This includes the kids. If I had to say that one character was at least partially likeable, it would be Bill, but even he had issues.

I had originally liked Ali, or at least felt a sort of understanding for the position she was put in, but as the story moves forward and she begins to make certain choices, I really soured on her and her self-serving motives.

Even though I didn’t like the characters, the story still worked well. There were directions I saw the story going and it did go there. Then there were a couple of twists I did not see coming at all, which I really enjoyed. I think I probably would have been perfectly content to say that this was a really good book until I hit the final chapter. That felt like it was just a bit too much and pushed me into eye roll territory because it didn’t feel necessary and took away from all the drama that had just occurred.

Please note, anyone that has issues with rape will probably find this a difficult read. Not because it goes into graphic detail or glorifies it, but just with everything that surrounds it and the ever present attitudes towards victims.

Your best friend is raped. She say's it was your husband. Who do you believe?

I was pleasantly surprised by 'What you did' - it's my first McGowan novel, but definitely won't be my last. There are several twists and turns along the way, some of them guessable, some of them definitely coming as strong and well-written surprises.

I wasn't sure at first about the inclusion of the 1993 storyline. It felt a bit like flogging a dead horse - yes, lies have been told before, we get it. But it evolved into becoming an integral element of the novel, and it did end up adding a lot to the readers experience.

I also really enjoyed the final twist - it wasn't one I saw coming, and it left me really surprised, but it also wasn't one of those twists that is thrown in without any fore through just to shock the reader - there was a lead up to it so it was a believable but not predictable twist. The rest of the ending was also strong, with everything being wrapped up in a satisfying but not cliche way.

Definitely a 5 star read for me.

Great book will be reading other books by this author.
Will also recommend this book to others.
Great read! 5*****

This is one of those books, the one that when you start it you have to finish it to find out what’s going on! Ali’s husband has been accused of raping their friend Karen. All the evidence points to him but who should Ali believe?

Really well written with plenty of twists. Highly recommend this!

Will keep you guessing who the culprit is until the very end. I couldn't put my kindle down once I started reading What You Did, I read the book within 24 hours. You can't help but feel for Ali, all she wanted was a reunion with her uni friends. That night changed everyone's lives forever. Do you side with your husband or your best friend of 25 years? I will definitely be adding Claire Mcgowen to my favourite authors

This book was very well written. Nice and easy to read and flowed well. Had me on the edge of my seat. Wondering which way it was going to go. Great mystery can’t beat it.

What You Did is one hell of a thought provoking explosive book!

How would you react when your gentle loving husband is accused of rape? What about when it’s your best friend that’s been raped? My heart broke for Ali’s difficult situation and Claire did a great job writing this story! I thought I had it all figured out a few times but the ending blew me away.

I found some aspects unrealistic but overall this is a stand out thriller.

What would you do if your husband was accused of hurting your best friend? This book take you on a journey through the lives of six college friends, mostly told from Allison’s (Ali) perspective. From her difficult relationship with her father, to wanting to be noticed and loved by her college boyfriend, Mike, Alison has longed for the perfect marriage and craved the ideal family and home life she never had. A tight knit group from their early college days, these friends have celebrated success and kept secrets buried in order to preserve their lives. When a reunion dinner party goes awry and Karen accuses Mike of a brutal crime, how will this revelation affect their friendship? Will those secrets from college suddenly become revealed? This story is carefully crafted and absolutely intoxicating. If you enjoy domestic thrillers,! I would definitely recommend checking out this book.

After being bombarded by positive reviews during the respective blog tour, I just couldn't help giving in and request a copy when I saw it on Netgalley... There is no doubt that the premise of What You Did sounds absolutely intriguing and I couldn't resist picking up this story almost immediately. And while I ended up having mixed thoughts myself, I can also see why others have a more positive reaction to this story.

It's all in the characters. What You Did fits the definition of a slower paced and character driven psychological thriller perfectly, and this means that your reaction to the different main characters as a reader is fundamental and directly linked to your experience with a book. Sadly, it wasn't ment to be between the main characters of What You Did and me. Out of all the main characters, I think the only one I actually liked was Bill, and I still wanted to hit him for certain actions and basically for having no backbone. The other characters... Sigh. Where do I even begin? I don't want to give away too much to avoid spoilers, but let's just say it involves things like a love triangle, lying to someone for twenty five years, abusing the trust of someone close to you, forgiving someone even though they don't deserve it at all... I could go on and on, but I don't want to spoil the fun. Ali was so so frustratingly ignorant and stupid and I basically wanted to shout at her to get a grip and open her eyes already. I don't think her actions and reactions were natural at all and she managed to frustrate me A LOT. Likewise, Karen, Mike and Callum were basically disgusting and I really didn't care about what was happening to their characters as they were unable to raise sympathy at all. I know some of them were ment to be unlikeable, but still... My feelings of frustration prevented me from enjoying this story as much as I thought I would.

As for the plot... At first I liked the idea of six university friends meeting again after twenty five years during a reunion. These situations always make for an interesting backdrop and gives the story a lot of posibilities; both by introducing possible flashbacks and character development and growth in general. What You Did gives us both, but not to the degree I would have liked to see... The flashbacks to the events of their final ball of the final university year, 1993, felt rather rushed and I would have liked more background and development here. I guess the main focus of this story is on the present and what happens during their reunion... I wasn't sure up to what point certain aspects of the plot were completely credible though, and I did see some twists coming quite early on, but as a whole I guess the plot was entertaining enough if you enjoy slower paced stories with a few bursts of suspense.

The writing itself is engaging enough and made it quite easy to keep turning the pages despite my reaction to the characters. These were my personal feelings about said characters though, and if you can stomach unlikeable characters and enjoy a good character driven psychological thriller that packs a punch, you might consider adding What You Did to your wishlist.

What You Did – Claire McGowan

I was fortunate to receive this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an objective review. This review will also publish to my blog, tropicaldelusions.blog,.

Ali Morris is anxiously putting the finishing touches on her home as she and her husband, Mike prepare for weekend guests – the small group of friends they had from their days at the university in Oxford. It’s been years since they’ve seen one another, and Ali wants things to be just right.

The first guest to arrive is her best friend Karen, and her son Jake. Karen is a single parent, and before Mike & Ali moved away, they had been inseparable, and Jake was like a son to her. Next to arrive is Jodi & Callum, both high powered attorneys now, with Jodi due to deliver her first child in a month, and finally Bill, who comes alone having recently split from his girlfriend after a disagreement about children.

As the group re-connects and the alcohol starts flowing, old pictures come out, and the discussion turns to a young female classmate, Martha, who died in the university garden all those years ago. While the men revel in their youthful memories and ply themselves with alcohol late into the evening, Jodi & Ali head for bed.

It’s early AM when Ali awakens to screaming – she rushes downstairs along with Jodi to see Karen stagger into the house, bruised and bloody screaming that she’d been raped…and she accuses Mike of the attack, leaving Ali torn between believing her husband or her best friend. As the police investigate, Karen tells a compelling story, and Mike is arrested, while Ali’s perfectly organized life begins to quickly unravel.

Told from the current perspectives and college memories of the six friends, the reader quickly learns of hidden secrets, longings, betrayals, cover-ups, and ‘what-might-have-been’, leaving the reader wondering just who is telling the truth – if anyone. And what really happened to Martha all those years ago??

This was a great read, and it definitely kept me guessing up until the very end, although in retrospect, I should have figured it out… This one kept me up turning pages well into the night, and had me wondering…how well do we really know our friends??

At an informal college reunion, Karen staggers in from the patio. She claims she was raped by Ali’s husband Mike, who denies it. Ali tries to determine the truth in What You Did.

Ali and her husband Mike, Karen and her son Jake, Jodi and her husband Callum, and Bill are celebrating the 25th anniversary of starting college at Ali and Mike’s house. Their children—Cassie and Benji—are in the house as well.

There are some sticking points for me about What You Did. First, hitting us over the head with the irony of Ali working for a battered women’s shelter seemed a bit obvious. Second, the lack of redeeming characteristics for all the characters. I felt no empathy for any of them. But mostly the obvious bad guy. If you have read any previous thrillers, you don’t need to read this one. 2 stars.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle ARC of What You Did.

When old college friends get together for a night of dinner and reminiscing, it was supposed to be a reunion, to catch up and relive old memories.

But, when a vicious assault turns the spotlight on the host's husband, Mike, Ali must reconcile with a unexplained death from the past, her preconceived beliefs of her husband, and the kind of woman she claims to be, a supporter of sexual assault survivors or a woman desperately clinging to a family and a life she never had?

The setting is a familiar one, where old friends gather after some times apart, secrets are revealed, repressed anger or passions come alive once again and trouble is brewing on the horizon.

At first, it was hard to Ali; I know women like her, who would turn a blind eye to any transgression a spouse has done as long as she is able to live in her plastic delusional bubble that her family is fine; that nothing is wrong with anyone and anything.

But, can I blame Ali for wanting something she never had, especially when her childhood was so abusive and traumatic?

That's not an excuse to ignore the signs, like quite a few characters mock-chastise Ali for not seeing what was so obvious and right in front of her eyes, yet I do sympathize with Ali's desperate need to pretend. We all pretend because the truth hurts and it tears people and families apart.

The author creates urgency and keeps up a steady pace as events unfold, secrets are exposed and characters are left reeling from the aftermath, dealing with it in their own troubled methods.

Readers are given insights into the friends' shared past and what happened on a dark night years ago through their various POVs, which is done to muddy the waters and create tension among the friends and readers.

There is decent character development; you get to know Ali the most, followed by Karen, and understand each individual's personality and motivation as to who they are and why they do what they do.

I sympathized with Ali, though I didn't like her or anyone else, maybe Bill.

The novel is not about sexual assault, per se, and he said/she said, though the trigger for rape and sexual violence is prevalent; it's about who we are when someone we love is faced with such a horrible accusation.

We all claim to know what to do when it comes to giving support to those who need it, but do we really when your family and reputation are on the line?

This was a good read that kept me turning the pages, which is not easy to do.

What You Did is a excellent thriller. Even though I hate books with rape, I won't give a bad review because of my personal issues with books with rape in it. The book is well written and the characters are well developed. Great twists in this story.

This is a book about an assault
I thought I had it figured out at least 5 times, but the twist and turns kept coming so fast, then when I hit the final page, I was totally shocked
All of this takes place at a college reunion
The recriminations go back and forth
In essence, the past comes back to haunt the future

I did like this book but hated the characters. It takes place at a 25 year reunion. A group of six friends are remembering a rape that took place. The men are all pigs and their wives don’t want to lose them??? At any rate, to me it was more of a mystery than a psychological story. It was fairly well written and will hold your interest but as I said, not exactly a likable story.