So far I've read two books by J.P. Smith, and both books have astounded me. I loved the dynamics of this book and the obsessiveness of our main character Amelie. There were times when I wasn't sure if she was going crazy or not, but I still kept rooting for her. What can I say, I love an unlikeable character.

I've read so many mystery thrillers about 'the other woman' but this felt refreshingly different. I just could not put the book down. I was too desperate to find out what was gonna happen next.

I just absolutely loved this book.

The premise for this sounded amazing, but the characters were weak and boring. It was a little to drawn out and difficult to read. I wanted to love this one.

I wanted to get into this book so bad, I tried to read it several times, but it misses the mark. I couldn't finish it, the writing was just not that great and the characters are forgettable.

Great book! Couldn’t wait to read it, and it didn’t disappoint! Grabbed my attention within the first two chapters, and then I didn’t want to put it down. Excellent character development - I think that every reader will find a character to whom they relate. I enjoy books where there is character development, and then also a surprise, and this book provided both! Looking forward to reading more from this author!

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Genre: Suspense/Thriller/ Mystery

NO BS Thoughts: The cover is the best part of this book. Super disappointing.

If you'd enjoy a story about an obsessive whiny woman who only thinks about her married boyfriend at all times of day paired with a "you figure it out" ending, then this is the book for you! I for one, was not a fan. I just kept waiting for it to get better to no avail. Again, super disappointing.

This was a decent story, but I think the story line has been exhausted. I liked the idea, but it was hard to get into. I also was not a fan of any of the characters, so that made it hard for me to try to push through. I made it through, but was not pleased with the ending of the book.

Amelie and Janet both love the same man. One is his wife ...the other his lover of two years.

As a best-selling author, the lover knows it probably won't last forever ... not unless she herself makes some changes. So what if his wife was dead .. it's a game she plays in her head. If she were dead, she and her lover wouldn't have to hide their relationship. If she were dead, his kids would grow to love her. If she were dead, her life would be perfect. And if she were dead, she wouldn't have to worry that someone would tell his wife. And so she goes on and on and on with some very long, very monotonous painfully long musings...

I found both Amelie and Janet quite boring and hard to relate to or connect with butI did enjoy the ending! Thanks to Netgalley for the ADR but not one I'd jump to recommend unfortunately.

I found this book hard going. The main character annoyed me at her weakness and desperation to keep her lover interested in her. Amalie, the main character was so frustrating, I spent most of the book wanting to shake her.

Her husband had an affair and left her and now she is having an affair with a married man and has delusions that he will leave his wife for her. He is obviously using her and she is allowing him to.

I found the whole book didn't really go anywhere and the ending was even worse!

#netgalley #IfSheWereDead #JPSmith

Amelie and Janet both love the same man. One is his wife ...the other his lover of two years.

I was not a fan of this book. It was really hard to get into. It started slow and that pace continued for most of the story. I did not care for any of the characters. They were all unlikable.

Plus, the ending of the book left a lot to be desired. Not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this early copy!

Did not finish - I could not connect with the plot or writing so I decided to put it down.

2 Stars.

The story of Amelie’s love affair and her desperation and obsession for that relationship unfortunately did not captivate me. I thought the premise sounded quite intriguing and was hoping that the story would grow on me but it did not. In the end, I think this is simply the case of my being the wrong reader for this novel.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

Amelie is embroiled in a love affair that has almost met it's end. She is desperate to keep the man in her life and develops an obsession with being involved in his life. Ben has a wife Janet that she has started to form a relationship with and this seems to feed into her mania. She begins to think the wife and others know what is going on. Amelie draws into the obsession in her writing and becomes lost in the mania. I liked the premise of this book, however the end fell flat for me and just seemed to drop off. This book was very repetitive and I became a little irritated hearing the same things again and again.

The premise for this book sounded amazing! Sadly it just didn’t live up to the blurb.
Sadly , I had no connection to the storyline or the characters. I found myself struggling to finish.
Perhaps I wasn’t the right reader for this book.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I have tried reading this book but just can't seem to get into it. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book but unfortunately it wasn't for me.

Obsession And Delusion....
A tale of obsession and delusion- two women, Amelie and Janet, seemingly in love with one man, Janet’s husband. For Amelie, a novelist, lines between reality and her fiction begin to blur. Compelling with interesting themes, twisting storyline and, perhaps, an unexpected finale.

If She Were Dead held so much promise from the synopsis. Sadly, the book did not live up to the hype for me. I tried to push through but I couldn't finish this one. I got as far as part two, chapter fourteen.

The books starts with the ramblings of writer, Amelie. I think she is frustrated with her life,. She is divorced, her husband's much younger new wife is pregnant and her daughter, Nina is in her first year of college. Then her lover won't leave his wife.

For me, the author took too long to get to the crux of the story. Amelia seems to be getting more success with her books but all of the incessant rambling and the unnecessary attention to details I didn't care about made it difficult for me to get through this book.

By the time Amelia talks about wanting the wife of her lover dead, I was over the entire story. I tried to keep going but I had to throw in the towel.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Amelie Ferrar is a noted writer, divorced from her husband who had an affair.
She has been having an affair with a married man for two years. Her lover Ben is married to Janet.
With her powerful writer's imagination, Amelie daydreams about what her life would be like if Janet were dead.
She is wrapped up in everything Ben. She wants him to leave his wife and marry her, but Ben is perfectly happy with the arrangement they already have.
As Amelie falls deeper into her dark compulsion, the line between fantasy and reality becomes obscured.
This circuitous psychological thriller was a slow burn with a dreamlike quality.
The writing was excellent and kept me interested, though it was deliberately paced and most of the action takes place in Amelie's head.
I didn't find Ben particulary intriguing, or worthy of Amelie's fascination though.
This one has a great unexpected ending!
Thank you to Poison Press for the e-ARC via NetGalley.
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars.

This was just not my cup of tea. I couldn’t get into it. I normally love a good psychological thriller.

Amelie and Janet both love the same man. One is his wife ...the other his lover of two years.

As a best-selling author, the lover knows it probably won't last forever ... not unless she herself makes some changes.

What if his wife was dead .. it's a game she plays in her head. If she were dead, she and her lover wouldn't have to hide their relationship. If she were dead, his kids would grow to love her. If she were dead, her life would be perfect. And if she were dead, she wouldn't have to worry that someone would tell his wife.

Book Blurb: As she falls deeper into her obsession with the man she loves―and his wife―the line between the fiction she writes and the reality she lives begins to blur...and the twisted ending to this story is one that not even she could have seen coming.

This is a superior psychological drama with finely drawn characters who are unforgettable. The ending is a total shocker.

Many thanks to the author / Poisoned Pen Press / Netgalley for the digital copy of IF SHE WERE DEAD. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.