This is my first time reading the author. The blurb really intrigued me, so I was looking forward to reading You and Me. The blurb is really quite vague and gives away very little about what the book is actually about. I can’t decide if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. The blurb led me to read the book, but the plot is very different than the blurb led me to expect. This is another book where secrets from the past can’t stay hidden forever and break free, threatening a group of people who have been friends since school. But are they really friends? Can they trust each other? How did Dickie really die? Why hasn’t anyone seen Ellie for so many years? I really didn’t know what was going on or where the book would lead next. This is an engaging thriller.

You and Me is a story of obsession. The rather dysfunctional and unlikeable Fran is obsessed with Charles who she has known since their schooldays. He is now married with kids. The stalker premise is a good one but this was such a slow burn for me. When Fran witnesses a horrific tube accident I just couldn’t get past the fact that she didn’t come forward as a witness. All of the other characters were flawed in some way, and many were downright obnoxious. Not a memorable read for me I’m sorry to say. Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for the ARC.

I wondered where this book was going about 1/3 to a 1/2 way through and admit I was thinking about other things when suddenly it picked up and I found myself not being able to put it down. I finally finished it in the small hours of this morning.  This is a slow burner but is so worth the effort

There is always that weird and awkward person who never fitted in, in school. Fran is that person who also happens to be the narrator sharing her unreliable and possible distorted view of the world. Knowing this you have to read between all the lines… Is she just a lonely misfit or is there something more creepy going on that you need to attune to? 
Fran sees an old friend, Dickie die in front of a train. She was at the station when it happened because she was following Charles, a man she is infatuated with. She does not know whether Dickie jumped or was even pushed and she does not let Dickie’s wife, Caroline know she was even there. There are affected relationships between these and a few wider friends. The dynamic is odd. There is something slightly unpalatable about all of them.
Add to the mix the sketchy details about the estranged relationship between Fran and her sister and a niece she has never seen and there is a great deal of murkiness that needs be sifted through to work out exactly what is happening and to unpick all the relationships.
Some of the ‘friend’ relationships and how they interfaced wasn’t always entirely convincing. For example it seemed unlikely Fran would be invited and want to stay in Caroline’s house after her loss. Whilst there is very good justification for the situations & Rayner does deal with Fran’s thoughts re this, a few of these did feel like a bit of a stretch.
However this is but a small niggle as it is subtle and does not affect the overall read. Rayner delivers the story in a gripping and somewhat individualistic way. There is less tension than in some psychological thrillers, but it is very quizzical. You become aware of you own judgement and sentiments towards these characters in way that you want to know whether these are right or misjudged. The manner in which the layers are unpeeled and the crux of the story unveils is really impressive. Perfect for rainy days and dark night reading.

Ahh, I hadn’t expected it to be this good. I flew through the pages because I kept wanting more.

Fran had a lifetime infatuation with a guy who was her school mate. She was so sure they were destined to be together. She just needed time to make him realise that. How chilling was that book premise?

I really liked Fran’s character design. I liked how she could be an unreliable narrator not because of any substance abuse, but because of lack of self confidence! How many times we second guess ourselves in real life? I also liked how fleshed out the other supporting characters were. 

I did have a lot of theories going at the same time while reading this book (as a Thriller enthusiast, I couldn’t help it). And sure, a few of my guesses came true (inevitable when you’ve read as many Thrillers as I have). But this didn’t diminish the satisfaction of reading the conclusion in any way at all.

Loved it. Great thriller. Going to check more book(s) from Nicola Rayner now.

The story starts with Fran who has always been an outsider in their school. Now that all of them are grown up and still see each other once in a while, the classmates she used to go with still make her feel like an outsider when there are events. They named her Freaky Fran and the only thing that makes Fran to be “in” was because of her sister, Ellie. But Ellie and Fran have been a bit estranged to each other for quite some time now. 
What makes Fran the butt of every joke back then was because they labeled her as obsessed with another student, Charles Fry. The thing is, until now Fran always like “looking” at him until one day she witnessed a death in the train station where Charles is. The body belongs to a Dickie (another classmate back then who used to bully her). As much as she wants to help with the investigation, she can’t… who would believe a stalking woman?
But one thing is for sure, she saw Dickie’s face astounded not because he is about to fall but because he knows who pushed him. 

The book was a bit of a slow burn in the beginning but eventually got faster in the second quarter of the novel. The presence of bullying made me really upset because the character was experiencing and recalling it all throughout. It is a good psychological drama that makes you think and gives a lot of emotions.
There are many unlikable characters and unlikable characters that you can turn to like in the end. 
This is the first Nicola Rayner novel that I have read and I enjoyed it. Some parts made me cry a little bit, maybe because of the bullying part? It hit close to home. I know some people who are still being bullied despite high school being over (like 2-3 decades ago-over!).
I felt Fran’s pain.

I would love to thank Avon Books UK, Harper Collins and Net Galley for the ARC. I was able to read this because of your kindness.

I didn’t enjoy this book. Found it dull and hard to keep going with. I really wanted to like it... just wasn’t my taste

Similar to “Girl on a Train” and “The Woman In The Window” this book takes place in the UK and is from the POV of a woman who may or may not be viewing the world from a place of clarity and sanity.  And it’s not until the end that you find out the truth. 

In this book, Fran witnesses a person with whom she went to school die. She doesn’t know if it’s an accident, homicide or suicide. But it brings up all sorts of repressed feelings from traumatic incidents at school. 

It’s a quick fast read and I was engrossed. The only problem is that it gets too unrealistic at times where something like Girl On A Train was believable throughout. I also think the end of this book needs to be rethought and rewritten. The author tries to wrap everything up in 10 pages. Though I appreciate turning the readers entire belief upside down, I think it can be reeled in a little bit more  

All in all, despite the flaws, it’s still a worthwhile beach read.

Rating: 3 🍷 🍷 🍷 !!!!!!!
Book: You and Me 
Available NOW -Release Date: October 1, 2020
Author: Nicola Rayner
Genre: Thrillers, Mystery, Suspense

This was one of the hardest reviews for me to write. A little background, I am not a DNF reader. I try and push through and hope a gem is hidden somewhere in the book. I know most people are like why waste the time. I am more like what if I miss a good book. With that said, I am glad I finished You and Me. However, it took a long while to grasp me and keep me. There were pieces throughout that kept me interested then the story would drag and repeat. When it hit that 75% mark, I couldn’t put it down. Because of that I bumped up my 2 ½ stars to 3. 

The protagonist, Fran, is one kooky, weird, sad woman. She is completely obsessed with an old classmate and will go to a lot of extremes to be with him. She also has an unhealthy obsession with her own sister and niece with whom she has been estranged from for years. Fran witnesses a tragic accident that pushes her back into her crush and sister’s life but at what consequence. 

Thank you to @NetGalley and @AvonBooks for an advanced copy of @YouAndMe. 

#YouAndMe #AvonBooks #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #AmazonReads #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #thriller #mystery #suspense #bookreviewer

I am sorry that I couldn't get into this book. I tried, gave up and went back and tried again but just couldn't get into the story. Sorry this one isn't for me

Fran has been in love with Charles for years. It doesn't matter than he has a wife and children, or that they've not been close since school. She knows that their love is pure and true. And one day, Charles will realise it too. Until then, Fran is content to simply stand on the sidelines and watch Charles go about his life. Until one fateful night, when a terrible accident threatens to bring to light secrets that both Fran and Charles would rather stay hidden...

Ok, so the synopsis of You and Me sounds amazing. But the reality? It's so much more. I went into it expecting a fairly average thriller about a woman stalking a man, and instead got a completely gripping exploration of obsession, revenge, secrets, and the danger of fixating on the past.

It's completely unlike anything I've ever read before, partly because Fran is just such an unusual narrator - she's definitely a little strange, but somehow harmless, and no matter how odd her obsessive behaviour towards Charles becomes, she always manages to rationalise it in a way that you find yourself agreeing with, no matter how bizarre! But Fran is so much more than just a quirky narrator; she's a woman recovering from grief, struggling with guilt, and desperate for something that will make her feel a connection. Indeed, at times this book was very emotional, something I didn't expect from a thriller. 

All in all, this is a really great book. Completely unique, with so many twists and turns, and an ending that I was totally gripped by. The writing is great, the plot is fantastic, and Rayner has firmly cemented herself as a must read author. Definitely a book I'd recommend. 

Disclaimer - I was fortunate enough to be provided with an advance reading copy of this book by NetGalley. This has not affected my review in any way, and all opinions are my own.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.  The following is my review, as posted on Goodreads:

It was a little slow going for me at the beginning of the book, but by 90% I was hooked and couldn’t put it down. Fran is creepy and awkward and strange, which is oddly refreshing for a protagonist. I appreciated and enjoyed the twists and turns at the end of the story.

Fran is a loner . She is estranged from her sister after something went on years ago.
Fran has had a crush on Charles Fry since school.
She follows him everywhere nobody notices her as she just blends into the background.
She follows him one day to the tube station where he meets up with an old school pal Dickie Graham.
Dickie is killed after falling in front of a train .
Do he call or was he pushed?
Before Dickie is killed he seems to see somebody in the crowd.
Fran can't say anything as she will have to say why she was there.
Fran gets close to Charles and his family and also dickies widow.
Entwined in this is her sister Ellie where is she and has she got something to do with all of this.
Thanks NetGalley

This story is a real twisted tale of old friends. A great psychological read ... I’m not sure what to write atm but it will come to me!  I’m not normally stumped for how to write a review but this book is one that needs to be read!!

Hmmm it’s a difficult and emotional read at times. Well written and a bit of a page turner.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

This is my first netgalley dnf (did not finish). I read 100 or so pages and still not know who we are
following, what the main plot is, and everything else you need to know to continue reading a story.

Great read which is thought provoking and keeps you guessing- great twist at the end. The main character reminded me of elenor oliphant. Would recommend

Try as I may, I couldn't get into this book. The plot felt very repetitive & there was nothing new happening until the very end. When downloading this book I thought this was about a stalker & was keen to see what new devious way of stalking would be unleashed. I went in expecting cunning, creepy stuff & all I got was a girl too obsessed with the past. Francesca's sister was the victim of a horrible incident while at school & this fact is re-iterated so often I just didn't see the point of it. It took a very very long time to get interested in the story & when I found out that the story is going somewhere I was 80% in.  Although I finished the book I felt that was way too late. The plot was good but the construction of it was slow for me. The characters were good & I surprisingly (kind of) liked Francesca but she was going at a pace way too slow for me.

Thank you NetGalley, Avon Books UK & Nicola Rayner for an arc!

I loved this book, couldn’t even begin to guess where it was going and it sort of plodded along but I loved it and it was a great story with characters you either love or hate. Super read

You and Me, Nicola Rayner's latest release, is a slow-burning twisty mystery amid the backdrop of a quiet village in the U.K.  Mid 30s, single and quirky-Fran spends her days working in the local bookstore, her nights with her cat and her thoughts of the past.  Younger sister Ellie is living abroad and while the sister had a falling out they communicate through social media and email. Fran, growing up attending a prestigious boarding school due to her mother's job, pines over the boy from school who got away. Seeing him from a distance she has kept close tabs on him until one night she's witness to a horrible accident and sees it as a way to possibly grow close to him. Unwittingly she's growing close to unraveling the mysteries of the past that threaten her future. 

While the pace is slow in the beginning, it serves to build up to the startling twist and then continues at breakneck speed. A solid mystery with a flawed protagonist and cast of interesting characters.  

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Fran has been obsessed with Charles since her boarding school days.  The same school where she she was an outcast and bullied.  To this day, Fran still likes to keep track of Charles, in an unhealthy way.  As she continues a solitary life waiting for her sister and niece to return, she watches as one of her tormentors from boarding school falls to his death in front of a train.  Did he fall or was he pushed?  She is scared to come forward because she was following Charles at the time.  Can’t say much more because I don’t want to reveal the story!

A fast paced twisty thriller with a complex and engaging plot.  Great read!