This novel has all the hallmarks of that master of suspense - Hitchcock. A few words spoken in alcohol fuelled jest - at least from the perspective of our hapless unwilling partner in criime - lead us on a journey of twists and turns galore, with quite a few unexpected reveals enroute. The final denouement is satisfactory,albeit not entirely unexpected. I really enjoyed this book and would like to thank both Netgalley and the Publishers for this ARC.

I would say that this story is a complicated domestic drama that was a slow burner it was missing a spark like the other books that I have read by this author.

The Pact is a slightly scary but very addictive read that has you on the edge of the seat. Really brings life to the saying drunken words are sober thoughts. In this case, they are the death of someone. An absolutely fantastic read.

A tale of heartache, and loss and sadness, family, and spite.
What if someone offered you a way to get something you believe you deserved? What if you were given a chance to execute revenge?...
A quick and easy read

This is a new author for me, however I have definitely been captivated and found this an addictive read from the very beginning. 
This is a completely unique plot to anything I've read previously. The author has a writing style which transports you and makes you feel as though you are central to the events unfolding. I am definitely keen to read more. 
I have loved the characters in this book. I have found myself second guessing what they were going to do and where the author was going to take this one. 
I have found the middle of this slower than I'd usually prefer, but the author had gripped my attention by then so I was desperate to see what happened next.

I read this book in less than 24 hours. I couldn’t put it down. It completely sucked me in and thrust me in to a whirlwind of feelings.
The pact is the story of Maddie. At the start of the book we discover her moving in to an apartment. It’s clear from the beginning she is a complex character and I don’t want to say too much about her as I don’t want to give anything away. Needless to say I went from rolling my eyes at the relationship Maddie has with her ex husband to feeling great empathy to her story ultimately making me cry.
Her new friend Jade on the other hand I didn’t like from the beginning. I was cross at Maddie for allowing herself to be taken advantage of by Jade. When it became clear Jade wasn’t allowing this “pact” to brushed off as a drunken laugh I was hooked.
The story is told by Maddie through “then” and “now” chapters and I really enjoyed it! I will be keeping my eyes open for more books by Dawn Goodwin.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review

Maddie is starting over after a very painful few years. She moves into a new apartment, on her own for the first time ever. She begins an unlikely friendship with her upstairs neighbor who could be the answer to all her problems....or could turn her life upside down...

From the beginning, this book really drew me in. I really loved Maddie as a main character and wanted to see her turn her life around. There were some points in the middle of the book that dragged on a little but I will say I did not see the end coming! This was a very quick read for me and I’m glad I had the chance to read it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book was an expected surprise. I read the blurb and thought it sounded like my normal genre. Was happy to see I was approved to read it. It was lightweight and enjoyable read. I actually liked it more than I expected to. Good for easy reading, so grab it for your next pool or beachside trip. Thanks to the publishers and netgalley for the advanced copy.

I was given a copy of this book by Net Galley for an honest review. Unfortunately, I have decided to not finish the book. I read 50% of it, and just could not get into it. I found it rather long and boring. I could not connect with any of the four main characters. They all seemed to be whiny, selfish people. The husband was especially just out of any rational reason to the situation. It is rare for me to not finish a book, but that is my opinion.

A domestic thriller that is hard to put down! When Maddie and Jade strike up a friendship; they bond over their shared experiences of being done wrong by their exes.. What starts as a "game" of "You kill mine and I'll kill yours." gets serious for one of the women in this twisted pact. Engaging and fast paced, well written and plot driven. I recommend this one for an entertaining read. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this ARC.

I saw this book on NetGalley and after reading the description I thought I’d give it a whirl. Having never read a book by this author and going purely on the description it was either going to be great or a huge flop.

For me, it was great! I dove straight in and read the entire book in 2 days. I was hooked on the characters and their relationship to each other. And actually I thought that this was far more central to the book than the line ‘I’ll kill yours if you kill mine’.

I read a few other reviews before settling on my own and noticed that a lot of people are comparing it to ‘Strangers on a Train’ (without the train). I’ve not read this book but I have watched ‘Horrible Bosses’ and the same could be said for that (also minus the train and minus the comedy). Either way, whatever you might’ve read or watched before, I would recommend it if you like quick, gripping read.

Some of the plot points are a bit inconsistent or elaborate. I was relieved when my suspicions about Ben where far from the truth. By the middle I’d kind of guessed how it would pan out but all the same I couldn’t put it down. I would definitely read another by Dawn and I’m now following her on Twitter to find out more.

Thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I found this a quick and easy read. Ultimately there isn't much to it – I can't see it lingering in my brain the way some books do – but it was a fun enough way to spend a few hours.

The main draw for me was the main character, Maddie. Her grief over so many miscarriages and her subsequent spiral into depression were very well handled. Although I found her doormat tendencies and constant second-guessing of herself quite annoying, they were also realistic. I could see why she would latch onto Jade as a friend even though she had doubts, because it's not as if she had much else in her life at that point.

However, much as I enjoyed seeing Maddie gradually rebuild a life for herself, I found the ending to be one step too far. (SPOILER ALERT, though I will try and be as vague as I can!) Maddie was handed everything she wanted, which just seemed too perfect. She does acknowledge the losses that made it possible, but I just didn't like that she essentially benefited from Jade's crimes without getting her own hands dirty. The suicide in particular was hard to swallow. (END SPOILERS.)

In addition, the thriller aspect of the book is not particularly thrilling. I never felt nervous for Maddie, because I had a strong feeling that she was protected by the hand of the author (which turned out to be justified! See above). And I guessed the key 'secret' about Jade's son very early on.

Despite my criticisms, this isn't a bad book. I'd say it was a good option for reading on the beach or sick in bed when you don't want to concentrate too hard.

Maddie's husband has left her and moved on with a new woman and baby. She can’t run from her past anymore and it has destroyed her future.

While trying to get her life back Maddie meets Jade and her young son, Ben. As the two women begin to open up about their exes over a few glasses of wine, Jade conjures a plan, a pact. She'll kill Maddie's if Maddie kills hers. Laughing it off, Maddie returns to her normal life. But what if it wasn't a joke at all...

This books plot intrigued me. Definitely a more original concept and full of twists and surprises. You never really know who is hiding what and who is innocent. I did enjoy the story and twists though found it hard to relate to the characters and find most of them likeable. But maybe that was the point? A descent read but one of those I could put down and easily forget about it for a few days. Nothing really pulled me back but for some it may be different.
Thank you Net Galley for the advance copy!

Maddie is recently separated from her husband and moving into her own apartment. She is broken and still has a close and strange relationship with him and his daughter from another woman. She meets her neighbor, Jade, who is a single mom and very rough around the edges and after a drunken night they agree to make a pact to kill each other's exes. Was it a joke? Or is Jade serious?

I wanted to like this book more. There was something missing for me. that I can't put my finger on. Maybe it was Maddie's desperation with her friendship choices and what she was willing to put up with from her ex, his new girlfriend, and the neighbor to be around kids. I understand her feelings but it seemed over the top. I also felt the way things were revealed was a little slow. I did keep turning the pages though, so it did keep my interest. Maybe this book will work better for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria Publishing for the copy of this book in exchange for my review. This book is available October 8, 2020.

Thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for the ARC, which I received in exchange for my honest review. The Pact is an engaging domestic thriller set in the UK. The main character is Maddie, a 38 year old woman who is moving into an apartment after her husband of nearly 20 years has moved in her younger, fertile replacement into their home. The reader soon learns that Maddie has suffered numerous pregnancy losses and is desperate for a child. Maddie immediately strikes up a friendship of sorts with her neighbor Jade. After the women bond over a few too many glasses of wine, a comment is made about their ex-partners, "You kill mine and I'll kill yours."

Suffice it to say that one of these women takes this pact seriously while the other does not. What follows is a a gripping tale of infidelity, desperation and deceit that not everyone will survive. This was a fast paced read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. While Maddie made some questionable decisions, I did like her character and her struggles with fertility were written in a very heartfelt manner.

The author did a good job of wrapping up all of the storylines and I enjoyed the conclusion of the book, particularly the epilogue.

If you are looking for an engrossing domestic thriller, give this one a try.

The premise is promising: two very different women who in a drunken state make a pact to kill the other's ex. Deception and manipulation are the main themes of this novel.
That Jade is a psychopath is clear from the very beginning and the pact was never meant as a win-win. Maddie on the other side is unstable and obsessed with small children.
That Jade will act on the pact is expected, but the reader will never get the feeling the Maddie is capable of murder.
The end is indeed surprising, the outcome too convenient to be believable.

This was an enjoyable read for me , although it kept me up late trying to finish it I did find it slightly pushed the bounds of reality but hey its fiction not true to life . Maddie is thoroughly miserable , she has split up with her husband who has a new baby with his girlfriend and former PA . Because this is all Maddie ever wanted you really feel for her , even when she is making really stupid decisions . She befriends the neighbor from hell upstairs and drunkenly make a pact to get rid of their respective exes Maddie believes it to be a drunken joke but unfortunately Jade is deadly serious .. Maddie is really naïve but I did find myself rooting for her ..all in all an entertaining read

I enjoyed the read, but I did take me a while to get into! However the story was good overall and liked reading about the characters.

Maddie’s life has been turned upside down. Her husband had an affair and now has a daughter to show for it. She’s moved out and the girlfriend has moved in. Maddie makes an unlikely friend in her new apartment building. Jade is loud, brash, and a mom. She’s everything Maddie is not but Maddie finds herself drawn to Jade’s son, Ben. One evening, after too many drinks, Jade and Maddie jokingly make a pact to kill the each other’s man. Maddie may have thought it was a joke but Jade was dead serious.

I enjoyed this book. It was well written and a quick read. I did find a few things a little unbelievable but it didn’t keep me from enjoying it. The ending was great!

The cover of this caught my eye on Netgalley and after reading the blurb, I had to request it. It definitely sounds like Strangers On a Train (without the train). Two women with man troubles and one muses after too many glasses of wine that killing hers would improve her life. Unfortunately, the other is a lunatic and takes this as a "Game on!" moment and that can't end well.

But the way this played out wasn't exactly what I was expecting. There is indeed a murder but it doesn't take place until around the 75% mark. As a rule, I'm not a fan of that and like most stories where this happens, there's no good reason for it. Honestly, there was too much time spent on laying out the marriage of Maddie and Greg (from their meeting to the present). Maddie suffers through infertility and the breakdown of her marriage and when we enter the story, she is being moved into a nearby flat by her husband. Greg's now living in the home he and Maddie shared, with his formerly-his-really-bad-at-her-job-PA-girlfriend and their baby. Maddie, is really fine with all this and so accommodating to Greg to the point that upon accepting a lunch invitation to what used to be her home, she goes to the trouble of making him his favourite dessert (sticky toffee pudding) because he asked and gosh darn it all, he's just such a great guy (I never liked or felt for that guy but I think readers are supposed to). And that's not the most banana-pants thing this story has to roll out on the reader.

This was like a Lifetime movie and I had many moments of "What did I just read?!" That's not a bad thing because I just went with it and had fun but that's not the serious toned, Strangers On a Train vibe I'd been seeking when I requested this. The back 25% of this was full of twists and I was surprised at some of the revelations. The very end is too cute and wrapped in a bow for me but it was completely in line with that Lifetime movie feel, so not unexpected. There were a couple things that felt like continuity issues: Maddie is 38 but refers to herself as a Boomer (so... definitely not). She talks abt her fave shows with Greg & having watched them as newlyweds in the 90s. So perhaps she's supposed to be a Gen Xer & 38 was a typo, idk). May be worked out in the final edition for release.

I'd recommend this as a weekend or beach read. If you're the sort to talk to the characters as you read, you should settle in with a beverage. Wine, perhaps.


Many thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for the Advance Reader's Copy.