I thought this book started off quite slowly but  stick with it and it turns into a gripping page turner. Well worth a read

Julia Blythe has a reputation for causing trouble after whistleblowing at her last employment. She moves to a new hospital and seems to be settling in well but her colleague Nathan Sloan becomes obsessed with her whilst also keeping career-ending secrets...
The Secret Within is quite a dark thriller with the added tension of a medical drama. The tagline is a little misleading as this plot twist doesn't happen until two thirds of the way through the book. Before that point, we are introduced to the courageous and resilient Julia and her narcissist colleague Nathan.
The plot is delivered through 3 viewpoints: Julia, Nathan and their colleague Hamish who supports Nathan up to a point. This allows us to see various perspectives and get an emotional understanding to their actions, even as we despise them!
Gender roles and the continued strength of patriarchy are explored over the course of the book. Julia stands up for herself and is quite righteous to protect her patients. This had led to personal sexist attacks on her in the past and now she is concerned that a male agenda is taking over again.
I did have a little sympathy for Nathan as his emotional fixation with Julia does seem genuine. However, his repugnant behaviour soon dismiss any positive feelings towards him as he manipulates events in the book.
The Secret Within is a hugely entertaining thriller and did remind me of some plotlines from Holby City. I can see this book being made into a TV drama!

Lucy Dawson definitely knows how to keep you glued to a thrill book! She writes flawlessly, with well developed characters which make you become much more entwined and emerged in the story!  Lots of fun twist and turns, thrills, chills, and shocks!  While I normally am bot a fan of books with missing, hurt, etc. children. As it’s too her to read as a momma, I have to admit that Dawson got me hooked!  Highly recommend!

I really liked this book, though I think the tag line is a little off. "My child is missing. I know who did it" is kind of odd. First of all shouldn't it be, "My child is missing. I know who took him" or something like that? Second. I didn't feel like that was at all what the book was about until the end and I thought the other storylines were much more interesting. 

The only criticism I have of this book is that the Nathan character is a little all over the place. I'm still unsure as to whether he is a chronic womanizer and a pathological liar or if he was supposed to be legitimately falling for Julia. I felt like she left a lot of groundwork suggesting was a womanizer...but I was a little confused by the frequent declarations of love. 

I did like that this book was a lot more sinister than I initially understood! I thought it was going to be a pretty standard whistle blower story but this one really went beyond that which made it a really quick read. 

I thought the "Gone Girl" comparisons oversold it a little, but I do highly recommended for those who already a well-thought out quick read since this story had a lot of depth.

The Secret Within is the first book I've read by Lucy Dawson, and I will definitely be watching out for more by her.
I found myself immersed within the first few chapters, with all the hidden undercurrents and secrets in this it certainly keeps the reader hooked, and with well drawn characters, its very easy to get invested!
Excellent story, and have got a few friends to read it too!

Firstly a big thank you to Bookouture for my copy to review on netgalley. I’ve read a few of Lucy’s books and loved them but none were quite as much the journey as this one was. Buckle up because this is a rollercoaster of a read.

Twists and turns and revelations after revelations this has all the ingredients for a fantastic psychological thriller . Filled with tension and suspense

Incredible thought provoking and unpredictable. Highly recommend

Published 26th January

3,5 stars
I usually enjoy books by Lucy Dawson but somehow I could not really get into this one. The idea is sure some interesting one, as it is about a woman why tries to make her way in a male dominated area. However I personally could not connect with the characters.
Thank you #NetGalley and Bookouture for a free e-copy in exchange for my honest opinion

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for approving me for an ARC of this book. I have recently become a fan of Lucy Dawson’s after listening to some of her books on audio so I was very pleased to get this one!

From the very beginning this book grabbed my attention and I found it very difficult to put down. Before I knew it I had hit 50% and I remember asking myself what more could possibly happen? Poor Julia just couldn’t catch a break, I felt that her moral compass was forever being tested. She was resilient in her fight to do the right thing and whilst she knew it would have huge consequences I always felt she stayed true to herself. She as a very admirable character.

Nathan and Hamish however have no moral compass what so ever! I honestly couldn’t believe some of the things that came out of their mouths, they made my skin crawl with their high opinions of themselves. They both abused their positions of power and egged each other on. The two of them together were a disaster waiting to happen and in the end the most shocking thing was that Nathan had no clue just how wrong they were in their actions. He had driven himself insane and that, in my opinion, made him the most deadly of the two.

I really enjoyed reading about the medical aspect of the book, it was fascinating to learn the process of these surgeries and I felt that the author had done a great job in researching these aspects. She also did a fantastic job of portraying gender inequality in the workplace from a woman’s point of view, in a male dominated occupation.

I’ve come to expect with Lucy Dawson’s books that nothing is as it seems and there will be some revelation that will shock me and I’m pleased to say she didn’t disappoint me. Without giving too much away there was a point where I thought surely Nathan will not do that but yes he did and I honestly couldn’t believe it. There were more twists and turn, revelations that surprised me and moments when I shouted hooray! Another fabulous read that left me speechless!

Another book by Lucy Dawson that kept me hooked from beginning to end, and that it is told from many perspectives gives it the edge. Totally recommended

I really like this author and it pains me to give such low rating to one of her books but this one did not work for me at all.

It was way iver the top and felt more like a lifetime movie. The villain is too stereotypical, which demeans, in my view, the reality of men who indeed are abusive like that. This felt far fetched and convoluted.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange fot my honest review.

Author Lucy Dawson has been a firm favourite with me for quite some time.
Her books give you such an engrossing read.
She has this unique way of sucking you in to her story immediately and before you know it you can't leave it down.
All household chores are abandoned....
We meet Julia, a very astute surgeon and her family in this story.
Julia wants to start afresh in her career after having the courage to stand up and be heard in her previous job with regards to a colleague.
When she takes a job with the cool, slick plastic surgeon Nathan Sloan and his team, she feels she has come to a nice place, her family are happy and her career is back on track.
She couldn't have been more wrong.
Getting more than she bargained for, Julia faces a dilemma now. Should she progress ahead or stand back to live a quieter life.
She needs to put her family first though doesn't she...
Author Lucy Dawson has created characters that are narcissistic and self indulgent but a joy to read...
Being top of their game means they feel they can do that they want, when they want to, never taking into account how it affects other people..
I really enjoyed this read...
Well worth your time...

This book was an enjoyable read.

The first half was a bit slow but it was building up the tension with the characters. Then after that you had twist and turns around every corner.

It was slow paced but I find that better because it builds it up rather than having it thrown at you straight awayThis book was an enjoyable read.

The first half was a bit slow but it was building up the tension with the characters. Then after that you had twist and turns around every corner.

It was slow paced but I find that better because it builds it up rather than having it thrown at you straight away

This. was a story of how gender roles differ in the workplace.  Julia takes a job at a hospital after a publicized whistle blowing incident at her old job.   Nathan and Hamish as the slimy members of her new places staff is very realistic and really make you think that sometimes you shouldn't rush into a job just to get away from a previous one.    I really enjoyed th book however it did lag in some areas and I would have liked a better more smooth ending.

I have read and loved a lot of Lucy's books. But this one didn't quite grab me like her others. 

I found it quite hard for the first two thirds of the book to keep going, but the final third really picked up and I really enjoyed it then.

Being fair, this might be just due to the current circumstances we're all going through, why I struggled with it though.

Wowza… Twisted and fun… Exactly what I wanted on my drowsy morning with a cuppa tea.

Having read many books by the author, I was sure I would get a suspenseful book with the tinges of a medical thriller. I got that. In spades. Nathan and Hamish were the ickiest doctors I had ever come across in my entire life. Read on…

When Julia spoke against a male colleague in her previous place of work, she had to go through a court case to prove her honesty. She had no choice but to move to a new place, and Hamish and Tan were the only ones who were willing to give her a job. You see, we doctors don’t like when someone whistle-blows. And at this new place, her colleague, Nathan, wanted her.

The entire atmosphere of the book was quite dark where I got the feeling that something more was at play in this hospital. As Julia continued her work, I got the entire story of how plastic surgery was done here. Damn, they were creeps.

The story had twists when Julia’s son disappeared. And the words in the book suddenly appeared to take an ominous tone. The author could make my heart stop as I forced myself to read further. As a doc, it was quite disgusting to see how some doctors could behave.

The story had realistic tones as in my professional life, I have come across such a-holes. Apologies. But that was my most polite swear word. The story pulled and pushed at me as the doctor in me was ready to go to war, yet the reader in me wanted to see how it would end.

Quite a breath-stealing thriller where I couldn’t take a deep breath until I finished the book. Whew.

⭐⭐⭐⭐Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. Over the years I have had the pleasure of reading several Lucy Dawson books and they never disappoint. This was another twisty read from her with dark, manipulative characters doing depraved things. It hooked me from the start and kept me wondering just how it would all end. #thesecretwithin #lucydawson #netgalley #tea_sipping_bookworm #goodreads #amazonkindle #bookqueen #bookstagram #thriller #litsy #storygraph

I love this author! She never disappoints!
Can't wait for this to come out on audio as it a book I'd happily buy and listen to again

I need the two men sitting on the other side of the interview table to trust me. My family’s happiness is riding on my getting this job. I smile, knowing that first impressions are key. There’s no link between having a friendly face and being trustworthy, but humans are built to think there is. Even us doctors, who should know better.
Julia Blythe is a plastic surgeon and after a publicized scandal she moves to start over. She is hired at Exeter Memorial Hospital. Nathan Sloane and his colleague Hamish want her to work with them but why?
Things are not as they seem and Nathan starts to obsess over Julia. The story is told alternately by Nathan, Hamish and Julia.
She is also dealing with an ex husband who keeps showing up to see his son but he makes matters worse for his son.
There were quite a few twists in this story and the ending was great.
Thanks to bookouture and NetGalley for ARC to review.

★★★★ 3.5 stars (rounded up)

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Lucy Dawson's latest psychological thriller THE SECRET WITHIN.

This is a difficult book to review as it evoked so many conflicting emotions in me. The first half was slow and I thought "I don't think I'm going to enjoy this" and then it picked up and I'm thinking "Mmm, now this could get interesting"...and then I got to the point I just felt like banging heads! And then...it ends up being like a car crash - you just can't look away. You just have to know what happens next!

Plastic surgeon Julia Blythe is looking for a new start for her and her family. She relocates to a small town in Devon after turning whistle-blower on a fellow surgeon for dangerous and unethical practices that put patients at risk and finding herself the victim of a witch hunt by the hospital trust. Her trial was broadcast nationwide in which she fought to get her job back on principal but knowing full well that she could no longer work in that environment, Julia and her family packed themselves off to a coastal town in Devon.

Now she finds herself at the final stage of interviews where she needs to convince the panel of two - Hamish and Tanveer - to take a chance on her despite what they might have heard about her in the media. Her family's future and happiness hinges on her getting this job at Exeter Memorial Hospital. But Hamish and Tanveer have their own reasons for wanting Julia as part of their team - both of them different. And so they offer her the job...which is perfect because now her husband Ewan can take up the teaching position he was offered at the local school in which their children Alex and Cassia have reserved places. But Julia will soon discover that this wasn't the fresh start she was hoping for...and that she may well have placed herself and her family in danger.

Enter Nathan Sloan. The third in the team of surgeons that Julia will be working with...but who wasn't on the panel when she was interviewed. He is movie-star handsome, successful, charismatic and well-liked throughout the hospital and with patients...but he is a narcissistic misogynist and an expert manipulator who believes he can get away with anything. After all, he has done for years. So full of himself is he that he is well confident that their new colleague Julia won't call him out or blow the whistle on his secret practices due to her past. Because really, who will believe her if she does it again? But then Nathan has plans for her.

But then Nathan's plans go awry when Julia walks up to him outside the school where their children attend and introduces herself. He had their first meeting all mapped out...how he would make a grand entrance at the hospital and charm her with his devilish good looks and captivating smile. Unfortunately for him, Julia is nobody's fool and she doesn't plan on being hoodwinked or charmed by him. And so she stands there in her wellies and shakes his hand. The moment she does is electric. Nathan is suddenly dumbstruck, staring at her plain-ness and yet is completely under her spell. From that moment on, Nathan makes it his mission to have Julia fall under his...

And then Julia's ex-husband, Dominic, turns up outside the school gates very drunk...and in danger of not only embarrassing Julia, but their son Alex as well. Julia is mortified but Nathan cleverly diffuses the awkward situation by suggesting he and Dom go for a cigarette before the kids come out. Instead, Nathan puts Dom back on a train to London with £100 for his trouble. Nathan is sure now that Julia will be indebted to him and sees this as his way in. Thanking him the next day at work, Julia is incredibly grateful. But she is not as grateful as he had hoped she would be...as he is to discover.

Becoming obsessed with Julia, Nathan will go to any lengths to ensure that she will love him back. Even to the point of lunacy. Even Hamish, who has been Nathan's best friend for twenty five years, thinks his friend has lost the plot. Women are there for the taking not to fall in love with. But Nathan is blind to anything else...he is convinced he loves Julia and will do anything to be granted her love in return. And then he comes up with a foolproof plan to ensure her gratitude and love for him forever...

Nathan is truly deplorable but as the story develops he becomes almost childlike in his excitement and plans to make Julia fall in love with him. And although he claims that her existence has changed him completely, his obsession for her is indeed dangerous. When she uncovers the truth of what he has been doing, she threatens to report him but Nathan refuses to believe she will...especially when he shows her the photo that Hamish took of them kissing on the beach. Julia visibly pales but is resolute in her convictions.

Seemingly innocuous at first, Hamish is an incredibly nasty character. While Nathan was openly creepy, Hamish watched from the sidelines...and even took a piece himself when the opportunity arose. If Nathan was dangerous, Hamish was even more so. He was Nathan's twisted conscience to ensure he didn't blow their "little operation". After all, they all knew of the troubles at her previous hospital and didn't for once think anyone would believe her a second time...which is why they hired her, counting on her keeping schtum.

A slow burn to start, THE SECRET WITHIN does pick up the pace around 30% and then goes into full pelt mode just beyond the halfway mark. You both love and hate the story that unfolds but you can't look away either. It becomes addictive reading as you keep turning the pages in your quest to discover how it all pans out. Will Nathan be held accountable for his lurid practices and recording of patients without their consent? Or will he charm his way out of it and live to see another day?

Honestly, I thought Nathan was completely deluded. I don't know how he thought every twisted idea he came up with would make Julia love him. He was seriously so unstable it made him dangerous, which became even clearer when he started playing out scenes with Julia in his mind whilst in surgery. To the point he had completely forgotten the surgical plan for the patient he was currently working on! Too scary, I'm sure. But at the same time, his delusions and his childlike way he became excited about them made me chuckle as often as I was shaking my head. He was a 51 surgeon and here he was behaving like a lovestuck teenager. The entire debacle was hilarious it was that ludicrous. But it was Hamish I really didn't like. He was truly dangerous and vindictive...probably moreso than the dastardly Nathan.

I did feel the book to be a little long in parts but the story was so addictive and mesmerising I was never actually bored. It's a creepy thought to think that a person with such power as a surgeon could cross such boundaries completely without your knowledge. It reminds us just how much we really put our trust in doctors and surgeons. The very act of being anaesthetised for surgery is a complete measure of trust on our part. And that is what makes this whole tale creepy.

Told primarily through the alternating narratives of Julia and Nathan, with the odd chapter through Hamish's eyes, the plot is slowly revealed as we are drip-fed snippets to keep us engaged throughout. As much as I disliked him, I especially enjoyed reading Nathan's twisted delusional narrative. It was like having a window into a completely warped mind. I couldn't figure out if he was a pure psychopath or just plain mental.

A long, crazy ride that is so completely mind-boggling my head was spinning, THE SECRET WITHIN is not so much a mystery as it is a suspenseful thriller. You know what is happening as it plays out so nothing remains a mystery...except for how it will end. And I was a little surprised by the ending. Still not sure I liked it but my lips are sealed as to say anymore would be a spoiler.

A tense read, THE SECRET WITHIN is definitely a different tale of twisted obsession that will appeal to fans who like their psychological/domestic thrillers a little dark and twisted.

I would like to thank #LucyDawson, #NetGalley, #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheSecretWithin in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of those times when I find it difficult to write a review. And that’s because I still have so many mixed feelings. 

It starts slowly, with the main and side characters that will show their true colours from the beginning and it’s easy to keep up with everything they do. 

Now, the second part of the book was definitely a page-turner. All the suspense is starting to build up, and there are quite a few unexpected twists along the way. 

I liked Julia and her character grew up on me over the chapters, especially since we get to read her side of the story. It’s difficult for a woman to try to make a name for herself in a men’s world, especially in one where they think nothing can touch them and the narcissistic personality is showing up with every action taken. 

But, somehow, I wasn’t really sold on me too or all men’s are bad and act accordingly, only because I work in the medical field and see this behaviour every day but while there are always bad apples in any department, I find it hard to believe that everyone is the same. 

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my review copy.