Very enjoyable and gripping book with 65 chapters. I selected this book to read because of its attractive book cover. Maddie and Kiara has been best friends since university. They are married to two different men Nathan and David. Maddie has two children with her husband Nathan. After a detective DS Fletcher comes to Maddie's house door one morning to tell her that Kiara has been found dead at her apartment. Having suspected suicide Maddie couldn't understand why her friend was being so desperate, so lonely, and would have taken her life. Maddie was sure something wasn't right.

Kiara was pregnant when she died. Cleaned up blood was found at Kiara's apartment. Nathan's fingerprints are all over the apartment. The police found no evidence of anyone having broken in. They were gathering other DNA evidence. Kiara's death, had it really been suicide? Maddie still couldn't accept it. There were so many questions, all of them buzzing around in her head. The police might have missed things within that apartment. Infestation of spiders were found in Kiara's apartment which made Kiara terrified and petrified, phobia in mind. Spiders drove Kiara over the edge.

This book is full of twists and surprises. A well written, simple Psychological thriller by Sheryl Browne filled with deception, shocks, heartbreaks, and romance the reader need to wait till the end for the nail biting suspense of the book. One of the best Psychological thriller that have ever read.

I just reviewed the book, Do I really know you by Sheryl Browne, Thanks to Bookouture Publisher, NetGalley and author Sherly Browne for this advance read in exchange for my honest review.

Yet again Sheryl Browne has written an utterly gripping suspense thriller, As I finished reading the prologue I just knew that this book was going to completely grip me and I certainly wasn’t wrong there. This is a fast paced thriller that once you start reading you won’t want to put down. A superb read with plenty of twists and turns and a few red herrings thrown in. A book which I highly recommend.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Do I Really Know You? ' by Sheryl Browne.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Sheryl Browne, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 19th July 2022.

This is the fourth book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'My Husbands Girlfriend', 'The Invite' and 'The Liar's Child' which I highly recommend.


I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that 'Perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl and The Wife, Do I Really Know You? is a gripping new psychological thriller from bestselling author Sheryl Browne. Once you start reading, you won’t be able to stop!' I am a huge fan of 'Gone Girl' and 'The Wife' so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a huge fan of Sheryl and if this is half as good as 'My Husband's Girlfriend', 'The Invite' and 'The Liar's Child' it is sure to be a page turning read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists a prologue, 65 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in Worcestershire, UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture.


This book is written in third person perspective with the main protagonists being Maddie, Kiara, David and Nathan. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.

'Do I Really Know You?' discusses some topics that may upset some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Sheryl discusses/includes gaslighting and spiders.

Wow!!! What did I just read!!! What twists and a half fairplay, I most certainly was NOT expecting any of that!!! Anyway, we shall return to that!!! This book is extremely well written and completely drew me in from start to end. The synopsis, title and cover worked perfectly with the storyline.

One of the best books I have ever read!!! Don't even think about even looking at the first page until you have cleared your schedules as you won't be able to put it down!!

The storyline was extremely compelling and I was completely addicted from the beginning starting with a prologue putting my heart in my throat to absolutely explosive ending!!! I started it this morning and finished it in a day!! It was filled with mysteries, twists and surprises and had me completely absorbed throughout. It was filled with suspense, lies, romance, twists, heartbreak, deceit and shocks!! It had me on tenterhooks on the edge of my seat and biting my nails to get to the truth. I absolutely loved how it completely shocked me at the end!! There's not much worse in a book than when you have already figured out what is going on by 50%!! I love that the fact that Sheryl has done her research shined throughout. One of my pet hates is when an authour picks a subject to include in their novel but hasn't done any research, it litters the books with mistakes and errors and it can spoil a storyline. This book is not only an epic psychological thriller filled with twists and turns that I would have never expected all the way to the end but it is also quite sad and heartbreaking when it comes to the end and when we find out what really happened to who and why. In this book Sheryl discusses a very important subjects that are gaslighting and phobias I won't go into too much detail and Sheryl explains it all beautifully in her letter at the end of the book so make sure you continue to the end to read it. I love the fact that she has based this book from her own experiences and that she shares this with her readers and how she overcame both of the above. A huge well down to you Sheryl you should be extremely proud of yourself!! I would love to see this book turned into what would promise to be a massive hit movie!!

It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture.

Absolutely addictive, unputdownable and most definitely EXPLOSIVE!!!

The characters were vivid, realistic, unique and very compelling. Throughout the book I liked, disliked and questioned most of the main characters unsure of who was to blame and who was doing what wrong and right. After I had done all that I was still wrong!!! Throughout the book I flicked from feeling sorry for either Maddie, Dave, Nathan or even Kiara and then by the next chapter I thought that same character seriously needed help or were just horrific. I became suspect of them all. There was an additional character my heart completely broke for at the end but I won't be saying any more on who or why as, again I don't want to spoil it for future readers. I felt the book ended perfectly the way it did and everything was explained with no loose ends, another pet hate of mine. Well done Sheryl!!! The perfect eclectic mix of strong and realistic characters came together to make this book a real page turner!!!

This book would make a truly captivating movie which I would love to see and I am definitely looking forward to reading more books by Sheryl. Congratulations Sheryl on yet another amazing read!!! Here's to your next success 🥂

This is exactly why Sheryl is one of my favourite authors. I love every book yet she still manages to make them better and better which is not an easy feat!!

Overall a page turning, gripping and addictive psychological thriller that will shock you at times and break your heart on others!!


Genres covered in this novel include Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Crime Fiction, Noir Fiction, Crime Fiction and Psychological Fiction amongst others.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of 'Gone Girl' , Shalini Boland, 'The Girl On The Train', 'The Wife', Lisa Jewell and anyone looking for an explosive novel with a bombshell twist!!!


370 pages.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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Do I Really Know You? by Sheryl Browne was another excellent psychological thriller by Sheryl. This book will have you sitting on the edge of your seat and is full of great twists and turns throughout that will have you hooked from the beginning till the end. I love the way Sheryl has a way of drawing you into her books and you become apart of the story. This was no different! I loved it!
However, it's not for people who hate spiders!!!! This book is full of Them!!!!

She’s your oldest friend and you told each other everything. So you’d know if she’d done something terrible, wouldn’t you?

Maddie and Kiara have been best friends since they met on their first day at University. They've always shared everything with each other, everything except one big secret, which Kiara knows would tear them apart…

There's a knock on Maddie’s front door as she and husband Nick are getting ready for the morning school run, she’s not expecting to hear what they have to tell her.

Kiara is dead.

The Police say it's suicide, But, Maddie can’t believe it. Maddie knew's everything about her best friend,!

But, didn’t she?

She wouldn't just kill herself......She tells me everything!

WoW! what a book

I highly recommend this latest book Do I really know you?

This book follows a group of friends who find themselves in a tragedy when one of the friends turns up dead. It's left to Maddie to work out whether her friend really committed suicide.

I loved this!!! It was so interesting reading multiple perspectives and really seeing how everyone was involved in the storyline.
Sometimes the timeline placing was a little confusing but it was easier in the second half of the book.

I really struggled to work this one out and I love when books have me left confused until the last 20% because it makes the book feel worthwhile.

I rated this 4 stars!!!

Loved this one! It captured my attention from the very beginning and had a nice amount of twists and turns.

Ohhh this was a very good read. Dark and broody, lots of twist and turns and gripping. If you like physiological thrillers then this is one not to be missed.

Dark, gripping and twisty. A story of four friends, now two couples. They know each other intimately - or do they? A death considered suicide. Maddie gets the news that her best friend Kiara has taken her own life. A great read discovering the back story to this tragedy. A true psychological thriller with good twists.

I enjoyed Do I Really Know You? but I do think it was a little overlong in places. It had plenty of twists and turns throughout with plenty of tension. I'm a big fan of Sheryl Brown and although I enjoyed this I don't think it is one of the best I have read by her.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

A whodunnit style psychological thriller with spiders !!

Maddie, Kiara and their husbands, Nathan and David, have been friends since university and they still make time to socialise now, many years later.

Kiara went through a very traumatic time at university and has never really recovered. She also has a severe phobia of spiders, which isn’t helped by her and David living in a country barn. Kiara decides enough is enough and convinces a reluctant David to sell the barn and move to a modern fourth floor apartment.

Maddie and David are happily married with two children, but David has to travel a lot for his work. All is going well until they receive the shocking news that Kiara has jumped from her fourth floor balcony - she has died !! Why did we jump ? What was going on in her life to make her want to end her life ? Did she really commit suicide or was someone else involved ?

Suddenly Maddie is doubting everything and everyone. She is convinced that Kiara didn’t kill herself but if that’s the case then how to she die ? Maddie recalls little snippets of their lives together and suddenly she is thinking that maybe the bond between her husband and Kiara was more than friendship, but was it or is it all in her head ?

This is a great whodunnit psychological thriller that will have you hooked from the very start. Lots of lies and secrets to keep you entertained. Definitely one to read !!

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Sheryl Browne's tense and creepy psychological thriller DO I REALLY KNOW YOU?

You've known each other for years. Since you were young...much younger. You've been there for each other through all the good times, the bad and even the downright ugly. You've endured turmoils together, picked up the pieces together and come through the other side together. You have always been there for each other. No matter what. Yet...how well do you really know each other?

The story opens with a heart-stopping prologue that sets your pulse racing and those tiny little hairs standing on end as shivers tingle down your spine as two terrifying phobias assault the reader within the first electrifying pages. Yes, phobias. The most terrifying of them all...spiders. And lots of them!

The mystery of "who" had me guessing throughout. Who did who not really know? Who had cornered who in the dark and let loose a terrifying cluster of eight-legged little ferals? Who was gaslighting who? And who wasn't all they appeared to be?

Maddie and Kiara have been best friends since university but in recent months have had a falling out. Why, Maddie isn't sure, but Kiara had been distancing herself from her and she was left wondering why. Every time she tried to speak to her friend, Kiara would either make excuses or simply avoid her altogether. Which left Maddie wondering just how well she knew her best friend.

Then one morning the police arrive to inform Maddie that Kiara was dead, an apparent suicide, and Maddie is left bereft. Why hadn't she tried to find out what was bothering her friend? Why hadn't she made more of an effort? She should have known, shouldn't she? But then she remembers their sudden rift the past few months and finds herself questioning just how much she really knew about Kiara and what secrets her friend had been keeping. I mean, she had to be, didn't she? For her to take such drastic action in ending her life. Was she really that unhappy?

Since university, Maddie and Kiara had married their respective boyfriends Nathan and David. And while Maddie had a happy life with Nathan and their two children, she wondered just how happy Kiara had been with David. After all, they were separated at the time of her death. But David adored Kiara and would have done anything to make her happy. In fact, he had...by moving from their beautiful country-styled barn conversion into the minimalist clinical fourth floor apartment. All in the name of Kiara's terrifying arachnophobia. She saw spiders in every corner of the old barn and yet in this new-build apartment high off the ground there would be no chance of them invading her space. Here, she would be safe...and happy.

So why did she take her own life? What made Kiara plunge to her death from her fourth floor balcony? Was it really suicide? Or was it an accident? Had her phobia elicited the one thing she would run from irrationally over a balcony in an attempt to escape them?

Maddie is sure there is more to Kiara's death than meets the eye. But when she tries to confide in Nathan he brushes her concerns off as her imagination conjuring up things that didn't happen due to her reliance on sleeping pills. The same pills that gave her hallucinations as well as imagining things. And yet if she didn't take them she'd be exhausted from lack of sleep or nightmares that plague her even in her waking moments. Either way, Maddie is a mess. And Kiara's death only adds to her stress and worries. Of course it doesn't help that Nathan is always away in some far flung country examining bugs for research which, as an entomologist, is his job. But is it her imagination that Nathan seems to be withdrawing from her?

And so we return to the question of "who". This cleverly told multi-layered story, which unfolds through the eyes of several unreliable narrators, throws us twists and red herrings that we are left questioning who it is that we really don't know? Someone is certainly not who they appear to be...to anyone. I laid out all the pieces of the puzzle I had thus far and closely examined them...and came up with a working theory around 40% in. It's like a game of cat and mouse reading one of Sheryl's books as I ponder if she could outwit me again? Sorry, Sheryl, not this time. I had it worked out long before the gradual reveal. But of course, that didn't affect my enjoyment of this creepy spine-tingling thriller.

DO I REALLY KNOW YOU? is definitely creepy and spine-tingling but not in the usual sense. It's the hundreds of creepy eight-legged little psychopaths terrorising Kiara, and the reader, that is enough to send shivers down anyone's spine. Spiders are not your friend. Not in my world. And if you are afraid of spiders, beware...because they feature heavily in this book and play a huge role to the story. But not only that, fears are being played upon as well. Because at the beginning, each of the friends all reveal their fears to one another...paving the way for who it is that is wearing a mask to play on those fears.

I thoroughly enjoyed DO I REALLY KNOW YOU? (despite the eight-legged psychopaths). Gaslighting is one of my favourite weapons in psychological thrillers. It is the subtle and covert manipulation that leaves readers questioning if what they are reading is real...if the characters are truly that unreliable or if something else is making it seem that way. The paranoia is delicious and the vulnerability chilling. And Sheryl's execution is brilliant.

Again, I love the short snappy chapters that keep the pace moving even quicker and the flashbacks from the past to the present helped put everything into perspective...albeit, a little unreliable maybe. But Sheryl revealed just enough at the right time as she drip-fed us information to both intrigue and maybe hoodwink us. The ending was a slow and gradual reveal that I saw coming but may well shock others. And leaves us questioning how well do we really know those we thought we knew?

Sheryl's often told me, after reading previous books, she would have to work harder at outwitting me as I've become something of a master at guessing her villains. Or is it that I just know at which angle to look? Having stated in her bio that she would have made an excellent psychopath, I'm now left wondering if I have an inner psychopath too...lol

I would like to thank #SherylBrowne, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #DoIReallyKnowYou in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

Maddie and Kiara have been close friends since university, but as time goes on, and both women mature, life gets in the way as they embark on their own paths and desires. Despite this, their friendship remains strong, and when one is discovered dead at home, the other knows that there is more going on than suicide as initially reported.

This gripping, captivating, riveting thriller is an emotional rollercoaster as secrets are uncovered, with excellent plot twists, and the dark complexity of the characters becomes evident. This will keep the reader guessing with a shocking and unforeseen conclusion, adding excitement and anticipation.

The plot flows well, and the writing style is one I am familiar with, having read books by this author before. The incredibly writing talent of this author never ceases to amaze me.

The only critique is that there should be better trigger warnings referring to sensitive issues, such as agoraphobia, abuse, addiction, and mental health. This story will not be for everyone due to these, I recommend full research is conducted prior to reading.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read, ideal for thriller fans or anyone looking for an introduction to this author.

Drama, tension and a few spiders

The opening pages of this book made me wonder if I was going to get any sleep until I had finished it – it was that good!

Maddie and Nathan, Kiara and David have all been friends since University. Although they have remained close, Kiara has recently started being somewhat distant to Maddie. Everything else is perfect though. Well perfect apart from the large spiders that keep wandering into Kiara and David’s house and terrifying Kiara, and some of the 4 main characters seem to be keeping secrets from each other, and Nathan is often away, and ...

The mystery of who is doing what to who builds and builds right to the final pages, and kept me interested and coming back for more.

The chapters move between the past and now, which builds the story in a flowing and easy to follow way. It is worth however getting your head round who the 4 main characters are, so as not to confuse them in the early stages. I take notes for reviewing purposes anyway, and found myself referring back to these.

There is an interesting “Letter from Sheryl” at the end talking briefly about her experience of gaslighting and how she successfully overcame her phobia of spiders.

In summary, an entertaining read, with dramatic moments, plenty of opportunities for guesswork if the reader wants to think ahead, and characters that are interesting and likeable (or is that just how they seem?!) Recommended.

Setting: Worcestershire, England.
Publishers: Bookouture
Publication Date: July 2022

I have enjoyed many of Sheryl Browne's previous books but I found this one to be difficult to get into from the start, it was then a real slow burner for me, dragging a bit in places, but I stuck with it and enjoyed the final twists.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

Four best friends from Uni are now grown with families of their own. They know each other intimately and can always trust in their tight circle. While all goes swimmingly along for some time, there begins some friction, an affair and a whodunnit making you race to the explosive end to find out everything! Another great read from author Shery Browne!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

This is a great read.
Maddie and Kiara are very close friends and spend a lot of time together and also as a group with their husbands.
Maddie is shocked to get a visit from the Police one morning telling her that Kiara is dead, and it looks like suicide.
We then have chapters from a few months and weeks before to see what was happening before her death.
It seems Kiara was hiding stuff from her husband and Maddie and it all comes to light before one frightening incident for Maddie.
This is a gripping psychological thriller that I really enjoyed.
I did guess some of the story but it didn’t spoil it for me.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Maddie and Kiara have been best friends since they met on their first day at university. They have always shared everything with each other, everything except one bog secret, which Kiara knows would tear them apart....

When the police knock on Maddie and Nathan's front door as she and her husband Nathan are getting ready for the school run, she's not expecting to hear what they have to tell her. Kiara is dead.

Maddie, Kiara, Nathan and David are all friends who know everything about each other. But Maddie and Kiara have recently drifted apart. There's lots of lies and deception to get through before we find out the truth. Each character has their own story to tell. We find out what happened over the years they were all friends in flashbacks. There's twists galore in this well written thriller. The suspense grows as you try and unravel the mystery. There was only one thing wrong with this book, SPIDERS - LOTS OF THEM. The characters were an interesting bunch.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #SherylBrowne for my ARC of #DoIReallyKnowYou in exchange for an honest review

I loved this book from the first chapter! I was hooked, believe me when I say they’re not lying when they say it’s addictive!  Do I really know you follows four friends; Maddie, Nathan, Kiara, and David who have known each other since university. Life appeared to be going well, until Kiara committed suicide. But as the story unfolds you begin to wonder whether Kiara’s death was a suicide. This is one of those books where you can’t say too much without giving away too much.  This book consistently has you on edge and forever guessing who was involved in Kiara’s death. This is by far one of my favorite books of the year. I highly recommend this read! In fact, it would make for a perfect pool / beach read!  Thank you to NetGalley and Bookoture for this ARC.

I've seen lots of early praise for this book so was keen to read.

A story about two couples, old friends since university. One of the women, Kiara, was raped at university, her attacker never arrested, she also has a severe phobia of spiders.

One of the characters is dead, suicide, and the story gradually unfolds through suspicions and secrets being uncovered.

I'm sorry to say I found it slow going, with a wordy overthink and over-explain style. There wasn't a strong enough hook to really pull me in.

Happy to admit that this wasn't really one for me, but I know plenty of other readers who loved it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture

Told from different view points, this one had me in the edge of my seat. Trying to unsnarl this tightly knitted ball of secrets among 4 friends was a challenge. I was sure I knew who was sleeping with one of the victims, but then the author sent me down another dead end.
So many lies and deceptions it makes the moniker keep your friends close but your enemies closer even more insightful.