The Good Patient is a psychological thriller that will keep you on your toes. It's one of those books where you're like, okay, I think I know what's going on, and then something happens and you're like, nope, THIS is what's really going on, and then...
Okay, so there are a lot of little twists. Just enough to give you a bit of whiplash as you try and figure out if you have any idea what the truth might be when it comes to these characters.
The story follows Lauren, a young woman who wakes up in the hospital with a head injury. She was found floating in the ocean, and her boyfriend has gone missing. The police just want to know what happened. But Lauren doesn't know. Or does she?
Lauren has a past. Her boyfriend Josh has secrets. And the only person who believes Lauren is innocent is her doctor. But can Dr. Menon be trusted?
This is definitely a wild ride. There are so many things to consider when trying to figure out what's going on. There's Lauren's past with her mom, Lauren's past with Josh, Lauren and Josh's present relationship, and Dr. Menon's involvement with Lauren. All of them have secrets. One or more of them may be lying. And only the truth will set them all free. But trying to untangle the messy web they've created is a lot. You think you know, but you have no idea.
This is a really good book. Even though there are twists, it's almost relatively straightforward once you finish and really think about it. But I liked that. I also hated most of the characters in this one. No one is really all that likable, except maybe Nick. Although I had my doubts about him too.
If you're looking for an intriguing psychological thriller that will keep you guessing, give The Good Patient a whirl. You won't be disappointed.
4.5 stars!

Another book from Alex Stone and another book I just had to read! I have read all of her books and you can find the reviews on my blog. They are all great reads and I wondered if she would be able to keep the quality as high as everything else she has written.
The Good Patient introduces us to Lauren, a woman who has endured so much in her childhood. FII is the new term for Munchausen by proxy now, and we learn everything of her childhood in flashback. After her mother dies, she moves in with Josh. A relationship that is seemingly good until you look behind the carefully constructed facade. A woman who has been used and abused constantly, has no idea what a healthy relationship is..does she?
She breaks up with Josh and disappears,
never to be seen again. Has Lauren had enough and killed him? The police are treating her like the maIn suspect anyway.
Did Lauren do it? Maybe the doctor that's treating her, Abilash, may be able to unearth the truth. Especially as Lauren seems to have taken a shine to him.
Alex Stone creates the most unique, complex and multi-layered characters. Lauren's life is unravelled in flashback, this allows us to get to know her and try to understand her decisions in life. My heart went out to her from the start. As everything unfolded I was addicted to this book.
A psychological thriller that has you glued to the pages as it sucks you in right from the prologue. Alex Stone skilfully sends the reader down blind alleys and I will say I was wrong in my guesses as I read. It is an intense,emotional read.one that deals with the sensitive subject of mental health and relationships. How those relationships help mold the person you are today. It's a thriller that should be put on everyone's to be read list.
Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources, Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC to write myhonest review.

Award-winning author Alex Stone’s The Good Patient is a chilling, unpredictable and compulsively readable thriller that kept me reading all through the night.

Lauren and Josh seem like the perfect couple. Their relationship is one that most people would give their right arm for. However, not everything is as ideal as it seems because behind closed doors, their fairytale romance is one that is completely overwhelmed by darkness, danger and despair. Lauren had always thought that the truth about their twisted relationship could remain hidden – until she wakes up in a hospital bed and realizes that the tangled threads of their secrets are about to be unraveled in the most startling and sinister of ways…

Josh has gone missing and the police are convinced that Lauren knows where he is and that she could somehow be responsible for his disappearance. Worse, the police think that Lauren could have been driven to commit murder and with nobody to defend her, it looks like she might be about to go down for this most heinous of crimes – until Dr Menon, the medic who has been looking after her for the last couple of weeks, steps in to defend her.

Dr Menon is convinced of Lauren’s innocence and he is sure that she is in no way responsible for Josh’s disappearance. Lauren would never do something like this – or would she? Does his patient have blood on her hands? Or is Dr Menon right to believe in her innocence?

Alex Stone will keep her readers guessing and reeling from shocking twist after shocking twist with The Good Patient. A pulse-pounding and heart-stopping thriller that will jolt readers out of their skin and have them switching on every single light in the house, The Good Patient will chill them to the bone and keep them on the edge of their seat until the very last page.

A superb thriller readers will struggle to put down, The Good Patient is another top-notch page-turner by Alex Stone.

i can not wait to read more from this author! this was fantastic psychological thriller!

thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for an advanced copy of this book!

When Lauren finds herself in hospital after a jetski accident where is Josh her boyfriend...was he with her or was he elsewhere?

Did her Mother harm her, did she have Munchausens by proxy or was it FII?

I had so many questions and doubts swirling round in my head whilst reading this and just had to keep reading. Stone certainly knows how to draw you into a story doesn't she?

The plot is soooo good and full of intrigue that you're compelled to keep reading 'just one more chapter' and before you know it you've finished!

The Good Patient is a fast paced, twisty, character driven read that I really enjoyed.

Many thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for my tour spot.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Alex Stone has become one of my favorite authors recently. The Good Patient blew me away and is now my favorite book by the author. It is so captivating and had me up until 2 am dying to know what was going to happen! This book is definitely 5/5 stars and I will be telling everyone about it!

A fast paced, enjoyable read with some twists and turns. I wanted the story to have a few more big twists, maybe a big draw dropping moment but that didn’t come. The short sentences kept the pace of the novel fast and the main character Lauren I felt was easy to connect with.

I felt Lauren’s emotions all the way through even if I wasn’t sure who to believe at times!

Be prepared there are so many different emotional layers in The Good Patient that at times you won't know what to feel. Lauren wakes up in hospital and her boyfriend Josh is missing and the police believe Lauren knows what happened to him but her Doctor, Dr Menon knows how good Lauren really is and he believes that Lauren had nothing to do with Josh's disappearance. The characters and the storyline are so complex and have many layers that you have to read it slowly and carefully. I felt alot of empathy for Lauren and I was enthralled by the many twists and turns. A great physcological thriller that will keep you on your toes.

The Good Patient was a very different take on a thriller using Munchausen by proxy as part of the storyline. Having previously read several books based around this theme I thought maybe it would follow a similar pattern but actually it was very unexpected. The storyline is absolutely packed with twists and reveals, there are bits of information gradually uncovered through flashbacks and every time you think you have worked out what is going on, the story changes up on you again. The relationships between the characters were very interesting (and in some cases very infuriating!) but it was a really fascinating look at the way events from your past can affect your future relationships and your mental health.

This was my first book from author Alex Stone but it won't be my last. The Good Patient was addictive and fast-paced with short, snappy chapters which made it impossible to put down!

I love Alex Stone’s books and she categorically does not let you down with this epic new Psychological Thriller. There is the gripping plot, the brilliant characters, the thought provoking past/present chapters. What’s not to like? Absolutely nothing, it’s a cracker of a read.

As the plot continues, it slowly unravels the mystery behind Josh’s disappearance and Lauren begins to doubt everything in her life. The “Past” chapters reveal the hard childhood that brought Lauren to the place she is in today. I definitely swung between wanting to hug her and help her to really not liking her and wondering if she really has done something unforgiveable ?

Josh? ummmm now here is a complex character who wants his own way and doesn’t care how he treats Lauren. Putting her down, making her feel worthless. Actually he is right low life in terms of how he treats Lauren. I utterly disliked him and felt he deserves everything he gets. A brilliantly created character.

Alex is one of those authors that has the uncanny ability to get her stories going immediately. No faff, no long chapters trying to set the scene. Nope she’s straight in there with drama and she builds it in such a way that you are constantly changing your mind as to who did what whom and why. Truly accomplished writing that is utterly breathe taking. Not a word is wasted. An outstanding read! Psychological Thriller readers, you need this one!

This was a different thriller, I haven't read anything about fabricated illness before. Lauren was an interesting character I felt empathy for and I as rooting for her.

Alex Stone hooked me in with The Perfect Daughter, then again with The Other Girlfriend, can she make it a hat-trick with her newest release The Good Patient?

I have to say with a resounding YES she has!

When Lauren wakes up to find herself in the hospital with the police asking questions we get a little glimpse of her storyline. Is this something that happens a lot? She seems to have spent a lot of time in the hospital with various injuries, this time a head injury caused by a jet ski accident, the police seem to think her boyfriend Josh was with her but she is adamant that he wasn’t. Or was he?  Dr Menon seems to be more than just someone who has treated her in the past and they are quite close. 

As the story unravels we begin to get Lauren’s history drip feed to us - it got me wondering if her mother was treating her in a Munchausen by proxy kind of way when she was child and that she was now doing the same thing as an adult, to get attention. We are lead to believe that her boyfriend Josh was abusing her after she goes to the hospital with a broken arm and blurts out it was him! Now I am not gong to lie initially I did think that Lauren was making it all up, just by the way of the story style though I quicky changed my mind, and when we get the whole story from the past we see how Lauren has went from familiar abuse to partner abuse.

When she finally stands up for herself, could she really do something to harm Josh in retaliation or is there more at play here?

4 stars

Lauren is no stranger to a hospital, she’s stayed there so many times throughout her life that she describes it as her safe place. She’s safe from her mother’s mental state of mind, and now, safe from her boyfriend.

When she wakes up in the hospital with a pounding headache, she’s informed that she was thrown from her jet ski and miraculously saved by a passing boat. As she tries to remember the details from the accident she’s informed that her boyfriend, Josh, is missing.

Her memory of the accident is foggy but everyone, including police officers, blame Lauren for Josh’s disappearance just like they suspected her in her mothers death.

This book started out strong and I was very intrigued about the disappearance of Josh but then it took a turn for the worst. The middle was very sluggish and I almost DNF’ed but I stayed with it for the sake of reviewing. I’m glad I made it through the book but feel like I wasted two days of my life.

Maybe I just have an unpopular opinion but I recommend everyone reading it for themselves.

The Good Patient was a pretty good thriller. This was twisted, dark, and very character driven. I enjoyed how this thriller kept me guessing, that doesn't happen often.

The way this author manages to bring us back and forth in timelines seemed effortless and I really enjoyed it. I highly recommend this book for fans of thrillers with character depth.

The Good Patient is a fast paced story that has great potential yet is very slow to get anywhere.

Stone has researched sensitive subjects like fabricated induced illness (FII), suicide and domestic violence. The writing style is very simplistic making it a quick read. The timeline changes between present and 5 months prior every chapter, seeming disjointed and leaves the reader asking some quesions.

The character development of The Good Patient gives a very brief outline of background information and flashbacks to aid the reader in understanding the characters. Sadly no relationships or situations were explored or explained and often left the reader pondering about the reason behind why things were happening.

For Lauren the hospital gives her a sense of security as she has been a frequently patient there from her childhood. Once again she is sent there with unexplained injuries... only this time is different.... The doctor who attends to her, Dr Menton shows an interest in the reason behind her injuries and they both seem to share an unseen connection. Lauren is stuck in the past with the painful memories of her experinces as a child and is on a quest to be seen, understood and loved as a person.

Overall I liked the fact that The Good Patient gave a highlight into FII. However I felt that there was little to no development of the relationships between the characters. I would have liked to know of Laurens relationships with her mother, Josh and Abhilash in a domestic setting as it all seemed centered around peoples distrust of Lauren...

I would suggest reading The Good Patient to people who enjoy psychological and medical thrillers, as it is a character driven story about how one person overcomes her hardships and gains a better life...

As soon as I started this book, I knew it was one I would enjoy. The writing style was clever and clear, I enjoyed the unravelling of the story and the clues that were breadcrumbed throughout. Definitely one of those books, you think you have it all figured out....and then you really don't! A really enjoyable read.

I enjoyed reading this book, it had a steady pace and a gripping plot. I enjoyed the past and present chapters because we get an insight into the couples, Josh and Lauren, relationship before the incident and then the aftermath of the incident. I want to point out that this relationship isn’t a happy one so please check trigger warnings before picking up this one.

I liked how the author created a sense of mystery behind Josh going missing and the build up towards the ending of the book. I was eager to find out how it was all going to end, I found it to be a satisfying ending. During the present chapters, we get to read about Lauren’s life after the jet ski incident. These chapters are gripping and are full of mystery. There were also parts that were flashbacks from when Lauren had a bad relationship with her mum, it was interesting to see how this all linked together. The past chapters give the reader information about how Lauren suffered and how manipulative Josh was.

The characters were good, I felt like there was a lot of character development from Lauren. She seemed to become stronger and determined by the end of the book. This was encouraged by Dr Menon, who I thought was an interesting character. I wasn’t sure whether Lauren should trust him or not while reading the book. Josh was very manipulative, controlling and sneaky, I think the author done a good job at portraying him this way.

I thought the writing style was good, it was easy to read and it was gripping. I liked the alternating chapters as it give the reader a good insight of the past and present. I highly recommend this author and her other books.

This was such an enthralling read that I was obsessed with it from the very start. I have read a few Alex Stone books and she is swiftly becoming a must-read author. The twists and turns had me flying through the pages because I needed to know the ending, which did not disappoint.

I was so excited to receive this ARC from Netgalley and it did not disappoint!!! I couldn’t put it down!!!

Review📚

I loved how this story unfolded, moving easily between past and present to reveal fragments of the current situation and corresponding past events. While there is an undercurrent of domestic abuse in Lauren’s story, a history of fabricating illness and the associated uncertainty muddies the waters a little, creating doubt over how Lauren is sustaining her injuries. Throw in a mystery involving the whereabouts of her boyfriend, and a doctor who seems to be pushing the boundaries of doctor-patient relationships and you’ve got yourself a fast paced read that reeled me in and had me binge reading into the early hours!

My only real gripes were Lauren’s ‘best friend’ - who (although she served a purpose towards the end) was just the biggest bitch to Lauren and kind of made me view her as a weaker person for even having her in her life, and Nick-the-roommate - whose presence in the story seemed a tad pointless to me 🤷🏼‍♀️

No spoilers here, but I thoroughly enjoyed this and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend 🙌🏻

⭐️4/5⭐️

Thank you @rachelsrandomresources @netgalley and @bookandtonic for my copy of The Good Patient to review 🙏🏻