Don’t Let Her Stay
By Nicola Sanders
Publish date: March 7
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to @netgalley and @dreamscapemedia for an audiobook ARC of Don’t Let Her Stay in return for my honest review.

Joanne is living her dream come true - a quiet life in the countryside. A beautiful baby girl. A new, much older doting husband. A sprawling house with six bedrooms to fill with the laughter of future children.

…Or is this just the life that her husband has made her think that she wants?

Joanne’s husband Richard is a real… Dick! Talk about gaslighting.
When his long lost 21 year old daughter Chloe appears on their doorstep, Joanne can’t help but notice that she acts much differently when her father isn’t around.
As her husband’s secrets start to reveal themselves, we don’t know who to trust.

Is Chloe up to something sinister?
Or is Joanne suffering from postpartum psychosis like her own mother?

This is a fast paced read that you won’t be able to put down. The writing is fluid and the dialog develops the characters in such a natural way.

This was SO GOOD as an audiobook!
Penelope Rawlins did an outstanding job narrating the different characters.

Read this if you like…
🧠 Psychological thrillers
🫣 Suspense
👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 Domestic fiction
👧🏼 Creepy step-kids
🌪️ Lots of twists and turns
😅 Edge of your seat page turners
📖 Wide open endings

Thank you to Nicola Sanders and NetGalley for this audio-arc in exchange for my honest feedback and review.

Joann and Richard seem like the perfect couple, big country home, beautiful baby girl, and a wonderful marriage. When Richard's adult daughter from a previous marriage comes to visit and meet her baby sister Joann is surprised by how Chloe acts around her. Chloe seems to be the ultimate daddy's girl and seems to resent baby Evie and Joann. When Richard's past comes to light who can Joann believe?

I found this domestic thriller entertaining and it did keep my attention. However, the characters got on my ever last nerve. I won't go into detail as not to spoil it but I didn't like any of them at all. I listened to this book on 1.5 speed and found the narrator quite good to listen to. I was able to finish this book in just a couple of days. If you have a long journey and are looking for a quick listen this summer definitely check this one out!

Don't Let Her Stay by Nicola Sanders

Johanne is married with a 4 month year old baby girl. Her and her rich husband are settling into there new home when Chloe decides to come live with them. Chloe is Richard's daughter from a previous marriage. Chloe is in her 20's and causes all kind of havoc in the home.

This was a very face paced twisty read that keeps you on your toes. It is a domestic thriller and what you think you understand is going on is not really. There is some crazy things with Richard's previous marriage his wife is dead ruled an accident but was it really an accident?

I really enjoyed this one it was entertaining from start to finish. With one final twist towards the end which I was sort of expecting but wasn't sure. I cannot wait to read from this author again in the future.

Narrated by Penelope Rawlins who did a a clear and concise job telling this story. It was easy to follow and each character had there own voice. It was a solid four star read for me. I would recommend this twisty domestic thriller with some gaslighting thrown in to anyone who likes this type of thriller.

Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for a free audio copy of Don't Let Her Stay for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This book was very tense and kind of triggering for me. I am not sure why perhaps because I could see what was happening and she just would GET THE FUCK OUT until it was a desperate situation. Also, there is just no way in hell I would allow my hubs to talk to me or treat me that way, ever. I was certainly entertained so I don't regret reading this book. I think this is a me problem and not a book problem.

#DontLetHerStay
#NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley, Dreamscape media and the author for the #gifted ALC in exchange for my honest review. Wow. What a PERFECT psychological thriller. Its been a while since I've been obsessed like this great unexpected twists and will absolutely add a physical copy to my forever shelf.

Don’t Let Her Stay
Nicola Sanders
Joanne has a loving and wonderful husband, Richard, they have a precious baby girl, Evie, and they live in a beautiful house. Life is good…until it isn’t. Chloe, Richard’s twenty-two-year-old daughter suddenly comes to stay with them during a break from school. The young woman hasn’t spoken to her father since he married Joanne two years ago. While it may sound reasonable, something wasn’t right. Could Chloe be trying to drive Joanne insane; could she be planning to kill her. When Richard is around Chloe had a change of voice and attitude.
This tale has enough twists and turns to the reader wondering what they will find on the next page. However, the ending of this book was a letdown. Penelope Rawlins, the narrator, did a superb job. This tale falls under the genre of psychological thriller.

I love an unreliable narrator! From the beginning I couldn’t help but wonder who the real bad guy is! I loved watching the dynamics of the family changed as the story unfolded. My first book by Nicola Sanders, but definitely not my last!

This book is deliciously dark and had me turning the pages at breakneck speed. This book had me thinking who can you ever really trust, surely you are safe with your husband. He tells you his daughter is sweet, but does she hold a secret.? The twists and turns in this book are crazy, i found myself constantly holding my breath. I don't think I will forget that ending easily and we need a sequel.

Joanne is a newly married mom to a baby girl living in an enormous country house in England. Her much older husband, Richard, is away all day working, and Joanna is at home with the baby with only the occasional visits from the distracted cleaner. She knows she's fortunate to have all she does, yet she misses her previous work as an estate agent. When her former employer calls her to locate some misplaced paperwork, Joanne takes the opportunity to see if there are any jobs that she could do for the company working from home. When this seems possible, Joanne eagerly begins looking for a nanny to come in a few days each week to watch her baby, Evie, while she tackles the work. Richard doesn't really seem to see the point, but he goes along with the idea. Then, out of the blue, Richard's estranged daughter Chloe gets in touch. She comes for a visit, which delights Richard, and meets Joanne and Evie for the first time. In Richard's presence, 20-year-old Chloe is all sweetness and light. When she's alone with Joanne, she becomes surly, rude, and hostile. Richard decides there's no need for a nanny when Chloe can look after the baby, and Joanne reluctantly agrees to let Chloe act as the babysitter. Joanne's mother struggled with mental illness, and when strange things start happening, she's left to wonder if she's inherited those tendencies, or if there is a more sinister explanation.

The story is very suspenseful, as you wait for the next confrontation or odd situation to happen, and as the events inevitably head toward a tragic conclusion. The one thing that always frustrates me in modern novels of this type is why on earth, in these days of cell phones, can no one record the "evil doer" and present it as evidence to those who disbelieve the victim? It's puzzling. One annoying thing, which might not be as obvious in the book but was maddening in the audio version was how many times the name Evie was mentioned . . . it seemed to be every other sentence! It was Evie crying, Evie going down for her nap, Evie needing a feed, Evie needing changed, Evie, Evie, Evie. I know the baby took up a lot of the protagonist's time and energy, but we could have left a lot of that to the imagination and not been "Evie'd" to death!

If you love twists and turns and second guessing everything this is the book for you!

Someone in your house wants you dead. It's your stepdaughter, right? .. or could it be someone else.
I found myself getting frustrated with the main character and her actions. I couldn't stop reading/listening because I had to find out what happens next. The ending was perfect but I think a sequel would be great.

The narration was clear and easy to understand.

This is a solid psychological thriller. The twists definitely kept me on my toes, but the characters did nothing for me and the ending was a little too cliffhanger-y for me. I couldn’t feel sympathetic for Joanne, and Richard just made me mad. I think fans of this genre would enjoy this book but I don’t think I’d recommend to any of my reading friends.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this ARC.

Joanne is married to Richard and, together, they have baby Evie. Richard has a daughter from his previous marriage, Chloe, who has been estranged from him since he married Joanne. Suddenly, Chloe writes to say she wants to come and see Richard and meet her new baby sister. Once she's moved in, life becomes a lot harder for Joanne and she starts to wonder if she's losing her mind...

Firstly Chloe would be every step-parent's worst nightmare. Honestly. She is just so manipulative and narcissistic. As the reader, it's painfully obvious that Chloe is continually letting Joanne down, however, Sanders writing style is so convincing that you can find yourself doubting what you remember and having to flick back to check. There were times that Chloe was so awful it made me uncomfortable to continue - because I was so infuriated by her - that I actually had to step away from the book.

Joanne is a FRUSTRATING character. She wants to be seen as the "good" step-mother so initially she constantly lets things slide figuring it'll get better. As a step-parent myself, it's a very difficult road to walk, and I understand her biting her tongue to keep the peace. But there are some things that are too large to be overlooked, were I her, I would've called them out. I found myself muttering aloud about Joanne's lack of backbone several times!

Richard was also a pretty awful character. He hasn't told Joanne about his past and has allowed her to make assumptions (that he knows she has made and yet he's never corrected them). He's condescending and priggish and, from what we experience of him, I don't think Joanne was lucky to be married to him, nor that he made any effort to assist her with the changes Chloe moving in brought.

The story is relatively straight-forward, based on the synopsis, but reading it was anything but. I loved where Sanders took her characters and that they all continued to behave in a realistic manner throughout. There was no entering the realms of Dynasty here!

I loved this book! The characters really get under your skin, for various reasons, and just when you think you've got it all worked out, the rug is ripped out from under your feet and you're back to square one - or are you? Definitely looking forward to reading more from this author and also highly recommend the audiobook version for this one.

3.5 stars

I flew through this audiobook in 2 days. It kept me engaged and wondering where the story was going. Just when I thought I had it figured out the ending left me a bit surprised. This is a good book for a beach or rainy day!

I couldn’t put this book down! At first I thought it was going to be pretty predictable, but once I got past the middle I was shocked at all the twists and turns! Such a great example of a well-written physiological thriller.

this book was so good. the ending was a trip!! i was guessing back and forth so much without any real indication of where it would end up. i absolutely loved this audiobook.

Life couldn’t be better for Joanne, she has a loving husband, beautiful baby girl and a gorgeous home. But then Chloe shows up, her husbands 20 year old daughter who hasn’t spoken to him since the day he married Joanne. After Chloe arrives, strange things start to happen that make Joanne think she is losing her mind, just like her mother did. Or could something more sinister be happening?

I have been waiting for a thriller like this! I could not stop listening. I haven’t read a thriller with this much tension since Verity. There is also a high level of suspense and those twists!! I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure this one out. I really liked Joanne, she is a very relatable character especially for mothers. I was actually shocked by the ending of this one! It made me want even more the story! I don’t want to say too much and give anything away but if you are a thriller reader you are going to want to pick this one up!

What a fun read. I love these psychological family thrillers! The characters were good and quite well fleshed out, some were likeable, some were not, lol. Great twists!

I liked the book. I just had a really hard time with the narrator. If wish I would have read the book to give it a better chance but to those reading this. My review is based solely that I thought the audiobook was hard to get through.

Thank you Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for this arc. I like it was high speed one. And I felt so sad about this connections in the the family. It was a rolercaster of emotions and feelings. I was feeling anxioua and threatened by the characters. Specially one. But better not say too much. I can not say have fun or enjoy but I wish you can read or liaten in peace.

Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the free e-audio book in exchange for an honest review.

The narrator, Penelope Rawlins did a fabulous job capturing the personalities and emotion of the characters as she read. I love when narrators are able to immerse me in the book with their variety of emotions and truly bringing the characters to life. Kuddos!!

This is such a twisty, suspenseful, psychological thriller! Joanne is married to Richard and they have a beautiful baby, Evie. They live in a 5 bedroom mansion, and Joanne is a stay at home mom, albeit a bit bored in her perfect life. While Joanne is preparing to go back to work for 2 half days a week, Richard's estranged daughter, Chloe, comes for a visit and ends up moving in. Joanne has never before met Chloe as she stopped speaking to Richard when he married Joanne. Now, Chloe is ready to dive into full family mode and moves in volunteering to be the nanny for her new baby sister. What could go wrong?

There are so many great plot twists and turns with this story that I just had to recharge my airpods and keep going! The characters are well developed and the untrustworthy narrator made this such a nail bitter! I had to keep going to know how it would end. You start out believing that Chloe's initial plan is to gaslight her new stepmom and break up the marriage but I did not see the lengths to which the characters would go!

Very very entertaining! Highly recommend and the audio book is very well done!