Wow what a book , It’s definitely my book of the year so far . Absolutely loved the story and the characters. It was full of tension trying to get the evidence against the narcissist boyfriend and that twist at the end I so wasn’t expecting . I love all of this authors books and this latest does not disappoint. I would definitely recommend this book . 5 stars from me

Jackie Kabler has done it once again with The Life Sentence. I have yet to be let down by this author, and her latest is an absolute must read.

Heather enjoys her quiet life, working in a bookshop and having all the time in the world to indulge in her passion for reading. But her life will change course forever when a strange woman switches her handbag with Heather's in a deliberate attempt to pull her into a mission that will send her straight back into a period from her past that she would much rather forget. When a friend's life hangs in the balance, how far would you go to make things right, even if it means putting yourself directly into harm's way?

This is a pacey, brilliant plot that had me tearing through the pages at warp speed. Add this one to your TBR pronto.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for an ARC.

Amber is serving time but she is adamant she didn’t commit this crime. Enter Heather, an old friend of Amber’s who gets tangled into helping Amber, under duress, into proving she is innocent. How far will she go to prove Amber’s innocence?
As always this was a fantastic read from Jackie. I adore her books and they are always solid reads. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Another brilliant book from this author who I always enjoy. The storyline was great.with twists and turns galore and well described characters.

What can I say about the ending! everything brought together with a satisfactory conclusion. Then just when you thought that was it, wham another surprise, absolutely brilliant

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins OMC for this ARC which I have no hesitation in recommending.

The pages just flipped themselves on this newest original thriller by Jackie Kabler! I have read a couple books by this author and her stories are unique and fresh and binge worthy. In this one, Amber has been sentenced to prison for a crime she did NOT commit. In fact, the alleged crime never even happened! How is this even possible? Terrifying! Her friend, Heather, comes back into her life and makes the big decision to put herself in harm’s way to try and prove Amber’s innocence. But the tasks and obstacles in front of Heather are not only dangerous they seem impossible. Thank you Netgalley, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on May 9, 2024

Having already read two previous books by Jackie Kabler I was very grateful to be accepted to read her latest book The Life Sentence. It did not disappoint I thought it was excellent. Thoroughly enjoyed all the characters,good and bad and loved all the twists and turns.
This book had me on the edge of my seat and holding my breath,towards the end I was trying to read as fast as I could as I just had to know how it was going to end.
Looking forward to more books by Jackie especially if there as good as this one. I don't want to give any spoilers away but can't recommend this book highly enough.

Thanks to net galley for all of me the chance to review.

Amber Ryan has been imprisoned for a crime, she says she never committed. Is she trying to save her own skin, or has someone very clever and devious framed her?

We are then introduced to Heather, who quietly works in a bookshop. Heather and Amber used to be friends, but even before Amber’s incarceration, their friendship was dwindling. Heather was not there for Amber in her time of need. Heather is contacted by a woman called Felicity and her brother Nathan, regarding the imprisonment of Amber. Amber was convicted of seriously assaulting her boyfriend, Jack. He also happened to be Heather’s ex-boyfriend and he left Heather for Amber.
Heather and Nathan believe that it is Jack who has framed Amber for the whole alleged assault. They convince Heather to assist them to prove this, by getting back with Jack romantically in some sort of honey trap. This is so she can get the necessary evidence of what Jack did. The question lies in that if Heather and Nathan are to be believed, Heather could be putting herself in extreme danger, in order to exonerate her former friend.
Firstly, the good points. The author writes really good escapist thrillers and this definitely fits the bill.
There is, however, no real twist at the end, though the ending is ok. At first, you think Jack is going to be horribly abusive, then he turns out not to be, which makes you question his actions. What really drags the book down is the questionable legal judgments especially concerning the ‘sentence’ in the title. I would have liked them to be a little more realistic and less fanciful.
So an ok read, but not a great one.
My sincere thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK and Jackie Kabler for the ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

I haven't read this author before but the write up was intriguing

I absolutely loved this
Pacy, well written and lots of twists and turns

Highly recommended

I flew through this. The writing made this a quick and easy read.
However while I flew through this I did think this was a little underwhelming in parts. The reason Amber got a life sentence and the ending just didn't hit for me.
But I did spend the book trying to figure everything out. I was suspicious of characters.

Amber Ryan is incarcerated in prison for a crime she vehemently denies she committed, as far as she can remember anyway, but is she guilty or has someone else been very clever in trapping her in this ongoing nightmare she finds herself in.

Then we meet Heather, she works in a book shop, loves her job and the enjoys meeting like minded people on a daily basis. The story is from the perspective of both Amber and Heather, with Heather featured more heavily in its delivery.

Amber and Heather used to be good friends but over the last few years this friendship has tapered off and Heather was not there when Amber needed her most. After being contacted by a woman named Felicity and her brother Nathan, Heather is convinced into assisting them find a way to have Amber exonerated for her crimes, but this will by no means be easy to do. Heather is actually going to have to put herself in danger to achieve the desired outcome.

I found myself doubtful regarding Felicity and Nathan’s intentions and hoped that Heather was not placing herself in an environment that would destroy her, but sometimes in life we need to take a chance and a stand and do just this.
At times the book for me moved a little slowly but overall, the story did take me in, and I finished it in a few hours.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy, all opinions expressed are my own.

I think the plot included a lot of unique ideas, but the writing fell short. The pacing felt off and the "twist" was a little predictable. I do read a lot of suspense and thriller novels, but I felt like things were pretty obvious from early on in the storyline. The character interactions and events also felt a little far-fetched, making it a little more distracting than exciting. I'd try something else from this author, but this book wasn't for me.

For me this book was wholly predictable. It didn’t have any elements where I felt shocked by events or twists.
I think I would have preferred more chapters in the point of view of Jack to understand his mindset.
The reasoning for his fear of daylight wasn’t very strong or discussed much and the ‘crime’ wasn’t very original or clever.
It’s a pretty basic psychological thriller, I would recommend for new readers of this genre or those getting back into reading but for seasoned readers, I’m not sure it would be anything you haven’t read before.

Thank you to Net galley for the ARC

My goodness could not read this book quick enough
How do you go to prison for a crime not only you did not commit
But it didn't even happen
I have read a couple of books by Jackie Kabler and have found them very gripping
I have been recommending this book and author to my friends and family WOW

Heather's best friend, Amber is currently serving a life sentence. Amber started dating Heather's ex-boyfriend Jack, even after Heather warned her against him. Did Amber really attempt to murder Jack or was it a set up?
This book is mainly told from Heather's point of view and her plan to prove Amber's innocence, but to do this she has to start dating Jack again.
Felicity gets Heather's attention by stealing her bag, but her motive is not what Heather is expecting. Heather meets Felicity where she's told that Nathan ( Felicity's brother) used to work for Jack and he drunkenly told Nathan that Amber is innocent and they need Heather's help. The premise of the story was good, it had me turning the pages, but it also made me question whether I fully trusted Nathan and Felicity at times.
Parts of the book could have been written without so much detail and maybe a bit more realistic with the legal side. The ending was perfect and wrapped everything up nicely.
Overall I enjoyed this book and will recommend to thriller lovers and will be looking out for future work by this author.
3.5/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins Uk, One More Chapter and Jackie Kabler for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Heather and Amber used to best friends until Jack gets in the way.

One day Heather receives information that Amber has been serving a prison sentence for a crime that did not happen. Can Heather help Amber ?

This story is a slow burner but an enjoyable one. The ending did not surprise me. However I did enjoy reading it.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
Amber is jailed for a crime that never happened. Heather, her friend, has been in-listed to find the evidence to help her get her out of jail. They each have dated Jack who sleeps during the day and works at night, He inherited the business and the beautiful home from a mother he hated. Does this lead him to hate women? They fall madly in love with him till things like cameras all over, trackers are put on their phone. He knows their every move. They need to get around this to find the evidence to take him down Can she do this? Grab this book for a thrilling read!

Enter the thrilling realm of “The Life Sentence,” where innocence is incarcerated, and justice is hard to find. Amber Ryan, the central character, ends up behind bars for a crime that not only she had not committed but had never happened. Simultaneously, one of her friends starts on a hazardous quest to discover the truth. Hang on for an exciting journey as they explore the insides of a mysterious place where life is questionable. Will justice triumph, or will they die? I strongly suggest this thriller to anyone looking for an exciting read!

Thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, NetGalley, and Rachel's Random Resources for allowing me to read and review this book.

I loved the premise and was keen go get completely sucked in but I just found it really hard to get into since it all seemed a bit illogical and far fetched. I know its a fiction so it doesn't have to be accurate to real life but I just find it easier to get lost in a story when I'm not constantly being brought out of the plot because it all sounds so far fetched. So many of the characters just seemed unlikeable and made the worst decisions so this one wasn't for me

This story is one of those that require something of a suspension of disbelief, but it is entertaining and fast paced.

Amber is in jail for assaulting her boyfriend Jack. Although she seems to have some not-entirely-explained memory issues, there is something suspicious about what's happened to her.

Then her ex best friend Heather, who also dated Jack at one point (the reason behind their falling out), mix Felicity and Nathan, a brother and sister duo, who claim that Amber has been framed by Jack. Heather than decides to find a way of discovering whether or not this is true (cue the suspension of disbelief), and we're off on a weird and wild ride that makes for very engaging reading! It gets 3.5 stars.

Within the first few chapters of the book I was completely hooked. I really liked Heather’s PoV and the whole “bag stealing” thing was such an ingenious way to drop us straight in to the story. I read nearly 60% in one sitting, and finished the book in a single day. The pacing was great and, even though a lot of it was covering the same thing in a different location, it felt like the plot was constantly moving forward.

Kabler also does a really good job of making you question the motives of pretty much every character we meet.

Heather’s actions, or inactions, are often really infuriating to read but they don’t make the story any less enjoyable. The plot felt a little over-the-top but, again, that wasn’t a bad thing. It was a fun, if also at times very disturbing, story.