From page one, I was hooked. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, the story threw me for a loop—again and again. Clarke knows how to keep you on edge, mixing suspense, paranoia, and jaw-dropping twists that had me questioning everything.

The surprises just kept coming, and I couldn’t put this book down. One reveal totally blindsided me (in the best way), and I love when a thriller actually catches me off guard. I switched between the audiobook and e-book, and the narration made it even more intense.

Dark, twisty, and impossible to predict—this one’s a must-read!

Catherine seems to be headed for trouble right out of the gate as it's clear she's hiding some things from her past. But she definitely isn't the only one in her little circle of family and friends doing the same thing. And it will all come crashing down...but who will be the culprit? Secrets will be revealead and revenge will be attempted, at least. The story was a little slow in rolling, although it appeared that it was going to come to a head any minute. There are a couple of twists, especially at the end, but not entirely unexpected.
I did think the narrator did a fantastic job, actually. Lucy Patterson captured characters of different ages and genders flawlessly.
I love Bookouture audiobooks and will always be looking for the next one!
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARL. All opinions are mine.

This Book was amazing. Wendy is a new author for me, but i went in excited to get something different. I've been in a readers slump and this truly got me out.

From Start to finish I couldn't stop listening. When I tell you I was listening at work, and the day I decided to listen to the book everybody wants to talk to me or some type of problem was going on.

But I knew something was up with her being the Half sister. I couldn't figure out the plot twist so at one point, I just said I'm along for the ride,and I'm glad that I was. Definitely recommend this listen/read. I struggled with the narrators voice, sometimes it's hard for me with the accents, but that's the only reason why I didn't give it 5 stars. But it was definitely good. I need the physical copy to put on my book shelf. Wendy did such an amazing Job. I can't wait to read more from her.

This book had me hooked until the end. I knew there was something wrong with the half-sister, but could not figure it out. I really endjoyed how Wendy Clarke ended the book as well; no loose ends or stones left unturned.

This psychological thriller delivers a dramatic plot based in an English secondary school.

Ambitious English teacher, Cath, lives with husband Gary in relative harmony despite his resentment of the time Cath devotes to her career. Lisa, a young probationary teacher at the school drops the bombshell that she is Gary’s long lost half sister, and finding herself in need of accommodation, moves in with Cath and Gary. Cath notices with some alarm that Gary can barely be civil towards her and this throws up all sorts of questions for Cath, particularly as the timing coincides with Cath herself receiving some hostile communications alluding to some secrets from her own mysterious past….

This is an interesting story with multiple suspects and multiple crimes! It is well written and narrated expertly from the perspective of Cath.

Overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend the audiobook to fellow fans of this genre.

My thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an advance copy.

Thank you netgalley for the advanced audiobook copy of this book! Who doesn’t love a good ol evil sister in law story! 🤣 I quite enjoyed this read. Several times I thought I knew where this was going but was surprised. Ultimately I guessed the ending but it was still a fun ride!

This started off strong and moved at a steady pace. It’s an interesting storyline and had potential but it just lacked that something extra for me. The characters were unlikeable and I wasn’t overly endeared by any of them. I found Catherine’s character especially irritating and got tired of her inner monologue and comparison to part events and people. The outcome just didn’t really work and found it underwhelming. This one was only ok.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to listen and review #MakeYourselfAtHome

Woah this was a WILD ride!!

Make Yourself at Home by Wendy Clarke is a psychological thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats with its unsettling exploration of trust, family secrets, and hidden motives. The story revolves around the seemingly perfect marriage of the protagonist and her husband, Gary. Their life together is characterized by sweet gestures and a picture-perfect facade—until his sister, Lisa, moves in.

The tension slowly builds as Lisa’s arrival forces cracks to appear in the protagonist's idyllic life. Gary, once attentive and present, begins to withdraw, spending more time at the office and avoiding interactions with his wife. Instead, he seems to have an increasingly strange relationship with Lisa, and the more the protagonist uncovers about their past, the more unsettling the situation becomes. Lisa, with her cryptic whispers and mysterious behavior, casts doubt on the man the protagonist thought she knew inside and out.

Clarke’s writing draws the reader in with its sense of slow-building dread, making the tension palpable as the narrator’s trust begins to erode. The subtle shifts in Gary's behavior, combined with Lisa's cryptic remarks and the protagonist's growing sense of unease, create a compelling atmosphere of suspense. The plot takes unexpected turns, with each reveal heightening the stakes and further blurring the lines between trust and paranoia.

At its heart, Make Yourself at Home is about the lengths we’ll go to protect the ones we love—and the dangerous consequences of buried secrets coming to light. The narrator’s fight to maintain control of her perfect life is both gripping and relatable, making her eventual descent into unraveling both fascinating and chilling. Wendy Clarke has created a fast-paced, atmospheric thriller that keeps readers questioning who is truly trustworthy and what is real.

For fans of domestic thrillers with intricate character dynamics and unexpected twists, this book delivers in spades.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy. This was my first Wendy Clarke book, but not my last.

This story started out slow but held my interest. As the story progressed the secrets came to the surface and it was hard to tell who to trust. I felt for Catherine who was wrapped in the emotions of her past. Then her husband's half sister shows up and things start to unravel. As she tries to make sense of it all we are left trying to guess who is playing with her mind. The ending was not what I had expected. So happy I got the chance to listen to this audio Make Yourself at Home by Wendy Clarke book and discover a new favorite author.

#NetGalley
#MakeYourselfatHome
#WendyClarke

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. I listened to the audio version. This one was a tough one for me. Starting with the good, the narrator of the audio book did a fantastic job. I generally listen to my novels on 1.2 or 1.5 speed and her cadence was perfect for those who like to speed up reading and still be able to understand and retain information. I was also a fan of the authors writing style there were some turns of phrase that felt poetic. Without the quality of the writing, I may have DNF'd this book. I was also a fan of Lisa as a character, she was flawed but still likeable and dynamic. Now for the bad. I detested the MFC and MMC. I feel like the story was trying to push me in the direction that the MFC character was on this journey of self-discovery, and even with that in mind she was able to be completely unlikeable the entire time. The only person more unlikable than her was her husband. There were times when I was verbally yelling at these characters. They seemed to operate with the emotional intelligence of junior high children, and it was exhausting. Almost every other supporting character was more interesting. The overall result of this was an ok read but it leaned towards being boring if not frustrating for me.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture Audio for the ALC.

Story: 🌟🌟🌟
Narration: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Overall: 🌟🌟🌟✨

Make Yourself at Home is a quick, twisty thriller that can easily be read in one sitting. I enjoyed the twists and turns of the story and the unreliable narrators. The narration was excellent and the story perfectly paced.

ALC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wendy Clarke is a new-to-me author, but I can never resist a good-sounding book when it comes my way. I love the idea of books where people keep hidden secrets from their upbringing, and this was the kind of audiobook that I couldn’t wait to start.

It is narrated by Lucy Paterson, who did a fantastic job with the characters and the story. There isn’t a huge cast of characters, but set in the UK, so there are quite a few different voice tones, accents, and manner of speech that Peterson demonstrates throughout the story. As someone who read this book only in audiobook format, my favorite thing is when the characters really have some personality come through clearly, and it was simple to keep track of the characters and the events, since each character was easily distinguishable by vocal tone and accent.

Reading a lot of one genre in a row never works well for me, and I always forget that it is especially true in the mystery/thriller books—they can become formulaic, rely on a deus ex machina, or just leave events kind of open to interpretation. It’s so hard to find a solid author to stick with, so I try to remain open to reading books from new or unfamiliar authors. Sometimes I find a great new author, and sometimes they aren’t a good fit for me.

This book is narrated through the eyes of Catherine, who initially struck me as a character that I found easy to empathize with. However, her personality and behavior changes over time, as she struggles with unresolved grief, increasing paranoia, and situations that become dangerous. I wasn’t sure if she was being set up as an unreliable narrator or if there was something else in the works.

However, over time, I struggled to stay connected to Catherine. The character that I liked at first became more and more oblivious and gullible over time, making it hard to empathize with her when she suffers consequences of her behavior, since it always seems to come as news to Cath. Her relationship with her husband, Gary, baffled me. He was always talking down to Cath, and he was a character that was easy to hate, especially since he had so much motive.

The story opens with Cath getting to school early in the morning, and getting her classroom set up before the children arrive. Cath seems to have a small group of coworkers that she is friendly with, but I really got the feeling that her husband has done an effective job of blocking her from making supportive relationships. Part of it was the way he actively tries to manipulate Cath, while she does everything for him except wash his feet, basically. While she is getting ready to start her work day, she discovers that someone has lit her car on fire in a shocking act of arson.

Events quickly devolved into Cath receiving threatening text messages as the threat came closer to home. I couldn’t figure out why Cath seemed to be unable to make a healthy adult choice throughout the book—I’ve never once brought a random, new coworker home to stay with me for an unmentioned amount of time. Even worse, she kept disregarding Gary’s opinion when she finally did ask about it. The relationship between Cath and Gary was like watching some of the rowdier talk shows, where everything is laid out on the table for all to see.

That is what is was like reading the book: we found out more about Cath’s past and what makes her feel even more stress and fear in response to the messages she is receiving.

Along the way, the friendship between Cath and Lisa develops pretty nicely, and I was thrilled for each of them to have a coworker who is also a friend. The interactions between Gary and Lisa, as well as in his private discussions with Cath, show an entirely different side of her husband, and Cath discovers more about the secrets her husband has been keeping from her. It also slowly reveals pieces from the puzzle of her own past, so that we get a more complete picture of the events that led up to this strange living arrangement.

Overall, this wasn’t a bad book, but it didn’t have that extra thing that makes me sigh when finishing a book that I really loved. Technically, there wasn’t anything wrong with the book other than that I didn’t find myself fully invested in the story. I think part of it was staying connected to a character who I struggle to respect, and Cath’s innocence worked against her in this book.

This book made a 600-mile road trip much more entertaining than it would have been! I was able to question, shout, scream and mutter out loud at the twists, turns, and outrageous behaviour of the characters to my heart's content.

Excellently narrated to capture the fears and frustrations of Catherine as the story unravels.

This was a good read, but it was just missing something for me. It was a little predictable, I had the culprit guessed very early on and some twists were just weird for me.

A compelling psychological mystery about a teacher whose life is turned upside down at the same time as a young colleague, who she is mentoring, reveals herself to be her sister-in-law, estranged from her brother after their parents’ bitter divorce and second marriage. This story is written entirely from Catherine’s point of view and it is evident from the start that nothing is entirely as it should be in her life and that she is either oblivious or in denial. With a single narrator, this works particularly well as an audiobook, and keeps the listener engaged throughout.

With thanks to the author, NetGalley and Bookouture audio for the opportunity to listen and review this audiobook.

Thank you for the audio ARC. The narrator did a wonderful job. The story itself was a bit slow for me. It wasn’t quite as “thrilling” and I was hoping for but it had a few interesting twists. There are lies, deceit and mistrust. I felt for Catherine and started to dislike her husband as the story went on. I was torn about Lisa.

Make Yourself at Home by Wendy Clarke is a gripping mystery/thriller that keeps readers on edge from start to finish. The story unfolds with an air of suspense, gradually building tension until the shocking revelation of who is behind everything. Clarke masterfully constructs an intricate plot, drawing readers into a web of secrets, deception, and unexpected twists that leave them speechless.

One of the strongest aspects of this novel is Clarke’s ability to build suspense and mislead the reader, only to deliver a surprising and satisfying payoff. The pacing is well-executed, ensuring that every chapter contributes to the overarching mystery while keeping the reader engaged. Her writing style is immersive, with well-developed characters and a setting that enhances the eerie and unsettling tone of the story.

The novel excels in its unpredictability, making it a standout in the genre. Just when you think you have it figured out, Clarke throws in another twist that turns everything upside down. Fans of psychological thrillers and intricate mysteries will appreciate the way the narrative unfolds. If you enjoy a thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end, Make Yourself at Home is a must-read. Wendy Clarke has proven herself as a master of suspense, and this book leaves readers eager to explore more of her work.

I enjoyed this audiobook, I wasn't quite sure where it would go - part of me thought Cathy was crazy & all over the place, part of me got it right.....
It was full of twists and turns. It kept my interest & I wasn't quite sure what was going to happen.
I liked the narrator - I've listened to her narrate before and she's good. Just right for this book.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Bookouture Audio for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Summary: In this psychological thriller, the narrator's seemingly perfect marriage to Gary is upended when his estranged sister Lisa moves in and begins sowing seeds of distrust, hinting at dark secrets while unaware that the narrator harbors a mysterious past of their own.

My review: The Truth About My Husband is a gripping psychological thriller with shocking twists I never saw coming. Lucy Patterson's excellent audio narration brings this tense story to life, making it a quick and satisfying read despite lacking some depth. The well-paced plot delivers a satisfying conclusion that thriller fans will appreciate.

Fiction / Family Life / Psychological / Thrillers - Crime

Make Yourself at Home is scheduled for publication on March 5th, 2025, by Bookouture Audio.

Reading in Between the Wines book review #22/125 for 2025:
Rating: 4🍷🍷🍷🍷
Book: Make Yourself At Home
Author: Wendy Clarke
AVAILABLE NOW!!!
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Sipping thoughts: Keep your friends close and your enemies (family) closer? This is something Catherine has to come to grips with. I figured out the final twist and just could not wait for it to be revealed. If you are looking for a domestic thriller filled with lies, deceit, and family secrets then this is the one for you.

Cheers and thank you to @Netgalley, @BookoutureAudio, and @Bookouture for an advanced copy of @MakeYourselfAtHome.

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