The first request for One Folgate Street is to make a list of every possession you consider essential to your life. I found myself going through the motions with Jane and Emma, and discovered that the home would definitely not be for me. Highly recommened for readers of The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl, and Behind Closed Doors, The Girl Before is a psychological thriller that is sure to keep you on edge. My favorite thing when reading books such as this one are when I am totally stumped in regards to the outcome, and this was one of the few where I was. I found Jane to be more likeable of the two women involved, and I have to say that Edward was charming, despite his strange requests. This one comes highly recommended from me!

This book was an excellent thriller novel for those who like titles such as "Gone Girl." It follows an eccentric architect who build an unusual house in London, but instead of living there, decides to rent it out. He has a new idea of how houses should run and the future of houses, but not everyone is on board. This story is weaved between Emma and Jane, two women who lived in the house two-three years apart. Their pasts were completely different, but their present and possible future are the same. I really enjoyed this book, especially when the twists and turns came out. It was clever and well-written. However, the only reason I did not give it 5 stars is toward the end; Jane's ending did not make much sense to me and came out of nowhere. Other than that, it was a really great book and I would recommend it for those in the mood for a good thriller.

One of the best suspense thrillers I've read in a very long time. Can't wait to see what this author writes in the future!

The lives of two women are interwoven when one rents out the other woman's former high-tech residence. The town home was built by an architect who seeks to manipulate his renters' behavior through architecture and technology (making it what we know as a "smart home"). The home's occupants have to agree to all sorts of ridiculous stipulations about how they will behave in the home and how they will care for it. Soon, the home malfunctions and its occupants' lives begin to unravel. The home, its designers, and its occupants are full of secrets and surprises - ones that will keep readers turning the pages of this book and not wanting to put it down.

There was nothing about this book that seemed forced or contrived. The dialogue flowed naturally and I could easily envision this book being turned into a suspenseful movie. There were many twists and turns that surprised me, but none of them unrealistic or untrue to the characters. The characters were all fully sketched out very well, so much so that by the end of the novel I was left desiring a sequel to the novel. The characters and their flaws seemed genuine and relatable.

In the latest of "If you like Gone Girl..." is JP Delaney's "The Girl Before"
Thanks to the publisher for an advance reader copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

This story pulled me in right off the bat. The idea of the house with its simplicity and list of rules was intriguing. When the second story started in the second chapter I realized that the connection between the two was the home. Since Emma's chapters were titled "Then" I figured she'd been the previous occupant.

From here things got a bit confusing. I couldn't keep the two stories apart in my mind. Since the "voices" of both were similar, the women had a similar appearance, had both suffered tragedies, and were many times doing the same things in their chapters, I struggled to keep them separate in my mind until I was about 75% done with the book. There were also times when mid-chapter I had to page back to see who the chapter was about.

As Emma's lies unraveled I found myself less interested in her and more weirded out that Jane would continue to pursue finding the truth of Emma's death instead of just removing herself from the situation. Especially when she became pregnant. I feel as though expectant mother's would take stronger steps to protect their baby--something that didn't happen for Jane until it was almost too late.

My biggest problem with the book was that the author wrote a story of two women who were in a relationship of sorts with a man who'd been accused of murdering his wife, his child, and in Jane's story, another tenant. I don't agree that faced with this situation, that most woman would have just asked around about the person and the situations surrounding the death. I found it unbelievable that they didn't cut and run. It was early enough in the relationship that Edward's "power and influence" over them wouldn't have caused them to overlook the fact that he' might have murdered another (or two) women he'd loved and a child.

I finished this book quickly and the author did a good job of keeping my interest and I wanted to see it through to the end. But the issues I mentioned in the previous paragraph kept me as more of a bystander instead of being really inside the story.

I also found the last chapter with Jane where it was revealed that the title refers to Isabel instead of to Emma as readers would likely assume, a bit oddly phrased, almost as if the author really liked this title and was forcing it to fit a situation. I just don't believe a mother would talk about her stillborn baby to a subsequent child as "the girl before" or "the girl who came before"

A couple of other things that bothered me unrelated to the story. A book with an identical title came out last year that was I believe also an Adult "thriller" I haven't read the other book but I think it's strange that this book has the same title in the same genre in such a short time after the other book was published.

I was also a bit put off by the blurb about the author I saw on GoodReads and Amazon. "J. P. Delaney is the pseudonym of a writer who has previously published best-selling fiction under another name." I don't understand why the author would attempt to create an air of mystery about their identity when a quick google search revealed that the author was Tony Strong--someone I'd never heard of. The only reason I can think for doing something like this was to try and make readers think the book was written by a woman? Seems a little icky.

This review is also posted on GoodReads.

Two women, each looking for a fresh start.

One house, striking in its design.

One architect, relentlessly committed to a rule-driven way of life.

"You can make your surroundings as polished and empty as you like. But it doesn't really matter if you're still messed up inside. And that's all anyone's looking for really, isn't it? Someone to take care of the mess inside our heads?"

I experienced a range of feelings about this book as I was reading it. I was, by turns, skeptical, riveted, repulsed, bored, shocked, etc.

No doubt, the question everyone who reads this book will ask themselves is, "Could I live at One Folgate Street?" Anyone who knows me well enough can probably answer that - NO. Of course, I doubt I'd even have a shot, considering the bizarre application process all prospective tenants must undergo.

Part of me did not want to finish this book - Edward, the architect and owner of One Folgate Street, is an extremely unsettling and unlikeable character - but I just had to know how this nightmare was going to end. The closer I got to the conclusion, the more obvious it became to me how Emma - "the girl before" (or one of them, anyway) - had died. Had it been more clear from the onset, I suppose I might have wound up skipping to the end to confirm my suspicions.

I like the way the story unfolds, narrated from the alternating perspectives of Emma and Jane, the current tenant. This book is an interesting study in relationships (mostly relationships at their worst), instincts and personalities.

Since everyone wants to try to compare it to "Gone Girl" and "The Girl on the Train," here's my take. I have yet to read another book that tops "Gone Girl," so nice try. On the other hand, "The Girl Before" is far more intelligent and original than "The Girl on the Train." Just thought I'd put that out there.

3.5 stars.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I try really hard to stay away from reading Goodreads reviews until after I’ve read a book as I don’t want to be influenced beforehand and have preconceived notions. I love reading reviews from my fellow book bloggers because I trust their opinions and know they won’t spoil anything for me, but on Goodreads/Amazon you just never know. All that being said, I had heard that The Girl Before was getting mixed reactions so I checked things out for myself and it seems people either love this book or they hate it. I happened to love it, but just know that it seems like it’s not for everyone.

You have dual perspectives here, Emma is Then, Jane is Now. This style never fails to reel me in and by ten percent I was totally hooked. Emma and her boyfriend Simon move into One Folgate Street together, then two years later Jane moves in alone to start fresh after a tragedy. As the chapters flip back and forth, the similarities between the two women are frighteningly uncanny.

One of the biggest complaints that I’ve seen about this book is that no one finds the premise believable. One Folgate Street is owned by an architect named Edward who is a rigid perfectionist to put it mildly. He’s created a sterile, modern home with new technology that’s amazing but also creepy. No house keys are needed, the shower remembers what temperature you prefer, etc. The application prospective tenants must fill out in order to be considered has two hundred questions. That’s right, TWO hundred and they are anything but typical. They require the applicant to answer moral dilemmas and they’re just very odd. He also requires a picture which is just bizarre. Would I ever want to live in a place with a tyrannical control freak as a landlord? No thank you. But as a premise for a book I thought it was fabulous and it didn’t bother me that it wasn’t exactly believable.

Beyond what I’ve already discussed I won’t say more about the plot. This was a highly addictive and provocative read for me, a real page turner about the quest for perfection and the obsession that goes hand in hand with it. I was blindsided by one of the major twists and the smaller ones threw me for a loop as well. I can’t wait to see this play out on the big screen as Ron Howard is directing, I think it’ll be fantastic! Again, this seems to be a really polarizing read, you’ll either love it or hate it. If you’ve read it I would love to see which side of the fence you fall on!

This was quite the page turner. I absolutely could not put this book down and finished it in three days instead of one only because I had to go to work.

The story is based around a house located at One Folgate Street. There are two women who apply to live in the house and the story is told from their points of view from the time they apply to the time they leave the house. In order to live in the house, applicants must agree to a long list of rules that were created by the builder who originally built the house to live in with his now deceased wife and son. Emma, lives in the house first with her boyfriend Simon. Then several years later, Jane lives in the house. The fact that the two women look alike and also look like the builder’s deceased wife with dark hair and blue eyes is slightly unsettling. I really enjoyed reading this book because the characters came to life through the author’s writing. I could imagine the open floor plan of the house and each room from the kitchen (they called it something else in the book) to the bathroom with the sensor-activated shower head to the hidden panel that lead to the mop and broom closet. The answer seems so obvious to what happened to Emma, so of course, I knew there had to be a plot twist. Going over the details over and over in my head while reading this book was like trying to solve a game of the board game Clue. But in the end, all the pieces laid out neatly with no loose ends to be found. Yes, it all made sense at the end.

Thank you J.P. Delaney and NetGalley for this copy of The Girl Before in exchange for an honest review.

No rating dnf
I was very confused and sadly not entertained reading this book. The blurb sounded amazing and I couldn't wait to dive in. Unfortunately so many things felt wrong and the book didn't hold my attention. It seems as though the owner of the house was trying to recreate his wife by selecting girls that looked like her to live in the house. Unfortunately his taking both girls past and present to the same locations, doing the same things with them sexually was just plain weird and creepy. Secondly I didn't love how Emma's chapters sounded so similar to Kane's chapter that I Often found myself confused having to go back to the beginning of the chapter to find out who I was reading.
I wanted to love it but the rules seemed so over the top and controlling. And the pace was slow making it uninteresting to me. Maybe this would be a book I revisit one day :(

Although the ending took me by surprise, I had a hard time digesting this book. I will admit I ate it up quickly and obsessively to find out what happened. But it felt Part fifty shades and part girl on the train- you are left wondering what is wrong with these characters... and you can't relate to anyone but the poor dead kitten...

This book was different from many I've read in the genre, but I enjoyed it.

A pale imitation of an already annoying trend, "Fifty Shades of Gray" and "Fill in the blank Girl". Alongside the subtle racism and classism, I found myself unable to finish the book. Thank you for granting me a chance to read the book.

We follow the lives of Emma (and her boyfriend, Simon) and Jane - two damaged women who end up living on One Folger Street - a domicile of extreme minimalism and 200 rules to abide by. The story unfolds from Emma's perspective (who lived there before Jane) parallel to Jane's perspective in her process of gaining approval and then moving into the house. Edward is the architect who built the house and has a distinct personality - on the OCD side - in which he lives by certain rules and want his women to do the same. If they don't, it's no longer perfect and he moves on. He pretty much caters to no one but himself and yet women are drawn to his "nonchalant" yet take charge attitude.

One Folger Street is affordable because whoever decides to live there are automatically test subjects. They live by certain rules and must answer various surveys... certain features such as the shower, may be disabled until the surveys are complete. They will be monitored and lifestyle changes will be strongly suggested to help them live a more perfect life. But to what cost? How far will Edward go to create the perfect life? (Side note though - a shower that automatically knows my temperature setting is a win for me!)

I was engaged throughout this entire book. I needed to know what happened from chapter to chapter. I did feel there was some repetitiveness but that certainly was to show the similarities in Emma and Jane's parallel world. I was kept on my toes all the way til the end of the book and loved the little twists thrown in at the end. However, I did feel that the ending was tied up a little too neatly in a little bow for my taste and one particular part felt a bit out there. I am torn but will keep this at 3.5 stars.

Good for a quick, entertaining read of a thriller that keeps you guessing until the end.

This was a fun and creepy thriller that kept me guessing. Would love to see a movie version!

I have to admit, when I first started reading this book I was skeptical. Right away, the characters have to answer hundreds of personal, probing questions presented to them in order to rent a house owned by renowned architect, Edward Monkhouse. It just seemed completely absurd to me. No woman in their right mind would agree to such ridiculous conditions…… (no possessions, no books, no pets?? What kind of nutjob is this landlord?!) But then, Emma and Jane are not in their right minds when they agree to live in the house on One Folgate Street. Both have suffered horrible, significant trauma and are looking for a place to escape and heal. Edward is a mysterious, attractive, wealthy, Christian Grey type and tension escalates quickly between him and the two residents of his home.
And just like that, I was hooked. OH MY GOODNESS. This book is fantastic. There are so many twists and turns that it is hard to keep everything straight and just when you think you have the killer figured out, something new and crazy is brought to light. I still haven’t recovered from Emma’s revelation midway through. WHAT IN THE WORLD?!!!! I was freaking out on my couch as I read --it was a complete game changer for me. Be sure you set aside a few hours for this one because once you get started you will not be able to stop. If creepy, tense atmospheres and psychological mind games are your thing, then drop everything and get this book. 5 fantastic stars.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Random House for the advanced copy of this mind blowing psychological thriller.

This book alternates between two female tenants of an ultra-minimalist home with a series of restrictive rules and a demanding, but charismatic owner. While the book had a very promising start, it soon turned into a mediocre story of women making stupid choices with twists that seem forced into the story just for the shock value. Basically, this book seemed trying to hard to one-up Gone Girl.

Two wounded women reeling from personal issues are looking for a new apartment. For Emma, she requires a safe place after being the victim of a break-in while her loyal boyfriend, Simon, was out. For Jane, it is a new place that holds no reminders of the baby she lost. For each woman, the house at One Folgate Street seems to offer exactly what they are looking for. It is designed by well-known architect, Edward Monkford, and comes with a set of rules created by the inscrutable man himself. In fact, to live at One Folgate Streets means signing off on over 200 rules, ranging from no books or personal mementos, to total tidiness, to agreeing to showing the house on architectural tours, to accepting to the intense technology that it comes with, including the house monitoring your well-being and moods. At first, the rules and clarity that come with One Folgate Street seem comforting to Emma and Jane. But as they spend more time in the house--and learn about its past, including its mysterious builder--they become terrifying and stifling.

THE GIRL BEFORE is a fascinating novel told solely from the point of view of Emma, One Folgate Street's previous tenant, and Jane, its current tenant. All activities are filtered through the lens of these two women. The novel effectively builds suspense with the parallel nature of the two women's stories, but it also can get a little repetitive at times (and sometimes a little confusing, as you have to remind yourself, mostly in the beginning, who is talking). The book starts off exciting, as you are drawn into both Emma and Jane's tales while they acclimate to the house and all the oddities it offers. The house itself almost becomes another character in the novel. It starts to drag a bit halfway through as you wonder what will happen in the next half (people living in a technologically advanced house can only be so exciting, right?). But then, suddenly, the novel takes some odd turns (there are some interesting sexual plot twists) and eventually grows quite interesting again with some psychological and thrilling revelations. Perhaps my favorite part about this book is that many of these developments truly surprised me, which isn't always easy to do in a thriller.

Overall, this is an interesting novel. It's certainly suspenseful and different. To enjoy it, you really have to set your disbelief aside at the actual conditions of living at One Folgate Street (no books, what?!) and accept that the two women are so broken (and perhaps broke, as the house apparently comes at a great discount) that they will go along with anything. It has a lot of varied plot threads and some of them aren't always fully explored or truly necessary, which can be a little frustrating. Still, the book truly surprised me with its twists and kept me entertained, with a deep desire to get to the end. Overall, 3.5+ stars.

I've not read any of the other "girl" books apart from the excellent girl with a dragon tattoo, so I don't really know if this book is jumping on the current fascination with "girl" books or not.
Note this book does have some pretty descriptive sexual scenes so may not be everyone's cup of tea.

The suspense, smart home and psychological thriller aspect to the book intrigued me. Each chapter begins with a question straight out of a psychology test such as "If my children weren't successful at school, I'd correctly be labeled as a bad parent" with a 5 point choice to agree and disagree. These questions were pretty interesting to think about outside of the plot-line of the book and I'm not sure I could come to a conclusion on some of them.

Could I want to live in this smart home? Yes to the smart features included in the home, but not if I had to answer questions before the heat or shower was turned on. I'm also not sure I could live in the minimalist house as I like my stuff too much - but still an interesting concept of whether someone would agree to all of those restrictions to get cheap rent (although I would have expected the rent to be free for all of those restrictions!)

Meh. I tried so hard to like this book.

Without being too spoiler-y, there was one thing in the book I really liked. One of the characters took me by surprise and it was a great twist to the read. *No more from me on this! I can't spoil it.

However, the rest of the book completely missed the thriller mark. It may have been a light suspense, but not something that was completely noticeable. It definitely had the psychological mark, but I had the book figured out before I hit 50%. Sure, I had questions. Who wouldn't? While I did have it figured out, there were details I didn't know. This was more of a "I'm bored, where is this going" type book.

Oh! And that house? Omg, there were definite creepy vibes coming from there. It would take a whole lot of getting used to the rules and the minimalism, but the data? No freaking way.

I've been finishing a book in about three days lately, but this book took me a week and a half. I had to force myself to finish it. I kept telling myself that maybe it would get better. It didn't.

I had high hopes for this book too. Especially since I heard it was going to be made into a movie. The Girl Before would be a book to skip, and a movie (maybe) to watch on Netflix with a bowl of popcorn.

I really enjoyed this thriller. The architecture element is fresh and I liked the back and forth timeline format between the two woman. It felt like Girl On a Train meets You by Caroline Kepnes. I wouldn't compare it to Gillian Flynn but I didn't see most of the ending twists coming and I enjoyed the read.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing for allowing me to read an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.  I really enjoyed it!  Let's start with the summary.
           Please make a list of every item essential to you.
              Two women at different times are looking at one house- it's perfect.  Safe, secure, demanding of a fresh start.  This isn't your normal renter's agreement though.  Due to it's minimalist nature and the acclaim of the architect not only are there tours at times, but very strict rules for what can and cannot be done to or go into the house.  This is a home that is meant to shape and change you-and it does.
           To get the lease, each woman must meet the architect and get approved.  Now, this takes place in two different times- Emma's and then Jane's.  (Jane comes in several months after Emma's passing).  Each woman falls for Edward, each one has a relationship with him.  This is a story underlined with deceit, madness and intrigue. 
            I really loved this book.  I loved how each woman adapted both to the techno-savvy minimalist home and to Edward.  These are two very different women, both recovering from a different traumatic experience.  I enjoyed seeing how they reacted to events.  The book had a suspenseful, creepy feel that I liked.  Best of all, it kept me guessing through the book.  This is always a sign of a good book for me.
          Now, I did have issue with Edward's character.  He was extremely controlling and most of the time very hard to like, which made it hard for me to see why our women fell for him; especially as one was in a relationship when they met.  Still, for all this it was a five star book for me. 
          On the adult content scale, this is really high.  There is very explicit sexual content, language, violence, and substance abuse.  I give it a nine- not for young teens.