This review will be posted on my blog (xxertz.wordpres.com) and on my Goodreads account the day before the book publishes. I will add links closer to publication. I rated this 4 stars.

Oh man, where do I even begin?

There's so much that's already been said about The Girl Before, so much that I don't know if I can add something of value regarding it.

From steamy relationships to the strange rules of the house to the general mystery of the girl before, let's just say it's a book you won't want to put down.

All you need to know, right?

...

Ok. I can't leave it there.


The Good.

Format

A lot of times I have problems following the Then/Now format. To be honest, I don't particular care about the inbetween, which is everything the format represents. What can I say? I'm a linear lady. Thankfully, The Girl Before is an exception. The Then/Now follows two different individuals rather than the past and present of a single one. Genius, right? Maybe not, but it was perfect for me.

Story Line

The story lines show such eerie parallels with Then's end colliding well with Now's beginning. There are mirrored relationships and situations, with the Now discovering some of her similarities with Then. We all know people have types, but this is pretty extreme.

The Bad

Just a forewarning.. I love gossip. It is completely rude and self-indulgent, but I am a sucker for it anyways. Unfortunately, there is none of that here. My distastes with this books are completely minor. So today there is no true bad section, just an ehh one.

The Relationship

The main relationships were meant to be eerie. Like, Fifty Shades of Grey control freak + dating someone simply because they look like your ex eerie. I think it played great into the book, but I don't find it sexy. At all. (I wasn't a fan of Fifty Shades of Grey, btw.)

The Ending

If the rest of the book was an A+, the ending was just an A. Very respectable, but missing some oomph. I believe this is largely because the reader has only one real suspect to choose from. If you've been around me, you know I enjoy having at least a few suspects to choose from.

Recommendation

Pick this one up - you're not going to want to miss it.

I posted a review this morning on Goodreads.com

I could not read this one fast enough, and read it all in just a couple of days. I felt as if the story had a very strong beginning and middle. I did not like *some* of the ending, but some of it was crafted very skillfully. Edward was masterfully painted as an obsessive psychopath, someone you'd love to hate and hate to love. (If you read this book you'll see what I mean.)

For the most part the story had me flipping pages like a madwoman, going back and forth between Emma and Jane's perspectives. Overall, well done. I did get a little confused, and had to think to myself just which woman I was reading about. It didn't help matters that on Emma's side there were no quotation marks, and sometimes I had to wonder if someone was speaking or not. (Again -- you'll see what I mean later.)

This is definitely an "unreliable narrator" type of book, and a very strong offering for the new year. I almost gave it 4 stars instead of 3. Apparently Ron Howard has taken an interest in this novel, and I'm looking forward to seeing this as a film. It holds a lot of promise and potential. Thank you, Netgalley, for this arc.

The marketers of this book are firmly placing it in the category of if you liked "Gone Girl" you'll love this book. Frankly, the truth is that the reverse is true. It's a likable enough book, good page turner, and I never considered not finishing it. But, the characters are far from likable. In fact the more you learn about each of the characters, the more two dimensional they appear. Very few of them are what they appear, and this book almost seemed like it was designed to change the villain for each reading, just by changing the last few chapters!

Well...what to say...

I was excited to start this one, but pretty quickly on figured out I maybe I was not be the key audience for it. That will put me in the minority, probably, but a few of the characters I just couldn't find much to like as the story progressed. I'm not sure I can really put what I think without spoilers, but maybe that will get my point across. For me, I thought it was an extremely odd cocktail, especially by the end. The components seemed an unusual mix, and a little too out there. Not believable, you know? Trying too hard to shock, maybe? And sex was just too much of the book. Some of it felt unnecessary to me.

Now I can tell you what I did "like"-- The house itself was interesting to read about and neat to imagine. I don't know much about the "minimalist" approach, and don't think I would be a huge fan, but it did make for a cool read! The book was also a page turner, which is weird since I had thoughts of not wanting to finish periodically. But in spite of the issues I had with it, I really did want to know what was going to happen! There were a few twists I never saw coming and was surprised by them.

Overall, I wouldn't recommend it universally. There is an audience for it, and to those people I will recommend:)

**Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an ARC to read and and give an honest review**

This debut novel has a fun structure - a shared setting bringing two separate timelines together. The mutual setting is an unusual apartment - one that is a living model of high architecture - designed by an enigmatic architect. Emma and Jane narrate two different narratives that bring them to live at this unusual residence at separate times. While different circumstances brought them to their new home, their lives share similarities - particularly as they abide by the stringent rules set by the architect - and later by their relationship with the architect himself. Both women, too, are haunted by the titular girl before - in Emma's case, she becomes obsessed with the first wife of the architect, while Jane becomes obsessed with Emma.

The chapters alternate between the two women and the similarities (and later, the differences) really amplifies the tension. As echoes of the two women's lives ring out across the whole, it really makes this an absorbing read. The plot moves along at a fast pace and does involve more surprises to the plot than I expected. At first, the book really feels like a straightforward read and each woman's actions and investigations adds complexity to the plot and their characters. Jane's section in particular has a tragic backstory, that may be a bit too sad for some readers. But, overall, it is an exciting and engaging read. The conclusion fits nicely, too. And the whole pattern of the place works well, too - and after learning that this is a pseudonym, I am anxious to find out who really wrote this, so that I can check out more books without waiting!

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

I was hoping to mix it up a little by reading some suspense -- a genre I don't generally read much of. Just the inclusion of "The Girl..." in the title should have clued me in that maybe this wasn't going to be quite as suspenseful or original as I might have hoped....

The novel is primarily set in a high tech house in London and focuses on the string of women who live there -- all bearing a striking similarity to the architect's dead wife. The plot was a little too obvious and there was too much gratuituous "Fifty Shades" type content for my personal taste. I think this is a pass for most of my GR peeps.

Told in alternating voices, the story is a compelling thriller. Not quite The Girl On The Train or Behind Closed Doors, however, the suspense and surprise is there. Somewhat predictable in some places and not as intense as the other two, there are enough twists and turns to keep me interested. The description and the concept of the house adds a new element to the story as well as the fact that the restrictions necessary to live there does not deter the two women. It is well written and has a cliff hanging element to it, so I recommend it for mystery lovers.

No idea what or how to rate/review this book. I loved some parts and hated others. The story was suspenseful and quite unpredictable. But the female characters are just plain odd and unbelievable. Yes the book was entertaining. Yes it's a worthwhile read. But that said, I hated all of the characters and really wound up not caring about any of them. Thumb sideways for you movie buffs out there.

This one definitely had me turning the pages. There were some unlikable characters, but that was on purpose. I got confused sometimes, because the two girls really were so similar. I was surprised at the ending! A solid psychological thriller that I will easily recommend to people who enjoy that type of read.

This book is a great psychological suspense novel and a very quick read. J.P. Delaney pulls off quite the mind game on both characters and readers alike!! It's difficult to review the book without spoiling some of the many twists and turns that await the reader. Yes, you must suspend belief that someone would actually agree to abide by 200+ rules to live in a "spectacular" house (and be watchfully monitored on said abidance by the smart-house), but we are talking some damaged, vulnerable, edgy characters who, at the time, have few other options. Suspension of belief on that point is well worth the adventurous ride which follows!

Told primarily from two alternating points of view, Emma (Before) and Jane (Now), the story quickly advances. Reader and characters together learn bit by bit, more of the story of the house and the architect that built it, and controls its residency. Creepiness grows and grows, and (ok a small spoiler) the creeps aren't always who you think they are.

Quite a suspenseful and fun read! I highly recommend it. Enjoy!!

Many thanks to Netgalley, author J.P. Delaney, and Ballantine Books for allowing me to read an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Creepy in the best way. This book kept me hooked and I'm still thinking about it days later. What would you decide??

This mystery combines two women in the midst of major life change, jumps in time and narration, a creep narcissist (or two!) and a gorgeous minimalist home in a haunting and twisted tale.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review. *The Girl Before* is another novel along the lines of *Gone Girl* or *The Girl on the Train*, however, I found this story to be quite a bit more entertaining and a ton more suspenseful. There are multiple heroines to cheer for and multiple heroes to either fall in love with or suspect is the killer. I think Ron Howard will turn this into an excellent movie.

ARC for review - EPD: January 24, 2017.

This was an incredibly....is "fun" the right word? Well, I thought it was a fun mystery. It swings back and forth in time between "Then" starring Emma and "Now" featuring Jane. Emma is in a relatively unsatisfying relationship, has undergone a horrible experience and is struggling. She and her partner are looking for a place to live and they learn about the mysterious, stunning home at One Folgate Street. It's beyond perfection, but there's a catch, in fact, a number of them. There's a huge questionnaire that potential renters must complete and then a personal interview with the architect who created it. Very few people make it in and of those who do, many don't stay, because even after one moves in there are many restrictions. However, Emma feels this total change may help her and, to her surprise, she and Simon are accepted. They move in and immediately her life changes dramatically.

Cut to Jane. Jane is the next renter after Emma and Simon. She has also just suffered a horrible loss. When Simon suddenly appears at her house she become intrigued with what happened to Emma and about the history of the house and its mysterious architect. Where will this investigation take Jane? What happened to Emma?

Despite a rather <spoiler>disappointing villain</spoiler>the book was a page-turner and I quite enjoyed everything about it - the premise, the characters, the history. Great fun, and highly recommended.

First things first, thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

So about that honest review....... I requested this book because it was in the most requested section and in reading the previous reviews, learned that Ron Howard was going to be making a movie from this book and that clinched it for me. Books are almost always better than the movie and so I wanted to read this one. But like Gone Girl and like Girl On a Train (both books which have been compared to this one in how similar the twists and turns go) I feel like the movie will be so much better. Having read those other two books AND seeing the movies, I'm confident this will make me feel the same. And that makes me feel screwed.

What it boils down to is that this is an AMAZING story. The story amazing movies are made from. But the writing style of this was just so atrocious. It's told as a then and now story between two characters and this was hard to wrap my brain around until about 40% through, when I adjusted. Then there was the psychological quiz questions at the end of each chapter - WHICH REALLY HAVE NO RELEVANCE to the actual plot and story line. While obviously the back and forth between the two characters comes to a head, I feel like somehow the author got away with literally writing half a book. The author wrote one story, sprinkled some other stuff, and then repeated it for the other character.

If you loved how Gone Girl and Girl on the Train were actually written, then you will love this book. If you enjoyed the story line for those books, but didn't like how they were written, wait for the movie.

The Girl Before features two women who move into the same house, years apart form one another. Emma, who lives there first, ends up dying under mysterious circumstances. The case can't conclusively decide whether her death was an accident, a suicide, or murder. Jane moves in a little more than a year later, after the apartment had been vacant for a year. As she gets settled in, she learns about Emma, and starts doing a little digging into her death. She quickly comes to find that Emma looks a lot like her, and that they both had relationships with the same man - the architect of the house.

One Folgate Street is an architectural masterpiece. It's entirely integrated with technology, and is a beautiful home. That said, in order to live there, there are 200 rules that the tenant has to abide by. Yes, you read that right. 200! Including no books, pictures, or personal items. In addition to agreeing to the rules, in order to live in the apartment, tenants have to fill out a long survey, send in pictures, and complete an in person interview before getting approved. Why anyone would agree to all of that is beyond me. Give up my books?! No, thank you.

The Girl Before is positioned as a thriller, though personally, I found it really slow moving. I didn't dislike the build up, but the story didn't feel like a thriller at all (and barely even felt like a mystery) until more than 70% into the book. Details and revelations come very very slowly, and leave the reader little room to guess what happened and what the end of the book would entail.

What I did enjoy reading about were the details of the house. While I could never in a million years live in a house with that many rules, the technology the house employed was amazing. Windows that automatically darkened depending on the time of day? Shower heads that were responsive by person and knew the exact water temperature you liked? Yes, please!

I also enjoyed that the story alternated between Emma and Jane, so we were able to understand both women and what happened to them as it was happening. That said, their voices sounded identical. It was really difficult to tell them apart, and I found myself flipping back and forth to chapter titles so I could remember whose part I was reading a few times.

All in all, I did like the book. I loved the twists and turns that happened in the last 30% of the book. I felt like that's when it really turned into a thriller! The resolution was great, and I really loved the ending and final revelations! If you're looking for a book that's instant action from page one, this isn't the book for you. If you're comfortable with something slow building but interesting and willing to wait a while for the action, definitely pick this one up!

The Girl Before will be released on January 24, 2017. Thank you to NetGalley, J.P. Delaney, and Random House Bellantine for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book in one afternoon. It was one of those books where you want to keep reading because you have to know what is happening. The book tells the story of Emma and Jane, both tenants at One Folgate Street, a house that is a minimalist's and architect's dream. The house was designed by famed architect Edward Monkton. He still owns the house but rents it out to people he deems worthy. Prospective tenants have to complete a questionnaire, a personal interview, and agree to the 200 rules he imposes. Despite all the restrictions, he manages to find people who want to live there.

The book alternates points of view, and chapters, between Emma and Jane. Emma is the past tenant, Jane is the current one. There are similarities between the two women. Both are victims of recent tragedies. Emma is traumatized by a recent break-in at her home that occurred while she was there. Jane by the still birth of her first child. Both women are looking for a fresh start and feel that One Folgate Street can provide that.

We learn early on that Emma died in the house. It is unsure if the death was an accident, a suicide or murder. When Jane learns of Emma's death, she begins to investigate it. The alternating chapters really hi-light the similarities between Emma and Jane's experiences in the house. Seeing them making some of the same choices, really increases the tension.

This book is a psychological thriller. Between Edward's increasingly controlling behavior, and what we learn about Emma and Jane's lives, the reader just doesn't know what to think. Did Edward kill Emma? Is Jane now in danger from him? Or was someone else to blame? We don't find out what actually happens until the very end.

I thought this was an enjoyable book. It was fun and easy to read. The chapters were all short and fast paced. I would recommend this book to my friends who are looking for a nice escapist read.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Random House-Ballantine/NetGalley for the chance to give my honest review, it was my pleasure!

This book is due to be released Jan 24, 2017 and I recommend snatching it up quickly and here is why:

Either my self-proclaimed detective skills are waning or I just got lucky with two thrillers in a row that totally shattered my expectations!

Emma was the girl before, Jane is the new girl/tenant. Jane moves into a pristine apartment with many interesting rules. This isn't any ordinary place, it's smart. It learns your habits and it tries to keep you on track with your goals(or "Big Brother's" goals?). But, sometimes it seems to be a little intrusive. And the architect seems a little interesting too, but my is he good-looking.

Jane is looking for a fresh start, and so it seemed the previous tenant was too. Both women were interested in One Folgate Street because of the privacy, security and literally fresh start (you can't bring anything much with you). The house comes furnished and the rules state you must put everything away, nothing is to be left out. I certainly know I couldn't live there! No books, no thank you! Jane starts to learn of the mysterious death of the woman before, Emma. Things aren't lining up and she starts her own investigation.

Emma is looking for a fresh start for her and her boyfriend, Simon. There was a break-in that left her shell-shocked and feeling unsafe. It seems this may be a new beginning for her, but it becomes the end of her as well.

Jane starts to uncover some details that seem fishy. She also finds herself in a sort of relationship with Edward, the architect. Things get even stranger when she finds out about the disturbing death of Edward's wife and child. Is this house killing people or just coincidence? Is Jane next?

The story unfolds going between Emma and Jane's alternating POV. You learn that Emma and Jane are alike on the outside. Is Emma's fate to become Jane's as well?

This book had a deeper seeded plot than I originally had thought. I was genuinely surprised as the secrets kept pouring out. I probably could have read this one in a day, I had to know what was happening!