Don't You Dare

I was doing what any mother would have done without a second’s thought.


This book was a pleasant NetGalley surprise. I just love the thrillers I’ve been picking up from there lately, and this one was even better than I anticipated! I also really like the fact that there was NO animal cruelty – something that’s rarer and rarer in thrillers this days but made me really happy.

The one thing I don’t really understand about this book is the title… I think they could’ve done a better job with it! It just feels like it belongs to a different book, not the one I read. My other problem was that this was quite predictable. I hope not all the author’s books are like that…

Now onto the good stuff!

This was a thrilling novel that I read in less than 24 hours, in 2 sittings. It was really gripping and held my attention from the beginning to end. I do think some things got resolved too quickly/ were too coincidental, but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of this book. I give it a solid four stars and I’m definitely glad I read it. I enjoyed the writing style, loved the story and connected with the characters. I’m excited to read more from this author as this book was a very enjoyable read. A little bit generic perhaps, but really exciting nonetheless.

Oh, I also just noticed I’m the first one to review it! I feel quite important now (: I hope everyone else likes this as much as I did.

I would definitely pick up another book from this author, and might do so in the very near future. I see she has quite a few books out I’m interested in.

Would recommend to: fans of British domestic noir! If you like Lucie Whitehouse, you might enjoy this one as well.

A very different offering from this author. Literally none of the characters are likeable in any way, all are damaged, self absorbed, manipulative liars who will stop at nothing to get what they believe they are entitled to. This multifaceted deception is what makes for a compelling read.

When a mother walks in on her daughter thinking she is being raped, she reacts as any caring mother would. The consequences however are not what she planned and they suddenly have a body to get rid of and a secret to keep. Beth, an aspiring actress, is engaged to Peter- a “name” in the dance and acting world. Her mother Rachel is struggling to make ends meet since the death of her partner. The man Beth was with was not her fiance. Lies and secrets. As we all know tell one lie and another soon joins it. Oooh!! This is one of those books that draws you in without your really knowing why. I wanted to keep turning and turning as I just knew there was just something that I was missing and wanted to find it- whatever “it” was. I loved the characters- well researched ( The authors former occupation shines through) and written with a depth and an honesty that brings them to life from the page. A brilliant read, an excellent plot, a wonderful enjoyable book.
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fast paced exciting thriller. Didn't want it to end! Great read. Thank you for the opportunity to let me read it

The premise is any one of us could be a killer by accident rather than design, but then most of us would not try to cover our tracks by hiding the body, and cleaning up the crime scene, or would we? Most of us would be scared of going to the police.
The story starts by Rachel stumbling into the pub cellar, where she works, and discovers her daughter Beth is tied up and is being raped. Rachel did what any mother would do, given the circumstances, and uses the necessary force to save her daughter resulting in the rapist being killed from a head injury. However, it turns out Beth was having an illicit fling with the murder victim, and the rape was a fantasy role-play that she was willingly engaging in. Add to the mix, that Beth is engaged to someone else and is about to be married, a marriage that Rachel has hedged all her bets must go ahead, no matter what, to secure her daughter's future.
The plot thickens with more twists and turns within a web of lies and deceit, and relationships disintegrate. What more do you want from a psychological thriller. Excellent.

Absolutely brilliant, an exciting page turner that kept me gripped throughout.

I have read all Alison's previous books and enjoyed them all but this is her best by far. Can definitely recommend you will not be disappointed.

Both mother and daughter, Rachel and Beth, share a secret that, if found out, will cost them everything. Rachel finds Beth pinned down by a stranger and assumes the worst. She strikes him, and he ends up dead. They each have their own reasons for keeping this a secret between them, even disposing of the body. For one thing, Beth is getting married in about a month, and Rachel it’s not about to let what happened get in the way of that wedding.

As they go through wedding preparations, something that slowly disillusions Beth, their secret is in danger of being discovered. Things begin falling into place, but definitely not in a good way. But then, there is a twist. And, Wow! What a twist! I couldn’t flick my screen fast enough! This incredible psychological thriller has a conclusion that truly shocked and surprised me.

Many thanks for Bloodhound Books and NetGalley for this ARC for review.

Terrible things keep happening to this family. Don't You Dare opens with the central crime: the accidental killing of Beth's would-be rapist by her mother Rachel. Just why that happens, why Rachel overreacts to the situation and won't go to police and instead drives a cover-up of the death, links back to the past. Mother and and daughter hide the body and try to act innocent, while both harbour deep secrets that will be unearthed, and that will push them apart. One of them will have to fight for their life. Although I would have preferred the action to maintain forward-momentum instead of relying on flashbacks to scenes prior to the opening and the final "twist" was something I had anticipated so it didn't impact on me, this was an enjoyable 3.5 star read.

I actually quite enjoyed this story, even though it was very predictable for me. Even the final twist, I saw it coming from miles away.

Regardless of that, I still liked reading this.
The story begins with Rachel, who walks in on what she thinks is her daughter Beth being assaulted. She pushes the man, he falls and hits his head and he dies.

I will not give away any spoilers but I do have to point out that I did not like Beth as a character at all. She came off very spoiled and self centered and did not think of other people.

All in all, I would recommend this book to friends!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I think I am reading so many suspense novels, that I'm beginning to figure them out and really beginning to noticed that a lot of the main characters are the same. Beth was one of the least likeable and at times, I wanted to smack her.
I felt for Rachel at times more as from a mom's perspective.

Its a good read!

When Rachel encounters her daughter in a darkened basement screaming help, her mother instincts take over and she attacks the man standing over her daughter accidently killing him. Little does she know that her daughter was a willing participant in the whole thing. Now what do they do?
I was hooked from the first page to the last. What a roller coaster ride. I didn't know what to expect and was all night reading it until I was finished. The pages flew by as I escaped into the world of the characters and found myself holding my breath many times. An awesome book to keep readers doing what they do best...reading!!

Plenty of twists and turns within the plot. Enjoyable shifting of character narration to enable both parties viewpoints.

When Rachel discovers Beth on the floor she says that Beth have to be married . Plenty of thrills and chills .
This was an ARC from Netgalley

Don't You Dare is a great thriller again from A J Waines but not quite as good as previous books by the same author in my opinion.Beth is getting married to Peter and Rachael her mother couldn't be more pleased,but when she discovers Beth in a pub cellar with another man things take a turn for the worst and they are soon covering up a secret that would ruin them both if revealed. It affects Beth quite badly and she goes off the rails refusing to talk to Peter and as the wedding draws closer Rachael takes over making Peter believe all is well when it quite clearly isn't ! I felt the middle of the book got a bit bogged down and was slow going but it picked up again with a great ending which i thought was a great finale.A good solid 4 star read.

First couple of pages I thought meh,but then it really got going,until the very last chapter I didn’t see the ending coming,fabulous I didn’t even have an inkling.im usually pretty good at knowing what’s going to happen.this time I got blown away.5 star review ,would definitely recommend this book.

This book is amazing. 5/5 stars.

I honestly saw nothing about this book coming. I picked it up two nights ago because it was almost due out for release, and the next thing I knew some time had flown by and I had read almost half the book. Zero regrets on that, for the record.

Rachel and Beth have the type of relationship that I have with my daughter - open, loving, caring. Then stuff happens and everything gets flipped on its head. Then the two start to fight, pull away from each other. That was hard to watch, because I imagine that's what my daughter's teen years are going to be like. Then everything twists once again and it becomes clear just how dire the situation really is. Then everything is okay again...or is it?

I loved it. The writing drew me in, the plot was good, the pacing was excellent, the twists were insane (in a good way). I am definitely going to be reading more by AJ Waines, and I can't wait. If ever there was a book worth reading, this was it. Sincere thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Bloodhound Books, for the early copy!

The story flicks in alternating chapters between Rachel and her daughter Beth. The opening chapter of Rachel finding her daughter in what looks like a dangerous situation had me absolutely hooked. I think any parent in the same position would do the exact same thing. After that though, who knows how any of us would react with the consequences.

Rachel obviously loves her daughter but I did find her over bearing at times. Wanting what she thinks is best for her and her daughter and not thinking about her daughters needs. She has to be in control at all times. There is obviously also more to her past of which I was very intrigued to find out more.

Beth I really liked. She is a normal twenty three year old who is trying to make it in the acting world. She is being torn every way but which and doesn't know which way to turn. She is trying her best to keep on top of everything but life just seems to be dealing her one knock after the other.

This is one of those reads where you can feel the tension building. I was on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. The author certainly knows how to weave a story that will have you gripped through out. Whilst I found Rachel over bearing, the bond between both was very much believable and touching at times.

Don't You Dare is packed full of tension and a definite page turner of a read. An absolute must read for fans of psychological thrillers that will keep you entertained right up until the very last page.

This was my first read by A.J. Waines and it is a 4/5 star book for me. This first few paragraphs of the book really intrigued me and sparked my interest as to what type of mischief the main protagonist, Rachel, and the second protagonist, her daughter Beth, were getting themselves into. Throughout the book there is a lingering mystery surrounding a twenty year plus family secret and I found myself trying to figure out what it could be as I read more of the story. The story's pace dragged some by the fourth chapter for me while it was still building a background to set the story's pace, but it picked up really quickly again and I found myself engrossed in a twisted web of endless lies.

This story really shows you how everyone isn't always who they appear to be and I found myself being happily surprised that the true "culprit" in the tale of deceit was a character some may not even begin to think of being one of the villains once the book ended. While this will not be up there in ranks as one of my favorite "go to" stories, I did enjoy it and will recommend it to those who enjoy reads involving crime, murder, mystery, and psychological twists.

The only way to keep something secret is to not tell anyone about whatever it is ... not your family, not your friends, not the stranger you meet at the bar.

Book Blurb -- When barmaid, Rachel, discovers her soon-to-be-married daughter, Beth, pinned down by a stranger in the pub cellar, Rachel lashes out in panic and the intruder ends up dead. In desperation, Rachel convinces Beth they should cover up the crime and go ahead with the planned wedding in one month’s time.

It doesn't take long for Beth to become a liability. The lies she has to tell to her fiancee, her friends, the police is slowly driving her crazy. It is always so much harder to remember the lies you've told ... one mistake can be fatal.

Rachel is just plain devious. She's trying to cover for her daughter but it's getting harder and harder. The enormous number of lies she has to tell is weighing her down. And there's a reason she won't go to the police to explain ... she has another secret that her daughter doesn't even know.

This is a well-written psychological thriller that shows the dark side of a mother-daughter relationship. Characters have been carefully constructed with a lot of credibility. I found it hard to decide if I liked the characters or not. There are twists and turns that kept me glued to this riveting story.

Many thanks to the author / Bloodhound Books / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of DON'T YOU DARE. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

I was sent this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
When barmaid, Rachel, discovers her soon-to-be-married daughter, Beth, pinned down by a stranger in the pub cellar, Rachel lashes out in panic and the intruder ends up dead.

My first time with this Author and she didn't disappoint. The book had me from the first chapter. The chapters flip back and forth between characters keeping you on your toes the entire time. Love the twists and turns this books takes you on.

My first book from this author and has inspired me to read all her others. One of the best books in this genre that I've read this year. A well deserved 5 stars.

What a great read! Single mom Rachel and her daughter Beth have been more like best friends while Beth was growing up. Beth studied acting and is trying to make it big when she meets Peter, a former dancer, who has connections and they soon become engaged. Beth has a fling with Carl, Peter's best friend and soon to be best man. Rachel finds Beth and Carl together and Carl ends up dead. From there, the plot takes many exciting suspenseful twists and turns with a totally shocking ending. I highly recommend this fantastic book to anyone who loves a great thriller.

*Received an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Amazing thriller. Dual point of view between a mother and her daughter. How they get caught in a situation they never imagined. Now both are afraid of who will crack first.

Rachel finds her daughter, Beth, pinned down by a stranger in a pub cellar and without thinking she lashes out at the man. He falls, hits his head and dies there and then. But is everything as it first seems ?

Rachel convinces Beth that they shouldn’t go to the police and as a result they attempt to keep everything a secret and hide the body. Can they both hold their nerve ? Is there another reason why Rachel wants the secret kept ?

The book is writtten in alternating chapters told by Rachel and Beth. We travel back in time as we discover the events that led up to the night in question and also discover the problems that arise when Mother and Daughter try to cover up what really happened.

This is a brilliant book that I really enjoyed. There are a few twists and turns in the story but I was already hooked right from the first page. The characters are brilliant although slightly unhinged and scary in places.

A great read if you love psychological thrillers. I read this book in 2 sittings in less than 24 hours, as I just had to find out what happened in the end !!

Thankyou to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this new book by AJ Waines.
What a rollercoaster of a novel!! I could not put it down. From the first page until the very last, I was hooked. This is this first time I have read a novel by A J Waines and it certainly won't be the last.
The characters were so engaging and the plot, well, I didn't see it coming. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a face-paced thriller.

Rachel and Beth have always been close, this mother and daughter duo struggle to survive on mom Rachel's salary. When Peter walks into Beth's life things really start looking up as he is a professional in the movie scene. However, when Rachel walks in on her daughter and a strange man it looks like to Rachel that her daughter is being attacked. When Rachel lashes out, both of their lives become cracked eggshells and nothing will be the same again. Rachel really wants this marriage between Beth and Peter and goes to extreme lengths to make sure that happens. She doesn't take into consideration how her daughter feels only what she wants. I found some of this predictable, however when I got to the end it was not what I expected. It's hard to keep a secret when someone out there knows what you did. You won't believe what Rachel goes through to get her daughter married.

I recommend this book by A.J Waines.

thank you Net Gallery and Bloodhound Books for the opportunity.

Cherie'

Don't You Dare starts off with a murder when Rachel discovers a man she believes is assaulting her daughter Beth. Through a rash action, she sends their lives into a tail-spin with both of them covering up a crime and telling one lie after another. All Rachel wants is for her daughter to be happy and make a good life for herself (with the right man).

The perspective goes back and forth between Rachel and Beth, including a past view of when Beth meets Peter, her fiancé. Both mother and daughter keep secrets from each other, with each of them wanting the other to be happy... however, as we discover the secrets are what is keeping everyone from being happy.

The author gives a huge hint about the action/suspense toward the end of the book and who is behind it, however there are some really good twists in this book that made me enjoy the ending so much more.

Okay, I wasn’t thinking about committing any murders but this book still convinced me that it would be a terrible idea. I would die of nerves or just turn myself in for even entertaining the thought.

The book begins with the murder of a man at the pub where Rachel works. Rachel and her daughter, Beth, decide to hide the body and conceal their involvement in the murder. The two try to carry on as before and immerse themselves in planning Beth’s wedding. However, they soon discover that getting away with murder is not so easy.

This was a suspenseful read. I was tense with every turn of the story. My heart raced with each reveal and I dreaded the moment the police would discover everything. Seriously, trying to get away with murder is nerve wrecking! The author portrays this vividly through alternating narrations by Beth and Rachel. I was tense just like the characters waiting to see how events would unfold. Will they get away with it? Will the police unravel the mystery and send the two to jail? These questions were running through my mind all the way to the last page.

This was a captivating story about secrets, lies and murder. It is also a story about a mother- daughter relationship which I thought was very realistically portrayed. I loved how the tension developed through the chapters making it hard to put down the book. There were sections around the middle of the story that slowed down a bit but this didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book. The ending and especially the final chapter were befitting of this suspenseful read although I was left with some questions that made me wonder if there is a second book coming. I definitely recommend Don’t You Dare to fans of psychological thrillers.

This is my first but definitely not my last read by this author. I inhaled this within a day.

We are told the story through two points of view- Rachel and her daughter Beth’s. When Rachel walks in on her daughter Beth being pinned down by a stranger she reacts with dire consequences. They dispose of the body and keep it a secret.

I gotta say I did prefer Beth to Ruth. The mom came across as over bearing.
I thought this was a well written gripping read with twists and turns I definitely didn’t see coming. I’ll definitely be recommending this:)

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.

Rachel reacts violently when she thinks her daughter is being attacked in the cellar of a pub. Unfortunately all is not as it appears and Rachel and her daughter Beth are catapulted head first into a nightmare.

Beth is an aspiring actress engaged to an older man and Rachel is a barmaid that is financially struggling after her partner dies and leaves in her debt. I liked the character of Rachel but wanted to give Beth a shake. She is a spoiled selfish little madam who thinks the world revolves around her. The fact that the mother and daughter were very close in age added to the story as we learn of long buried secrets.

I enjoyed the writing style and the pace of this book but like other readers I don't like the title. It suggest very little about the books subject and feels disconnected.

I very much enjoyed this book.zRead it in one day!Very well written plot.With a lot of twists and turns.zLooking forward to reading more by this author.

DON’T YOU DARE is a psychological thriller by bestselling author A.J. Waines. This novel will hold your interest right up until the end. The tension keeps building and building. I loved it!

When Rachael, a barmaid in a popular pub, came to work, she found her soon-to-be-married daughter, Beth being attacked by a man in the cellar. Rachel did what any mother would do, she had to rescue her daughter. Rachel attacked the intruder and he fell backwards cracking his head and was dead instantly.

But Beth knew the intruder-Carl. Peter, Beth’s fiancé, a film producer had introduced Carl to Beth at a party. Peter and Beth were getting married in 5 weeks.

Rachel convinces Beth they should cover up the crime and go ahead with the planned wedding in one month’s time.

But Rachel, however, has her own reasons for not involving the police.

As the wedding approaches, the lies increase, and Beth is falling apart. They must both carry on as “normal.”

Rachel tells her daughter:
“We must pretend this didn’t happen and your marriage to Peter will go ahead as planned.”

Rachel looks on in dismay at the hen party when, after too many drinks, Beth declares she’s about to make a special announcement. But before Beth can say a word, she disappears...

The story is told from Rachel and Beth’s points of view in alternating chapters. In this respect, the reader is privy to observe the innermost thoughts and emotions of each character and observe how they are holding up. This book explores the dark side and strong bond between mother and daughter when pushed to the extreme.

My thanks to Bloodhound Books and NetGalley for my copy.

'Don't You Dare', by author, A.J. Waines was a riveting, taut and cleverly choreographed read from start to finish!

Although a mistake, and seemingly justified at the time, Rachel, accidentally kills the man her daughter Beth was having an affair with. From then on, both women are forced to cover their tracks to not only hide evidence from the police, but Beth's fiancé, Peter, too. Beth's marriage to Peter was supposed to be the answer to all their financial worries and further her acting career, but if this ever got out, well you can imagine, not only would the wedding be over because of her affair, but if caught for murder their lives would be inevitably ruined forever with prison awaiting.

Written from from both mother and daughter's point of view in first person, this edgy psychological thriller had me hooked from the first page.

'Don't You Dare' was one heck of a fast, tense read for me. Watching the mother desperately trying to sort out her mess, and keeping her daughter from going into a full on meltdown and revealing all, kept me on edge throughout. On top of that, each time I thought I knew all the answers the storyline branched out into another direction, and upped the stakes for both ladies even more.

The ending is superb! I loved how twist after twist the final scenes came to a satisfying end, whilst at the same time the story took on a different angle where an underlying threat would always shadow the two women. Yes, I'm being cryptic for a reason! This is indeed heart-stopping as the hype suggests! I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller, and A.J. Waines' entertaining writing.

Thanks to A.J. Waines, Bloodhound books and Netgalley for my copy. This is my honest opinion of Don't You Dare.

I am a HUGE fan of A.J. Waines' independently published series about clinical psychologist, Dr Samantha Willerby. Huge, I tell you! If you missed them the first time then here are my reviews of Inside the Whispers (book #1) and the more recent Lost in the Lake (book #2). So I was thrilled for A.J. (or Alison) when I heard she had secured a two-book deal with the independent crime fiction publisher, Bloodhound Books. The first book in that deal, Don't You Dare, was published in the UK yesterday so a very happy (belated) book birthday to Alison and the team at Bloodhound Books!

Don't You Dare has an eye-opening and really rather shocking first chapter which draws the reader into the story immediately. From then on in, I was hooked. We meet Rachel, mother to Beth who had her daughter at the tender age of 15. Beth is now in her early twenties and aspires to be an actor. But when Rachel walks into the pub where she works and finds her daughter being brutally attacked in the cellar, her instincts take over and she does everything (and anything) to protect her child. Including accidentally killing a man. Accidents happen though. After all, her daughter was being viciously attacked. Rachel lashed out to save Beth, she pushed the attacker, he fell and hit his head. Anyone would have done the same thing to save their child, right? Wrong, because Rachel convinces Beth that they need to lie about the accident and hide the body. And there the thread starts to unravel, destroying the most precious of relationships; the destruction of a mother and daughter...

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I'm ashamed to admit that I became quite addicted to watching things spiral out of control for Rachel and Beth. At times, I had the same feeling as watching a tense drama on the television (peeking out from behind my hands). I wanted to find out what was going to happen but at the same time, it was tough to watch the devastation one terribly bad decision could wreak on such a strong bond.

I struggled to like Beth. As a twenty-something young woman, she felt quite childish and selfish. It was all about her and her career but I guess many of us acted that way at that age. (To be honest, my early twenties seem so long ago it's hard to remember!) Did I like Rachel? I'm not sure. I did at the start of the book but I think my feelings changed for her as the story progressed. Rachel makes some pretty crazy decisions throughout the story and I can *kind of* understand her reasoning for doing some of the things she does (not hiding a body though, I really can't understand that! ).

There's very little downtime for the reader in Don't You Dare. The plot moves at an addictive pace and keeps the reader hooked, waiting for the next bombshell to hit or the suspense to mount even more. The ending was totally unexpected and did leave me a little baffled. I didn't see it coming (and being me, I was looking for clues). I'm sitting here, writing this review asking myself, 'Really?!'. But I do appear to be the only early reader who has commented on this so I'm putting it down to being 'just me'!

Would I recommend this book? I would. Told in the voices of both Rachel and Beth, Don't You Dare is a very readable, hard to put down psychological thriller. Full of devastating secrets, the reader watches from afar as lives shatter and relationships crumble. I REALLY enjoyed it and can't wait to read the next book (be it a standalone psychological thriller or the next Dr Sam book) from the pen of A.J. Waines.

Four and a half stars out of five.

I chose to read and review an eARC of Don't You Dare. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

Adeptly written and addictive, Don’t You Dare is a clever look on the relationship between a mother and her daughter in the wake of a mistaken, and deadly act that binds them together in its secrecy, whilst tearing them apart in its weight.

Rachel and Beth are the kind of characters that you will like and support, whilst at the same time disliking them too. It makes for a great read as you go through the love/hate with them both and any book that emotionally connects you to it in that way is a sure fire winner for me.

Intense and twisty, you won’t see what’s coming and I guarantee you will be more than eager to find out, the deeper you get in, the faster you want to get out because you won’t be able to help yourself.

When I started reading I was a little put off, because I felt the characters' reactions weren't genuine. I just felt like people wouldn't react that way and thought I'd struggle to connect with them. I was wrong, and so glad I stuck it out. As you get to know them more, you realise why they behaved they way they did, and there's a history of secrets just waiting to come out. I was soon gripped by the book and had to keep on reading.

Twists and turns all the way through, and then just when you think it's drawing to a close there is one last shocker! A must read. Thank you Netgalley.

I love the way that A.J. Waines always manages to hook me into her books right from the outset and Don't You Dare is no exception. Told in alternating chapters by Rachel and Beth and it was fascinating to see how the mother/daughter relationship evolved following the accidental murder. It's clear that Rachel was only trying to protect her daughter but it soon becomes obvious that both women are keeping secrets from each other. Rachel has her reasons for not wanting to involve the police but Beth has no idea why and she is desperate to talk to someone about what's happened but instead, she shuts herself away but that only makes the situation worse as her friends start to become suspicious. Surely a bride to be would be busy making sure things were perfect for her upcoming big day - not shutting herself off from everyone.

Rachel fears that the wedding won't go ahead so she takes matters into her own hands to ensure that Beth's fiance, Peter is oblivious to the whole thing and she goes to some pretty extreme lengths to ensure that Beth's marriage will go ahead as planned so that her daughter doesn't lose all the opportunities that the union will bring.

Don't You Dare is a gripping tale of secrets, lies and deception and reading it was like being shut in a pressure cooker - I could feel the tension building up all around me and I couldn't wait to reach the end so that I knew how this tangled web of lies was going to be concluded. A.J. Waines has once again written a fabulous psychological thriller that is worthy of a place on every fan of this genre's bookshelf or kindle.

Don’t You Dare is my first read by A.J. Waines. I totally enjoyed this book right from the beginning. Chapter one hooked me right from the get-go…great opening!

The chapters alternate points of view between Rachel the mother and her daughter Beth. These two find themselves having committed a crime and then trying to cover it up. I found it interesting how Rachel and Beth each handle what they have done. The author cleverly shares their thoughts while switching from each of their points of view. They each have their own way of dealing with the burden of guilt and the cover-up…the anxiety involved while they wait to see if the police are going to end up questioning them.

Another part of the story that’s interesting is Rachel’s secret from the past. Throughout the book the author periodically reminds the reader of a past secret and Beth wants to find out from her Grandad but he has dementia and can only share bits and pieces of the mystery at a time. I thought the author did a great job presenting it this way and kept me interested throughout. The buildup at the end of the book was awesome and nicely wrapped up. Overall just a great read. I will be adding this author to my favorites list. Thank you A.J. Waines and Bloodhound Books for providing me with a copy of this book to read.

Thrillers are my favorite and this one has lots of surprises. This is my first book by A.J. Waines. I was hooked from the very beginning. Beth and her mom have a very interesting relationship and they go to great pains to fool and to safeguard each other The way he author flips back and forth between characters is interesting and fascinating I love the way the author gives the point of view of both the mother and daughter. This is an amazing thriller.

4.5 stars.

Will be reading more by this author.
Its was suspenseful, with a great plot. Love the writing style also.

Good plot. Very suspensful. I would read more by this author. I really enjoyed the plot of the book

Rachel is a barmaid and discovers her daughter, Beth pinned beneath a man in the pub’s cellar. She immediately thinks that Beth is being raped and reacts. Unfortunately the poor man hits a barrel and ends up dead. Rachel doesn’t want to report the death to the police because she has secrets of her own that she wants to keep quiet. Beth is supposed to be married in one month and was not exactly being attacked so she has her own secrets. What follows is a back and forth telling between Rachel and Beth as both try to deal with the death and the all of the lies that try to cover each other.

Rachel is a single mother and very protective of Beth. I understand this but she takes it to the extreme and has to be in control of Beth’s life. Beth is trying to find her way in the world and is having a hard time dealing with the death because she knows she should do the right thing and report it but her mother is controlling her. This leads to a lot of guilt and potential trouble as she has a announcement at her hen party.

This story goes round and round as both women has their own issues and the pressure builds to a breaking point. It’s easy to understand why Rachel wants to protect Beth but it gets frustrating the amount of control she has. As the pressure mounts we get closer and closer to finding out what her secret really is. I can understand how Beth is trying to find herself and is easily going to lose it with her own secrets.

This is a great thriller that draws you in and holds you tight as you get closer and closer to finding the truth buried beneath everything. This is one thriller you need to check out.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

The blurb caught my eye, and the beginning of the story hooked me in. Rachel, a bartender, hears her daughter Beth struggling with someone in the cellar, and all her motherly instincts flood her body. She rushes to protect her daughter and accidentally kills the man, Carl. Why accidentally, you ask? Well, they were both enacting a sex scene from Basic Instinct.

Then comes the roller-coaster ride of hiding the body, having alibis, coordinating the story, and waiting for the cops. Will they, won't they? Incidentally, Carl is the best man of Peter, Beth's fiancé. What a rush!!! The babe was having an affair with fiancé's best friend.

I loved the way the author A. J. Weines has developed the characters. Would I call them lovable, likable, or even tolerable? Nah!! But they were fascinating, the way the mother hid the body (you've got to read it to believe it), then provided cool alibis, and she thought of practically everything.

Then came the daughter, a very immature girl, who started unraveling right at the beginning at the dual horror. Narrated in both their POV, the book thrilled me, I would call this a wide-eyed thriller, as I was astonished with the aplomb and the audacity, the way circumstances played out!!

Weines had the twists and turns well in place, secrets popped up at inopportune moments, a searching desperate wife, a delirious grandfather added to the aura which spiraled and curved. It even had far reaching characters taking centre-stage. An unexpected letter at the end had the story turn upside down. I was enthralled and invigorated.

Really enjoyed this - good pace and strong story line. Couldn't put it down and loved how the characters really pulled you in

Love it , loved how the story pulls you in and it keeps your attention though out the story , can't wait to see more by this author,with that said I want to say thinks to Netgalley for giving me a chance at reading and review it in change for my honest opinion as well as finding a new author.

A great thriller, but not also that, a story about how far you would go to protect your daughter, or even your mother.

I was hooked within the first two chapters because already there’s action. I loved how it began right away and it didn’t wait till the middle to begin. It’s a great way to hook the readers to the story. Waines doesn’t fail to deliver.

I loved how the mother daughter relationship aspect was linked in this novel. It proves that no matter how close you are, everyone has their secrets. It’s plays such a huge part in the story that when they unravel, you’re just shocked.

The twist was predictable if you’re really good at guessing plot twists but that ending...oof! I did not expect that all. Like I said, secrets are plenty in this one.

I finished it in a day because I just had to keep reading. It’s one of those books where you have to just until you get the ending.

The characters I really liked. Peter the fiancé, Beth the daughter, Rachel the mother. Even Adrian, Rachel’s father. His dementia made the story even more intriguing because of the little hints he would leave and then he would forget what he said. It really just made me want to flip to the last few pages and spoil it for myself. But I didn’t, and I’m glad I didn’t.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bloodhound Books for giving me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

With thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this books - I felt the plot was incredibly well controlled all the way though.

Rachel, a barmaid, finds her daughter Beth, pinned down by a stranger in the pub cellar. She panics and lashes out – the stranger ends up dead. In desperation, Rachel convinces Beth that they must cover up the crime and move on with their life. Beth, who is engaged to get married to Peter, has a difficult time coping with what has happened. She falls to pieces.
Rachel, while dealing with the demons in her head, has to try and be normal both for herself and Beth. As Beth’s relationship with Peter starts to crumble, Rachel starts to clutch at all possible straws to keep a normal semblance to their lives.
On her hen’s night, things seem to get to Beth too much, and after quit a few drinks, she declares that “she has an announcement to make”. Rachel panics. They have an altercation. And then, Beth disappears.
What could have possibly happened to her?
Has she gone away willingly, or has she been taken away?

Is there someone who seems to know what transpired that fateful night?

And more importantly, what secret is Rachel harbouring? There is a constant reference to some past of hers.

Very well-written, this was a taut psychological thriller, leaving you guessing till the very end.

4.5/5 for me.

What if your daughter becomes your enemy?

When barmaid, Rachel, discovers her soon-to-be-married daughter, Beth, pinned down by a stranger in the pub cellar, Rachel lashes out in panic and the intruder ends up dead. In desperation, Rachel convinces Beth they should cover up the crime and go ahead with the planned wedding in one month’s time.

Rachel, however, has her own reasons for not involving the police.

Hiding their dreadful secret is harder than they both imagined and as the big day approaches and the lies multiply, Beth becomes a liability. Rachel looks on in dismay at the hen party when, after too many drinks, Beth declares she’s about to make a special announcement. But before Beth can say a word, she disappears...

When two people share a chilling secret, can both hold their nerve?

This book explores the dark side of a mother-daughter relationship when pushed to the limit.

Very slow to get started, and though it was enjoyable, it wasn’t a page turner that kept me on the edge of my seat – until suddenly – bam, I didn’t want to stop reading this book. An unexpected and very enjoyable conclusion. 4*

“Things are not always what they seem.” Some people walk through life wearing rose colored glasses, never seeing what is truly in front of them. Nor do they realize, their actions, no matter how harmless, can come with consequences.

Don’t You Dare, is a skillfully written, edge of your seat read that keeps you guessing. It also reaffirms the lengths a parent will travel to protect their children. 5 stars

Loved this book, even when I was not reading it I kept thinking about it and couldn’t wait to pick it up again, hence I finished it in a day. Would definitely recommend to others and can’t wait to read other titles from this author.