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areclusereader's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
routergirl's review against another edition
4.0
While I loathed the main character (so entitled! So clueless and yet...so devious!), I loved this book. Thanks for the rec, Josie!
wellingtonestatelibrary's review against another edition
3.0
Just okay. I needed something totally different while I process my Kingdom of Ash read.
andreanicole866's review against another edition
5.0
This was soooo good! From start to finish I was hooked. I will say I hated the husband so damn much. I know she made him stay because she was obsessed and knew it would hurt him but I wished she would’ve fucked Jim over and found someone who appreciated her. Like his other work partner who always flirted with her.
cschmitz3's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting story
This was a good murder story but not as good as Natalie's other books. I enjoyed reading this one but it didn't hold my attention until the end. Also not at all what I expected at the end. Beatrice was not a nice person but I never hoped that she would die!
This was a good murder story but not as good as Natalie's other books. I enjoyed reading this one but it didn't hold my attention until the end. Also not at all what I expected at the end. Beatrice was not a nice person but I never hoped that she would die!
sbougeard's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
mandyherbet's review against another edition
1.0
Full disclosure: I skimmed the last third of this book because it was so awful. And by awful I mean self-published (I assume), two-dimensional and flat throughout. So, yes, awful. I hate-read it simply to be able to "finish" it and warn everyone else in my friends list to stay away.
Let's begin with the plot, which is actually the one redeeming feature of this book. There's a murder (or are there two murders? NOT TELLING) - Emma Fern, bestselling author and literary prize nominee has killed her best friend, author Beatrice. This is not a secret - we're told this in the first chapter so I'm not spoiling everything for you. How she comes to have killed her is the tale we're told from Emma's perspective.
Emma is a mild-mannered shop owner who comes from poverty and now lives with her super-smart economist husband, Jim, and enjoys a boring life until she meets her FAVOURITE author, Beatrice, one day in her shop. What follows is a request from Beatrice (who quickly becomes Emma's BEST FRIEND IN THE WHOLE WORLD) to pretend to have written a book by Beatrice and be her stand-in because the book is totally different to anything she's ever written and no agent will take it seriously. Obviously Emma descends into a spiral of jealousy and delusion which culminates in murder. Interesting, right?
EXCEPT all the characters are completely flat and so two-dimensional that they'll give you paper cuts. Emma is obviously unhinged from the beginning so there's no descent into delusion that would be necessary to make the day she "snaps" believable. Her husband Jim obviously detests her from the start despite the author trying to tell us that their marriage was super happy and perfect. Beatrice is so craven and rude that you actually want to reach in and throttle her and, well, the story is told in such a way that you might think you're reading the outline instead of the fleshed out book.
And this is before I even talk about the dialogue, because AWFUL. There are no words but I'll try find them: stilted like a stick man walking on stilts does not even come close. I'd come up with examples but just trust me, awful.
Let's begin with the plot, which is actually the one redeeming feature of this book. There's a murder (or are there two murders? NOT TELLING) - Emma Fern, bestselling author and literary prize nominee has killed her best friend, author Beatrice. This is not a secret - we're told this in the first chapter so I'm not spoiling everything for you. How she comes to have killed her is the tale we're told from Emma's perspective.
Emma is a mild-mannered shop owner who comes from poverty and now lives with her super-smart economist husband, Jim, and enjoys a boring life until she meets her FAVOURITE author, Beatrice, one day in her shop. What follows is a request from Beatrice (who quickly becomes Emma's BEST FRIEND IN THE WHOLE WORLD) to pretend to have written a book by Beatrice and be her stand-in because the book is totally different to anything she's ever written and no agent will take it seriously. Obviously Emma descends into a spiral of jealousy and delusion which culminates in murder. Interesting, right?
EXCEPT all the characters are completely flat and so two-dimensional that they'll give you paper cuts. Emma is obviously unhinged from the beginning so there's no descent into delusion that would be necessary to make the day she "snaps" believable. Her husband Jim obviously detests her from the start despite the author trying to tell us that their marriage was super happy and perfect. Beatrice is so craven and rude that you actually want to reach in and throttle her and, well, the story is told in such a way that you might think you're reading the outline instead of the fleshed out book.
And this is before I even talk about the dialogue, because AWFUL. There are no words but I'll try find them: stilted like a stick man walking on stilts does not even come close. I'd come up with examples but just trust me, awful.
amiramariex's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
llwilliams080117's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
ashleysumm's review against another edition
5.0
It's the perfect deal... or is it?
Emma is delighted to meet Beatrice Johnson Greene, one of her favourite authors. They form a fast friendship, and Emma is over the moon. As an aspiring writer herself, Emma would love to publish a novel. Luckily for her, Beatrice is looking for an unknown author to be the public name and face behind her next novel. Too famous to switch genres, Beatrice asks Emma if she will do her this favour. In return, they will split the proceeds of the sales and Emma will gain some notoriety, and receive writing mentorship from Beatrice. The book is an instant hit, and Emma is soaking up her newfound fame. Now that she's had a taste of success, she's not willing to risk giving it up...
This novel had me hook, line, and sinker from the very first chapter, which has been my overall experience with Natalie Barelli's books so far. I love any thriller that begins with a bargain, and Until I Met Her did not disappoint. I listened to the audiobook and I really felt that I could picture each character based on how the narrator portrayed them. She absolutely nailed Beatrice's pretentious personality and Emma's transformation from self-conscious to confident. I recommend this book to anyone who loves thrillers and suspense novels!
Emma is delighted to meet Beatrice Johnson Greene, one of her favourite authors. They form a fast friendship, and Emma is over the moon. As an aspiring writer herself, Emma would love to publish a novel. Luckily for her, Beatrice is looking for an unknown author to be the public name and face behind her next novel. Too famous to switch genres, Beatrice asks Emma if she will do her this favour. In return, they will split the proceeds of the sales and Emma will gain some notoriety, and receive writing mentorship from Beatrice. The book is an instant hit, and Emma is soaking up her newfound fame. Now that she's had a taste of success, she's not willing to risk giving it up...
This novel had me hook, line, and sinker from the very first chapter, which has been my overall experience with Natalie Barelli's books so far. I love any thriller that begins with a bargain, and Until I Met Her did not disappoint. I listened to the audiobook and I really felt that I could picture each character based on how the narrator portrayed them. She absolutely nailed Beatrice's pretentious personality and Emma's transformation from self-conscious to confident. I recommend this book to anyone who loves thrillers and suspense novels!