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I will do anything to protect my daughter She’s all I’ve ever wanted and all I really have but the moment I opened that letter and accepted the inheritance I walked us right into a dangerous trapI know I should have got her to tell me who she’s been talking to on the phone late at night and where she was the day I went to pick her up from school and couldn’t find her but she’s not spoken a word since she found that little pile of bones buried in the gardenAnd now she’s missingA jaw dropping addictive and totally twisty psychological thriller that will have you sleeping with the light on Perfect for anyone who loved The Girl on the Train Friend Reuest or The Wife Between Us Single Mother
EXCERPT Mel turns to Tom crouching down by the trench to see what he's looking at She feels her heart hammering in her chest as if it's pumping its way up her throat 'Oh Christ' Mel says covering her mouth when she sees it Her stomach churns 'Is that' She can't bring herself to say the words ABOUT 'SINGLE MOTHER' I will do anything to protect my daughter She’s all I’ve ever wanted and all I really have but the moment I opened that letter and accepted the inheritance I walked us right into a dangerous trapI know I should have got her to tell me who she’s been talking to on the phone late at night and where she was the day I went to pick her up from school and couldn’t find her but she’s not spoken a word since she found that little pile of bones buried in the gardenAnd now she’s missingMY THOUGHTS I think that I am reading far too many of this type of book because I found this excluding the final twist very obvious I am also unsure why this is being promoted as a psychological thriller The only psychological aspect to Single Mother is 'Miss Sarah's' mutism and even then that's debatable There were a lot of things in this book that grated on my nerves Among them were Mel's freuent hysterical outbursts; the way she pussyfooted around her ten year old daughter especially in regard to the spare phone; the silly assumptions she makes about the deceased Joyce view spoiler that financial pressure and huge debts had caused Joyce to take her own life when a Joyce didn't take her own life and b since Mel has just inherited the hotel and over £k300 it's highly unlikely that this is what happened hide spoiler English Happy pub day to this delicious heartbreaking gripping thriller🥳🎊🥂Wow Tears spilling like a torrent I cannot help Those mother and daughter were incredible I truly loved them I just got lost the depths of emotional characterization of the story as soon as I got this book into my hands This book is not only great mystery reading it was also great written extremely heartfelt tear jerker Three generation’s story the suffer the pain the abuse the bullying they endure broke my heart several times It starts with poignant story of Mel and Kate Mel is single mother barely makes ends meet taking care of her daughter after ending her relationship with the abusive bastard who called himself husband grabbed his jail card and got out of the picture She works at care house for elderly But her boss is cutthroat Nazi bitch who scrutinize each move she makes to find a mistake to dumb her ass and finally she finds a chance to sack her by blaming Mel for theft Mel is already exhausted not to give a proper life for her daughter even though how hard she tries And her daughter Kate has been bullied in school for a long time rejecting her mother’s attempts to talk to the principal because talking will make things worst for her At the right time she gets a letter from a law company about unknown relative She thinks it’s a scam but her best and only friend Michael forced her to connect with them and he is right it’s not a scam Actually it is an answer to solve for entire financial problems She does not only inherit a uiet satisfying amount of money but she also inherits a hotel which comes with one full time resident who is living there rent free and as long as she works she has to serveincluding meals laundry cleaning for that woman She needs to renovate undertake renovation work and rebuild the floating hotel business She is not allowed to sell the place But beggars can’t be choosers Of course she accepts the offer It can be clean skate for her and daughter but she has no idea what kind of troubles await them The unfriendly staff who sabotage her is not the main problem she needs to deal She accepts the offer for presenting her daughter a better life but somebody kidnapped her She is missing As she starts looking for her she will also find the great mystery about her childhood which will shake her to the core and force her rethink everything she believes in her life I’m rounding up 45 to 5 stars because the last twist is well played and the dramatic depth of the characters their heart wrenching stories are perfectly crafted Special thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for sharing this reviewer arc copy with me in exchange my honest opinions English 35 Life has been very difficult for many years for single mother Mel and daughter Kate She’s financially strapped and then out of the blue she’s loses her job as a carer On top of that she’s constantly worrying about her abusive ex Billy currently in prison who casts a shadow over their lives However a solicitor’s letter regarding an inheritance which includes a large sum of money and the Moreton Inn near Lyme Regis offers a way out of their hand to mouth existence how timely The book starts well and grabs your interest especially once they arrive at the hotel which has a neglected air and is full of gloomy secrets and a mysterious non speaking permanent guest who is so intriguing There are parts of the book that I really like however it’s inconsistent and there are occasions where my attention wanders There’s a big cast of characters and some of them especially those of less than honest intent did not feel real but like stereotypes I do like the character of Mel and teenager Kate is well portrayed This is a novel about trust as a central issue as Mel has many good reasons to be lacking in belief but at times she accepts things far too readily which seems at odds with her life experiences especially with Billy As the storyline progresses I have some issues with the plot as there is so much going on it’s becomes dizzying and you get so many twists and turns my head spins and some are far fetched and others are predictable The final twist is good and I didn’t see that one coming Every now and again the dialogue makes me wince and it just strikes an off note Overall this is an author I really like and I’ve read other books by her that have left me speechless This one doesn’t have that vibe for me though if you can suspend disbelief you may enjoy it as many others have It’s not a bad book by any means I like it rather than love it and it’s an entertaining way to take your mind off current events With thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the arc for an honest review English Melanie “Mel” Douglas has experienced a hard knock life Abandoned as a baby and the product of children’s homes and foster families she’s never known stability or ease Now a struggling single mom to 12 year old Kate she’s on her own after years in an abusive marriage to Billy who’s serving time for it Her life only gets worse when one day she’s falsely accused of stealing from her workplace and let go When her good friend and fellow product of the foster system Michael encourages her to read a formal looking letter from a law office that he’d found in her trash one she’d dismissed as a scam she discovers that she’s been beueathed a hotel and a large sum of money from an anonymous benefactor According to terms of the will everything is hers to keep as long as she remodels and continues to operate the hotel and bar and she allows one unnamed individual to maintain residence there Eager to get away from Billy who she suspects is out of prison and not having any other real options Mel and Kate start their new life in the charming seaside town of HaleburyI’ll start with the positives It’s an intriguing mystery since it’s unknown who left this hotel and money to Mel and why especially since she has no known family Is this a good idea for Mel to agree to this inheritance Is it too good to be true That remains to be seen I like her She’s a survivor and I like her attitude She’s also a great unreliable narrator As for the other characters they’re all interesting There’s Nikki the barmaid Rose the cook and Tom the hunky handyman who’ve been taking care of the hotel All of them seem pretty nice but are clearly keeping secrets about the history of this place and have their suspicious moments Can they be trustedAs an aside here WHAT for the love of everything is the fascination so many authors have with the hunky handyman trope Is there no other way to introduce an attractive man into a story involving a single female protagonist 🙄 OK Rant over Back to the review There’s also the mysterious mildly creepy completely silent resident in Room 12 the two Brays Don and Nige who send off major ominous vibes and kind but suspicious hotel patron Angus to complete the messy stew of potential suspects when an alarming discovery is made and young Kate goes missing Hayes does a good job of casting a suspicious light on virtually everyone so you’re never sure who to believe She also keeps the threat of Mel’s ex Billy present is he out of prison Has he been contacting their daughter behind her back Is he going to make Mel pay for putting him in prisonNow the “could be better” part The story is largely predictable and the twists just aren’t very twisty I could tell almost immediately who was up to no good and it was simply a matter of finding out the how and why I didn’t mind it so much it was still rewarding enough to find that part out but it wasn’t particularly surprising The big reveals just kind of happened without much build up so the excitement factor could have been higher There are also aspects of the story that are just outright unbelievable so you just have to go with it and move on Did it blow my socks off No Did I have fun reading it Yes It’s an engaging mother daughter mystery and I really enjoyed seeing how Mel and Kate’s story played outWARNING There are themes involving domestic violence children and abuse that could be upsetting to some★★★ ½ rounded up to 4Thanks to NetGalley and publisher Bookouture for this ARC in exchange for an honest review This is set for publication on January 5 2021 English Single Mother is the perfect mix of personal drama and suspense I liked Mel from the beginning and of course liked Kate Even when Mel makes uestionable decisions she is always looking out for her daughter Kate really struggles with fitting in and making friends I liked seeing how much things changed for her after the move Kate is strong and independent Sarah doesn’t speak but has lived at the hotel as long as anyone can remember Everything about Sarah is mysterious There was so much suspense throughout the book that I didn’t want to put it downThank you Bookouture and NetGalley for Single MotherFull Review English
This psychological thriller certainly had me reading late into the night determined to finish it and find out what was going to happen An interesting plot and lots of interesting characters but maybe a little too hard to believe but I am willing to forgive thatSingle parent Mel is struggling to get by while bringing up her daughter Kate so when she receives an inheritance letter she can hardly believe it Mel has inherited a small seaside hotel left to her in a strangers will Could this be the chance to escape the money problems and the threats of her dangerous ex Billy The hotel needs an over haul and Mel is keen to throw herself into the hard work in an effort to escape her past troubles But everything is not perfect and Mel senses the whispers from locals and an uneasy feeling that her daughter is hiding something from her Things start to improve but are brought to a sudden halt when a disturbing discovery is made under the foundations The police are called and Mel's problems just seem to escalateLots of twists and turns in this one and probably a few too many for me but still a good read from an author I plan to read ofI would like to thank both Netgalley and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review English Single mother Mel struggling to pay the bills and bring up twelve year old daughter Kate has just lost her job when she finds out she has been left an unusual inheritance by an anonymous donor Mel was a foster child and never knew her family so has no idea who could have left her an inheritance She's told she has been left a run down hotel in a coastal town and a generous sum of money but if she accepts the inheritance she can't sell the hotel but must restore it and continue to look after the long term resident who lives there At the same time she discovers that her violent ex husband Billy has been released from goal and decides moving to the hotel will be a good way for her and Kate to hide from himThe long term resident turns out to be a strange creepy old woman who never speaks a word but seems to develop a relationship with Kate Renovations to the hotel uncover some long kept secrets and Mel is concerned that Billy may be snooping around looking for them This was a fun read with some predicability as well as some less than believable twists but was nevertheless engaging with interesting characters With thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for a copy to read English Hi review below for ‘Single Mother’ and next up ‘Circle Of Doubt’ by Tracy Buchanan‘Single Mother’ by Samantha Hayes published by Bookouture on Jan 5th357 Kindle FlicksGreat storyline for this book where we meet single Mum Mel counting the penny’s before pay day even affording food is a struggle to make things worse she is then sacked from her job and fears she will be destitute she doesn’t know how she will provide for her daughter when she receives a letter saying she has inherited a hotel down South plus £350000 However the benefactor remains anonymous and well you can already see where a story is going to appearthe benefactor does become apparent and along with Mel’s ‘revamping the hotel’ we have a tale of secrets abuse lies and long lost folkit is also a story of trust but will say no on thatThere was 1 cliche too many towards the end of the book as ‘it all came to light and got sorted’ but decided to not on dwell too much on that and focus on the tense and exciting end and then of course the ‘twist’ which you were led to then cleverly led away from then BOOOM was there for all to see and was a shockGood characters not overly brimming with instant lovability but played their parts well in this firm psychological thriller that had promise and mostly kept it8104 Stars English Samantha Hayes is back Mel Melanie Douglas is the single mother of 12 year old Kate They live in a small rundown flat and money is tight Mel receives a solicitor’s letter about a potential inheritance At first she thinks it’s a scam but when she loses her low wage job she thinks again and contacts the solicitor who informs her that the inheritance is genuine She is beueathed a guest hotel the Moreton Inn on the coast near Lyme Regis and a significant sum of money to renovate it The solicitor cannot tell her who left her this bounty though as he doesn’t know The donor wished to remain anonymous There is one stipulation there is a permanent resident who is to remain in place On top of her money worries Mel is nervous about her ex Billy who has just been released from jail He has abused her in the past and she is scared of him finding her again So it’s a no brainer and Mel and Kate head off to their new home and settle in Mel is soon enjoying the hard work of bringing the solid but very dated inn into the modern era There is also the stirrings of romance between Mel and Tom a handymancontractor working on the hotel extension But the peace is not to last The first paying guest is not who he claims to be and she thinks Billy has already tracked her down Kate and her new friend Chloe make a shocking discovery and Mel has reason to be suspicious of Tom too But it’s when Kate disappears that Mel’s world falls apart She is convinced Billy has taken her and wants to ride off to the rescue straight away Oh oh that’s not a good ideaIt’s an interesting cast of characters Mel has had some hard knocks in life and is uite cynical and very feisty which I loved and Kate is such a good kid Unfortunately Mel doesn’t know who to trust as the mysteries surrounding the history and previous owner of the hotel deepen The permanent resident Miss Sarah is an enigma She doesn’t utter a word and is very reserved You get the impression early that she has suffered something terrible but I’m not telling Suffice it to say the hotel has a dark history This was a fun and heartwarming story a bit fantastical but within the realms of plausibility Some surprising and not so surprising twists round out what was an enjoyable reading experience I can recommend this one to anyone who enjoys a psychological thriller or romantic suspense the romance was not a big element phew My thanks go to Netgalley Bookouture and Samantha Hayes for making available a copy of this book for review My opinions Are my own English Favorite uotesI choose my wines like I choose my men he’d told her Full bodied and fruity And always very expensive‘Excellent On both counts’ he says through a mouth so pursed Mel wonders if his lips have a drawstringweird is the new normal around hereSome people just make it their business not to like others in life Kate Remember it says nothing bad about you but everything rotten about themMy ReviewThis maddeningly paced book was all kinds of twisty and flinchingly cold prickly and at times uite disconcerting And man oh man did I want to give several annoyingly frustrating characters a few good pinches and the wifflewaffling main character a few smacks with my favorite purple crocs to dislodge her cranium from her colon However you could not have pried my beloved kindle from my hands with a crowbar as I was entrenched incensed and deeply invested I was on a mission to get to the bottom of this lethally muddled and than a bit creepy conundrum before allowing the sandman to make an appearance And I did but oh my Now I may not sleep due to ruminating about the ending I had my wild theories and reasonably well considered hypothesis and while I could smugly crow that I was right about most of it I must confess that when I am wrong I am very very wrong and I was devastatingly off the mark with my favorite character Never saw it coming and I just love when that happens English
