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Keep Her Quiet
Jenny has just given birth to the baby she's always wanted. She's never been this happy.
Her husband, Leo, knows this baby girl can't be his. He's never felt so betrayed.
The same night, a vulnerable young woman, Hannah, wakes to find her newborn lifeless beside her. She's crazed with grief.
When chance throws Hannah into Leo's path, they make a plan that will have shattering consequences for all of them.
Years later, a sixteen-year-old girl reads an article in a newspaper, and embarks on a journey to uncover the truth about herself. But what she learns will put everything she has ever known - and her own life - in grave danger. Because some people will go to desperate lengths to protect the secrets their lives are built on . . .
Her husband, Leo, knows this baby girl can't be his. He's never felt so betrayed.
The same night, a vulnerable young woman, Hannah, wakes to find her newborn lifeless beside her. She's crazed with grief.
When chance throws Hannah into Leo's path, they make a plan that will have shattering consequences for all of them.
Years later, a sixteen-year-old girl reads an article in a newspaper, and embarks on a journey to uncover the truth about herself. But what she learns will put everything she has ever known - and her own life - in grave danger. Because some people will go to desperate lengths to protect the secrets their lives are built on . . .
432 pages, Paperback
First published August 6, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 279 reviews
July 9, 2020
Jenny and Leo have just had a baby, but whilst Jenny is over the moon, Leo knows for certain that he is not the father.
Seventeen year old Hannah has also had a baby and has taken it home on her own, she doesn’t have a supportive family or partner to help her. She takes the baby to bed to keep it warm and wakes up to find her poor baby has died.
Without giving away an amazing plot, Leo has been drinking and comes across Hannah on a dark, wet road. They both make a life changing decision that will affect both of them forever.
When Jenny’s baby goes missing from the hospital, she is distraught but it seems like Leo has his own demons to Fight.
We fast forward sixteen years. Zoe sees an article in the paper about the search for Jenny’s baby, she starts to wonder if she is their child, but unfortunately some people will stop at nothing to keep this secret coming out.
I absolutely adored this book. The tension had the hairs on the back of my neck standing up, I found myself reading faster glued to the pages!!
An author to look out for.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
Seventeen year old Hannah has also had a baby and has taken it home on her own, she doesn’t have a supportive family or partner to help her. She takes the baby to bed to keep it warm and wakes up to find her poor baby has died.
Without giving away an amazing plot, Leo has been drinking and comes across Hannah on a dark, wet road. They both make a life changing decision that will affect both of them forever.
When Jenny’s baby goes missing from the hospital, she is distraught but it seems like Leo has his own demons to Fight.
We fast forward sixteen years. Zoe sees an article in the paper about the search for Jenny’s baby, she starts to wonder if she is their child, but unfortunately some people will stop at nothing to keep this secret coming out.
I absolutely adored this book. The tension had the hairs on the back of my neck standing up, I found myself reading faster glued to the pages!!
An author to look out for.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
November 27, 2023
The plot features quite a distressing topic of loss of a child.
Much of the character's decisions are based on the horrific moments that they have experienced. Those sections were quite tough to read but help build to a compelling page turner.
One aspect I liked was the story starts in 1989, when the events that unfold feel much more realistic.
Our two main female protagonist both have the joys of motherhood come crashing down around them.
For Jenny to have her baby snatched from a hospital so soon after giving birth, whilst young vulnerable Hannah wakes to find her child lifeless beside her.
The storyline are connected by Jennys Husband Leo who conducts an odious act for his own selfish act of not wanting children.
I felt the strongest section was the part set in 2005 as the young Zoe is now 16.
Media interest in the kidnapping is brought back to the fore and it left me wondering what would happen if she indeed managed to make contact with Jenny and Leo...
I thought this was so compelling written. All the characters were strong and distinct, whilst some made awful decisions.
I could understand why Hannah would try and shield Zoe from the truth, but Leo's actions continued to be the worst.
I just wanted to keep on reading as the book ramped up the tension for an explosive conclusion.
Much of the character's decisions are based on the horrific moments that they have experienced. Those sections were quite tough to read but help build to a compelling page turner.
One aspect I liked was the story starts in 1989, when the events that unfold feel much more realistic.
Our two main female protagonist both have the joys of motherhood come crashing down around them.
For Jenny to have her baby snatched from a hospital so soon after giving birth, whilst young vulnerable Hannah wakes to find her child lifeless beside her.
The storyline are connected by Jennys Husband Leo who conducts an odious act for his own selfish act of not wanting children.
I felt the strongest section was the part set in 2005 as the young Zoe is now 16.
Media interest in the kidnapping is brought back to the fore and it left me wondering what would happen if she indeed managed to make contact with Jenny and Leo...
I thought this was so compelling written. All the characters were strong and distinct, whilst some made awful decisions.
I could understand why Hannah would try and shield Zoe from the truth, but Leo's actions continued to be the worst.
I just wanted to keep on reading as the book ramped up the tension for an explosive conclusion.
January 19, 2022
It's hard to keep quiet about "Keep Her Quiet"....
and I am giving it 5 eye-rolling stars.
A young mother who just lost her baby abducts another woman's newborn and gets away with it for 16 years.
This storyline instantly reminded me of Helen Ross Klein's "What Was Mine"-- with a younger mother and baby. In both books, a child abduction was orchestrated by a woman with no police record or preconceived plan to abduct a child.
Thanks to many riveting and compelling twists and turns, the similarities to the two books ended almost as soon as this book began.
The book was fast-paced and intricately plotted -- with characters that were well developed and deeply flawed.
Even though some aspects of the book's twists and turns were implausible, I still really enjoyed the book and was unable to put it down.
I listened to the full-cast audiobook and all narrators did a superb job.
This was my third and favorite book by author Emma Curtis and I look forward to listening to future titles by this talented author.
and I am giving it 5 eye-rolling stars.
A young mother who just lost her baby abducts another woman's newborn and gets away with it for 16 years.
This storyline instantly reminded me of Helen Ross Klein's "What Was Mine"-- with a younger mother and baby. In both books, a child abduction was orchestrated by a woman with no police record or preconceived plan to abduct a child.
Thanks to many riveting and compelling twists and turns, the similarities to the two books ended almost as soon as this book began.
The book was fast-paced and intricately plotted -- with characters that were well developed and deeply flawed.
Even though some aspects of the book's twists and turns were implausible, I still really enjoyed the book and was unable to put it down.
I listened to the full-cast audiobook and all narrators did a superb job.
This was my third and favorite book by author Emma Curtis and I look forward to listening to future titles by this talented author.
August 27, 2020
Jenny has just given birth to the daughter she's always wanted. She's never been this happy. Her husband, Leo, knows the baby girl can't be his. He's never felt so betrayed.
The same night a vulnerable young woman, Hannah, wakes to find her new born lifeless beside her. When chances throw Hannah into Leo's path, they make a plan that will have shattering consequences for everyone.
Sixteen years later, a girl see an article in newspaper and wonders if she could be the person they are talking about. She starts to uncover the truth slowly. This is quite an addictive read. The twists just kept coming. Leo is an arrogant and despicable man. He's am ambitious budding writer who doesn't want anything getting in the way of his career. Jenny is the breadwinner. The story is told from multiple points if view. The plotline is gripping and original. The pace is fast.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and the author Emma Curtis for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The same night a vulnerable young woman, Hannah, wakes to find her new born lifeless beside her. When chances throw Hannah into Leo's path, they make a plan that will have shattering consequences for everyone.
Sixteen years later, a girl see an article in newspaper and wonders if she could be the person they are talking about. She starts to uncover the truth slowly. This is quite an addictive read. The twists just kept coming. Leo is an arrogant and despicable man. He's am ambitious budding writer who doesn't want anything getting in the way of his career. Jenny is the breadwinner. The story is told from multiple points if view. The plotline is gripping and original. The pace is fast.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and the author Emma Curtis for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 7, 2020
Leo’s wife has just given birth to a baby girl. Leo knows that it’s not his baby.
He meets Hannah who is devastated that her new born baby has just died and they make a pact that will have far reaching consequences.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
He meets Hannah who is devastated that her new born baby has just died and they make a pact that will have far reaching consequences.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 8, 2020
Jenny has just given birth to the baby she’s always wanted. She’s never been this happy. Her husband, Leo, knows this baby girl can’t be his. He’s never felt so betrayed. The same night, a vulnerable young woman, Hannah, wakes to find her newborn lifeless beside her. She’s crazed with grief. When chance throws Hannah into Leo’s path, they make a plan that will have shattering consequences for all of them. Years later, a sixteen-year-old girl reads an article in a newspaper, and embarks on a journey to uncover the truth about herself. But what she learns will put everything she has ever known – and her own life – in grave danger. Because some people will go to desperate lengths to protect the secrets their lives are built on.
I really do not have much to say about this read as it is one of the most ridiculous plots I have ever read. I am not sure I can come up with anything positive to say. This begins with very emotional scenes and Curtis does write this well. However, events quickly turn farcical. I can understand events in the heat of the moment but they could be undone. Instead, Curtis runs with them, then adds more insane events to the mix, until we are left with a very unbelievable read that I lost any connection with. To be honest, by the end of the read I came to view this whole book as a joke.
I move on to the characters now and if you were hoping for something positive here well I am afraid you would be mistaken. The characters are so unlikeable, all of them! I am not even sure I found them realistic which makes it even worse. They all come across as horrible people. Yes, devastating events happen to some of them but they remain flawed, unlikeable and characters that I just did not connect with.
‘Keep Her Quiet’ was not an enjoyable read or one I was in any way gripped by. I was left bemused by events and found the read to be farcical. I would go so far as to say I highly recommend you do not read this.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for an advance copy.
I really do not have much to say about this read as it is one of the most ridiculous plots I have ever read. I am not sure I can come up with anything positive to say. This begins with very emotional scenes and Curtis does write this well. However, events quickly turn farcical. I can understand events in the heat of the moment but they could be undone. Instead, Curtis runs with them, then adds more insane events to the mix, until we are left with a very unbelievable read that I lost any connection with. To be honest, by the end of the read I came to view this whole book as a joke.
I move on to the characters now and if you were hoping for something positive here well I am afraid you would be mistaken. The characters are so unlikeable, all of them! I am not even sure I found them realistic which makes it even worse. They all come across as horrible people. Yes, devastating events happen to some of them but they remain flawed, unlikeable and characters that I just did not connect with.
‘Keep Her Quiet’ was not an enjoyable read or one I was in any way gripped by. I was left bemused by events and found the read to be farcical. I would go so far as to say I highly recommend you do not read this.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for an advance copy.
August 19, 2020
Quite an addictive read where one night of the storm changed the lives of three people, four if you could count the child. Author Emma Curtis showed me the desperation of a human mind that made them do despicable acts. The psyche could move people to do random acts that had repercussions late in life.
Jenny gave birth to her daughter. Husband Leo knew it was not his. Alcohol and driving never went together. He banged into a teen whose baby died. A plan was hatched right there. And 16 years later, Zoe was led to question her identity. And her actions had life-changing, dreadful reactions.
My first book by this author, and her writing kept the book fast paced. Tension gripped me as goosebumps spoke its own tale. The three characters were quite tightly bound by the author. Each went about their own path not knowing that they had intersected. That made me curiouser about where it would end.
And you guessed it right. Death. But whose? Read the book to know the secrets these three were hiding. I loved how the author kept all of them shaded, morality was questioned. There were moments where the book turned direction least expected. Did I not say human psyche and desperation led to swirling plots. Such was the mind of author Emma Curtis who thought it all up.
A dark breakfast read!!
Jenny gave birth to her daughter. Husband Leo knew it was not his. Alcohol and driving never went together. He banged into a teen whose baby died. A plan was hatched right there. And 16 years later, Zoe was led to question her identity. And her actions had life-changing, dreadful reactions.
My first book by this author, and her writing kept the book fast paced. Tension gripped me as goosebumps spoke its own tale. The three characters were quite tightly bound by the author. Each went about their own path not knowing that they had intersected. That made me curiouser about where it would end.
And you guessed it right. Death. But whose? Read the book to know the secrets these three were hiding. I loved how the author kept all of them shaded, morality was questioned. There were moments where the book turned direction least expected. Did I not say human psyche and desperation led to swirling plots. Such was the mind of author Emma Curtis who thought it all up.
A dark breakfast read!!
August 27, 2020
Jenny has just given birth to the daughter she's always wanted. She's never been this happy. Her husband, Leo knows the baby girl can't be his. He's never felt so betrayed.
The same night a vulnerable young woman, Hannah, wakes to find her new born lifeless beside her. When chance throws Hannah into Leo's path, they make a plan that will have shattering consequences for everyone.
Sixteen years later, a girl see an article in newspaper and wonders if she could be the person they are talking about. She starts to uncover the truth slowly. This is quite an addictive read. The twists just kept coming. Leo is an arrogant and despicable man. He's an ambitious budding writer who doesn't want anything getting in the way of his career. Jenny is the breadwinner. The story is told from multiple points if view. The plotline is gripping and original. The pace is fast.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and the author Emma Curtis for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The same night a vulnerable young woman, Hannah, wakes to find her new born lifeless beside her. When chance throws Hannah into Leo's path, they make a plan that will have shattering consequences for everyone.
Sixteen years later, a girl see an article in newspaper and wonders if she could be the person they are talking about. She starts to uncover the truth slowly. This is quite an addictive read. The twists just kept coming. Leo is an arrogant and despicable man. He's an ambitious budding writer who doesn't want anything getting in the way of his career. Jenny is the breadwinner. The story is told from multiple points if view. The plotline is gripping and original. The pace is fast.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and the author Emma Curtis for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 7, 2020
This was a thoroughly enjoyable, riveting read that grabbed my attention from start to end. The pace of this book is electric and the twists and turns don't let up.
On a deeper level, it is a book about masks we hide behind, lies, pain, secrets and duplicity. I thought the saying "if you don't heal what hurt you, you'll bleed on those who didn't cut you" sums it up well.
Leo is an arrogant, egotistical, duplicitous man. He is married to Jenny who is the chief breadwinner in the relationship. Staying with her affords Leo the opportunity to follow his passion of writing, which he does from Jenny's second home outside of London 3 days a week.
Hannah is raised in a puritanical religious household, where rules abound and not much love is shown. When she falls pregnant by the preacher, her family turn against her and she is left to fend for herself at age 16.
Jenny, unaware that Leo has had a vasectomy has a one night stand while away at a conference that results in her falling pregnant. Because she supports Leo, he never tells her that he knows the baby can't be his.
The lives of Hannah, Leo, Jenny and the respective babies then cross in an unbelievable way that leaves the reader asking 1) how well do you know your partner ? 2) can one blame one's upbringing for the decisions we make in life ? 3) at what point do you accept that who you love and who you think you love is not the same person? There's a saying that two people can keep a secret if one of them is dead. Not in this book. Secrets will out. If you don't want anyone to find out, don't do it! 4 and a half well deserved stars.
On a deeper level, it is a book about masks we hide behind, lies, pain, secrets and duplicity. I thought the saying "if you don't heal what hurt you, you'll bleed on those who didn't cut you" sums it up well.
Leo is an arrogant, egotistical, duplicitous man. He is married to Jenny who is the chief breadwinner in the relationship. Staying with her affords Leo the opportunity to follow his passion of writing, which he does from Jenny's second home outside of London 3 days a week.
Hannah is raised in a puritanical religious household, where rules abound and not much love is shown. When she falls pregnant by the preacher, her family turn against her and she is left to fend for herself at age 16.
Jenny, unaware that Leo has had a vasectomy has a one night stand while away at a conference that results in her falling pregnant. Because she supports Leo, he never tells her that he knows the baby can't be his.
The lives of Hannah, Leo, Jenny and the respective babies then cross in an unbelievable way that leaves the reader asking 1) how well do you know your partner ? 2) can one blame one's upbringing for the decisions we make in life ? 3) at what point do you accept that who you love and who you think you love is not the same person? There's a saying that two people can keep a secret if one of them is dead. Not in this book. Secrets will out. If you don't want anyone to find out, don't do it! 4 and a half well deserved stars.
July 26, 2020
Absolutely loved this story. Emma Curtis never disappoints and I think this is her best yet. Tense, gripping, twisty and totally unputdownable. Highly recommended.
June 12, 2024
It's 1989 in London and Jenny and Leo Creasey head for St Thomas's Hospital where Jenny gives birth to baby Sophie. Jenny has a secret - she knows the baby probably isn't Leo's and convinces herself he would never find out, except Leo also has his own secret which convinces him he couldn't possibly be the father. However, being a struggling writer and content to keep the status quo by having Jenny support him, he'll accept the situation for his benefit. Jenny owns her late grandmother's cottage in Kent which Leo alone uses for his writing several days a week and when his father-in-law phones him at the hospital to let him know there has been some storm damage at the cottage Leo, with some relief, leaves Jenny and Sophie to drive down to inspect it.
Two days earlier 17yr-old Hannah had given birth to her daughter Zoe in Kent. Heavily supported by Social Services and scared her baby would be taken into care if they knew she was totally alone with no family support, she is determined to be a good mother. But tragedy strikes as she inadvertently suffocates Zoe in bed. Hysterically, with Zoe in her arms, Hannah runs from her house into the path of Leo's car - he having drunk half a bottle of whisky and driving too fast to avoid her totally. Hannah accuses Leo of killing her baby.
Neither Hannah nor Leo want the Police involved so they concoct a plan that satisfies both their needs at that time.
The story moves forward 16 years when Zoe, Hannah’s daughter, reads an article in a newspaper on the 16th anniversary of Jenny’s missing daughter and terrible consequences ensue.
Told from the points of view of Jenny, Leo and Hannah from 1989, 16 years later to 2005 and then 2007.
Two days earlier 17yr-old Hannah had given birth to her daughter Zoe in Kent. Heavily supported by Social Services and scared her baby would be taken into care if they knew she was totally alone with no family support, she is determined to be a good mother. But tragedy strikes as she inadvertently suffocates Zoe in bed. Hysterically, with Zoe in her arms, Hannah runs from her house into the path of Leo's car - he having drunk half a bottle of whisky and driving too fast to avoid her totally. Hannah accuses Leo of killing her baby.
Neither Hannah nor Leo want the Police involved so they concoct a plan that satisfies both their needs at that time.
The story moves forward 16 years when Zoe, Hannah’s daughter, reads an article in a newspaper on the 16th anniversary of Jenny’s missing daughter and terrible consequences ensue.
Told from the points of view of Jenny, Leo and Hannah from 1989, 16 years later to 2005 and then 2007.
June 1, 2020
Thank You to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for this ARC!!
Jenny has just given birth to the baby she’s always wanted and she's happier than never before. However, her husband, Leo, knows this baby girl can’t be his.
The same night, a vulnerable young woman, Hannah, wakes to find her newborn lifeless beside her. She’s crazed with grief. When chance throws Hannah into Leo’s path, they make a plan that will have shattering consequences for all of them.
Years later, a sixteen-year-old girl reads an article in a newspaper, and embarks on a journey to uncover the truth about herself. But what she learns will put everything she has ever known – and her own life – in grave danger.
I was attracted to this book for its premise and cover, and I wasn't disappointed. It was exciting and I was engaged throughout. I loved both the concept and the execution!!
Interesting read with a good ending and decent amount of suspense.
Jenny has just given birth to the baby she’s always wanted and she's happier than never before. However, her husband, Leo, knows this baby girl can’t be his.
The same night, a vulnerable young woman, Hannah, wakes to find her newborn lifeless beside her. She’s crazed with grief. When chance throws Hannah into Leo’s path, they make a plan that will have shattering consequences for all of them.
Years later, a sixteen-year-old girl reads an article in a newspaper, and embarks on a journey to uncover the truth about herself. But what she learns will put everything she has ever known – and her own life – in grave danger.
I was attracted to this book for its premise and cover, and I wasn't disappointed. It was exciting and I was engaged throughout. I loved both the concept and the execution!!
Interesting read with a good ending and decent amount of suspense.
May 16, 2020
Just saw the word grip-lit in another review - and this is THAT! So that! With a genius idea, a heap of jump-out-at-you moments, great characters, and the expert handling of it all that you always get with Curtis, this is a winner. Escape lockdown ... with a book where being locked down is a theme! Can you tell I enjoyed it?
November 6, 2020
This was such a brilliant, twisty book. At first I wasn’t sure as it talked about kidnapping and the dying of a baby but, once I got over that the book gathered pace and I couldn’t put it down. The way the male character behaved in the book really made me gasp out loud and I couldn’t believe that his wife didn’t see through him until near the end. I do hope that the author writes more as I. Interested to read more of her books.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.
August 27, 2022
.
What a waste of time.
Reading the description, I thought this might be a thriller with unpredictable twists and turns. While there are some twists, the author exhausts the reader to boredom whilst trying to build suspense. I'm grateful it was the ebook that I could skim through instead of the audio book I would usually choose.
My review has spoilers, so be warned.
First off, none of the characters are truly likable. Jenny is the most likable character as the mother whose baby was taken from her but she's still punishing herself and whining about how she deserves to be punished for having an affair. Even 16 years later she is still beating herself up over it. Her empty marriage to Leo only benefits him as he reaps the rewards financially from her high powered career and only cares about 'his child's' abduction when it promotes his book sales. Yet, she stays. Poor pitiful me.
We don't really get to know Hannah, the mother who abducted Jenny's baby. The author tries to gain sympathy for her by going down the route of "strict Church family turns their child away when a church elder impregnates her. " But for some reason, it feels like a story being told about a friend of a friend. You just aren't invested enough to care. When her baby dies of SIDS or suffocation, she runs out into the road and is hit by Leo. She decides to blame him and make him think he's responsible for the baby's death. He agrees to give her his wife's baby- a child he couldn't have fathered - in return for her silence. She raises the child (who she calls Zoe) with no TV, no access to secular media, homeschooled. She is the ultimate helicopter parent. Controlling because she's afraid someone will figure it out.
Jenny's husband Leo is written as a 2 dimensional bad guy with no redeeming qualities. I'm surprised he didn't have a hooked nose and a thin mustache. He uses his missing daughters 16th bday/ anniversary of kidnapping to promote his book.
Kids at school tease Zoe about how she could be the missing girl and she snoops through her mothers things and finds proof!
Up to this point, the story is good.
She goes to Leo and he kidnaps her and throws her in a hidden bunker that is on a property OWNED BY HIS WIFE'S FAMILY FOR GENERATIONS, yet she is unaware of the bunker. 🙄
Hannah looks for her and suspects Leo has her but does nothing about it. Had she staked out his cottage, she would have seen him going outside to the bunker. Instead she does absolutely nothing to find the "daughter" she supposedly loves. 🙄🙄
The book then jumps ahead 2 years. He keeps her there in the bunker the whole time and the author plays the cliche card - Zoe falls in love with Leo. 🙄 They have sex and even though it's her first time and she has never even been allowed a tv to have a clue about how sex happens, the whole thing is glossed over as if it were nothing. 🙄 Honestly? A girl with no knowledge of sex enjoys her first time? 🙄🦊🙄 She falls in love with the old man who kidnaps her. I found myself saying For Fox Sake multiple times. Then she begins acting as editor for the book he is writing. 😳🙄 In return, he agrees to write a note in case of his death letting the world know she is hidden in the bunker. 🙄🙄
The story continues to backslide from there. Jenny becomes a therapist for grieving parents. Even though Jenny didn't know about Hannah, Hannah pretends to be another person so she can become a patient of Jennys! She uses a secret name that only she and her daughter know because don't all moms and daughters have secret other names?? 🙄🙄
The ending is just so ludicrous. Jenny suspects Leo of having an affair. She snoops at the cottage and finds the "in case I die" envelope but fails to read it. Seriously? 🙄🙄🙄 Of course she would read it if she thought he was cheating!! She also finds a note in the cottage with Hannah's fake name on it. Believing they are having an affair, She secretly arranges Leo and Hannah to meet. (She wants to fight for the man who does nothing but mooch off her. 🦊)
Leo is shocked to see Hannah and chases her into the subway where he tries to kill her by pushing her onto the train tracks but instead she pushes him and he dies. Hannah finally comes clean to the police and they let her sit face to face and tell Jenny how she and Leo facilitated the kidnapping years ago.
Jenny remembers the "in case I die" envelope she saw at the cottage and breaking all police protocol they all ride together to the cottage but alas!! It's burning down!! Faulty wiring! Oh no! 🙄
The women rush in and get the letter but are trapped by the fire 🙄. Jenny passes out as she is rescued and when she wakes, the letter is gone. Or is it?? 😮
She realises the girl must still be alive because how else would Leo know that special pseudonym. She must be here! Cue the nosey neighbour who knows there's a bunker but never heard Zoes screams. 🤔 He leads them straight to it.
Jenny finally gets her daughter back but continues to protect Leos legacy. Hannah goes to jail but remains close to Zoe. Jenny reads the secret "if I die" letter and there is NO mention of Zoe. 😮 He never intended to tell anyone about her. She would have starved to death. Yet Jenny doesn't tell Zoe because she knows Zoe loves poor dead baby snatching Leo.🙄🙄 The end. I honestly groaned out loud as my eyes hurt from rolling them.
I'm honestly surprised the author didn't try to squeeze out one last twist by having Zoe get pregnant (vasectomies aren't always fool proof). Then we would wonder 'What if he WAS actually her dad?'
What a waste of time.
Reading the description, I thought this might be a thriller with unpredictable twists and turns. While there are some twists, the author exhausts the reader to boredom whilst trying to build suspense. I'm grateful it was the ebook that I could skim through instead of the audio book I would usually choose.
My review has spoilers, so be warned.
First off, none of the characters are truly likable. Jenny is the most likable character as the mother whose baby was taken from her but she's still punishing herself and whining about how she deserves to be punished for having an affair. Even 16 years later she is still beating herself up over it. Her empty marriage to Leo only benefits him as he reaps the rewards financially from her high powered career and only cares about 'his child's' abduction when it promotes his book sales. Yet, she stays. Poor pitiful me.
We don't really get to know Hannah, the mother who abducted Jenny's baby. The author tries to gain sympathy for her by going down the route of "strict Church family turns their child away when a church elder impregnates her. " But for some reason, it feels like a story being told about a friend of a friend. You just aren't invested enough to care. When her baby dies of SIDS or suffocation, she runs out into the road and is hit by Leo. She decides to blame him and make him think he's responsible for the baby's death. He agrees to give her his wife's baby- a child he couldn't have fathered - in return for her silence. She raises the child (who she calls Zoe) with no TV, no access to secular media, homeschooled. She is the ultimate helicopter parent. Controlling because she's afraid someone will figure it out.
Jenny's husband Leo is written as a 2 dimensional bad guy with no redeeming qualities. I'm surprised he didn't have a hooked nose and a thin mustache. He uses his missing daughters 16th bday/ anniversary of kidnapping to promote his book.
Kids at school tease Zoe about how she could be the missing girl and she snoops through her mothers things and finds proof!
Up to this point, the story is good.
She goes to Leo and he kidnaps her and throws her in a hidden bunker that is on a property OWNED BY HIS WIFE'S FAMILY FOR GENERATIONS, yet she is unaware of the bunker. 🙄
Hannah looks for her and suspects Leo has her but does nothing about it. Had she staked out his cottage, she would have seen him going outside to the bunker. Instead she does absolutely nothing to find the "daughter" she supposedly loves. 🙄🙄
The book then jumps ahead 2 years. He keeps her there in the bunker the whole time and the author plays the cliche card - Zoe falls in love with Leo. 🙄 They have sex and even though it's her first time and she has never even been allowed a tv to have a clue about how sex happens, the whole thing is glossed over as if it were nothing. 🙄 Honestly? A girl with no knowledge of sex enjoys her first time? 🙄🦊🙄 She falls in love with the old man who kidnaps her. I found myself saying For Fox Sake multiple times. Then she begins acting as editor for the book he is writing. 😳🙄 In return, he agrees to write a note in case of his death letting the world know she is hidden in the bunker. 🙄🙄
The story continues to backslide from there. Jenny becomes a therapist for grieving parents. Even though Jenny didn't know about Hannah, Hannah pretends to be another person so she can become a patient of Jennys! She uses a secret name that only she and her daughter know because don't all moms and daughters have secret other names?? 🙄🙄
The ending is just so ludicrous. Jenny suspects Leo of having an affair. She snoops at the cottage and finds the "in case I die" envelope but fails to read it. Seriously? 🙄🙄🙄 Of course she would read it if she thought he was cheating!! She also finds a note in the cottage with Hannah's fake name on it. Believing they are having an affair, She secretly arranges Leo and Hannah to meet. (She wants to fight for the man who does nothing but mooch off her. 🦊)
Leo is shocked to see Hannah and chases her into the subway where he tries to kill her by pushing her onto the train tracks but instead she pushes him and he dies. Hannah finally comes clean to the police and they let her sit face to face and tell Jenny how she and Leo facilitated the kidnapping years ago.
Jenny remembers the "in case I die" envelope she saw at the cottage and breaking all police protocol they all ride together to the cottage but alas!! It's burning down!! Faulty wiring! Oh no! 🙄
The women rush in and get the letter but are trapped by the fire 🙄. Jenny passes out as she is rescued and when she wakes, the letter is gone. Or is it?? 😮
She realises the girl must still be alive because how else would Leo know that special pseudonym. She must be here! Cue the nosey neighbour who knows there's a bunker but never heard Zoes screams. 🤔 He leads them straight to it.
Jenny finally gets her daughter back but continues to protect Leos legacy. Hannah goes to jail but remains close to Zoe. Jenny reads the secret "if I die" letter and there is NO mention of Zoe. 😮 He never intended to tell anyone about her. She would have starved to death. Yet Jenny doesn't tell Zoe because she knows Zoe loves poor dead baby snatching Leo.🙄🙄 The end. I honestly groaned out loud as my eyes hurt from rolling them.
I'm honestly surprised the author didn't try to squeeze out one last twist by having Zoe get pregnant (vasectomies aren't always fool proof). Then we would wonder 'What if he WAS actually her dad?'
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2020
Wow, that was one hell of a ride! The book had so many twists and turns, quite a few of which I really did not see coming! It was definitely what you'd call a page turner! I know that if I'd had a physical copy of the book, rather than staves, I would have read the book in one go!
It grabbed your attention from the start and kept it held throughout the book, especially with the quick pace the story moved at.
It also left you asking some thought provoking questions like how well do you really know the person you've been married to for years? Does your terrible upbringing really excuse your behaviour or the choices you make?
I felt really sorry for Jenny and Zoe. I did initially feel sorry for Hannah too, but that soon changed. As for Leo, well, let's just say that I didn't think there could be a fictional character that I could despise more! He was a selfish, arrogant ass and he really didn't deserve the ending he got! Honestly there really were a good few times when I wanted to reach into the book and give him a good slap!
This was a fantastic read and I would highly recommend it.
Thank you to Pigeonhole and Emma Curtis for the chance to read this book. Also thank you to my fellow Pigeonholers for making it an enjoyable reading experience once again.
It grabbed your attention from the start and kept it held throughout the book, especially with the quick pace the story moved at.
It also left you asking some thought provoking questions like how well do you really know the person you've been married to for years? Does your terrible upbringing really excuse your behaviour or the choices you make?
I felt really sorry for Jenny and Zoe. I did initially feel sorry for Hannah too, but that soon changed. As for Leo, well, let's just say that I didn't think there could be a fictional character that I could despise more! He was a selfish, arrogant ass and he really didn't deserve the ending he got! Honestly there really were a good few times when I wanted to reach into the book and give him a good slap!
This was a fantastic read and I would highly recommend it.
Thank you to Pigeonhole and Emma Curtis for the chance to read this book. Also thank you to my fellow Pigeonholers for making it an enjoyable reading experience once again.
August 26, 2020
I read Keep Her Quiet by Emma Curtis in staves with other Pigeonholers as part of a group.
Jenny and her husband Leo have an addition to their family - a baby girl - but Leo knows the baby is not his. Vulnerable new mother Hannah Faulkner has just found her newborn child lifeless next to her, and is beside herself with grief. When Hannah and Leo's paths cross, they make a plan that has far-reaching and dangerous consequences for everyone.
Keep Her Quiet incorporates a range of themes including desperation, love, extreme selfishness and questionable morals. In a crisp narrative, the reader is treated to a wonderfully oppressive, fast paced thriller. Amongst the secrets, deceptions, manipulation, lies, menace, and evil lurks the various protagonists, Jenny, Leo, Hannah and sixteen year old Zoe, all of whom had a great impression on me, especially the self-absorbed and narcissistic Leo. Emma Curtis's introductions of the characters were brilliantly orchestrated and the way these characters interacted with one another made this a fascinating tale. Hooked from the opening chapter, it was a provocative and conflicting thriller with superb pacing and its fair share of twists and changes in direction. Each new twist built on or challenged my previous opinions as it powered towards a creditworthy finale. A fulfilling, and very highly recommended, intense psychological thriller.
A special thank you to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Emma Curtis, NetGalley and Pigeonhole for a complimentary copy of this novel at my request. This review is my unbiased opinion.
Jenny and her husband Leo have an addition to their family - a baby girl - but Leo knows the baby is not his. Vulnerable new mother Hannah Faulkner has just found her newborn child lifeless next to her, and is beside herself with grief. When Hannah and Leo's paths cross, they make a plan that has far-reaching and dangerous consequences for everyone.
Keep Her Quiet incorporates a range of themes including desperation, love, extreme selfishness and questionable morals. In a crisp narrative, the reader is treated to a wonderfully oppressive, fast paced thriller. Amongst the secrets, deceptions, manipulation, lies, menace, and evil lurks the various protagonists, Jenny, Leo, Hannah and sixteen year old Zoe, all of whom had a great impression on me, especially the self-absorbed and narcissistic Leo. Emma Curtis's introductions of the characters were brilliantly orchestrated and the way these characters interacted with one another made this a fascinating tale. Hooked from the opening chapter, it was a provocative and conflicting thriller with superb pacing and its fair share of twists and changes in direction. Each new twist built on or challenged my previous opinions as it powered towards a creditworthy finale. A fulfilling, and very highly recommended, intense psychological thriller.
A special thank you to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Emma Curtis, NetGalley and Pigeonhole for a complimentary copy of this novel at my request. This review is my unbiased opinion.
July 29, 2020
An absolutely thrilling family/psychological thriller!
Well written, tightly plotted and the type of book that you GENUINELY cannot put down.
I read this through the night in more or less one sitting, so enthralled was I by the characters and circumstances,.
Hannah is a Jehovah' Witness and just 17 years old when her community turn against her thanks to the abusive actions of an elder. Hannah Faulkner gives birth to a baby daughter Zoe but Zoe's life is short lived.
Crazy with anguish Hannah runs out of the cold house she has been put in by social services, into the road with her dead baby in her arms only to be almost run over by whisky fuelled driver Leo who is escaping to Kent after his wife Jenny gives birth to a baby daughter Sophie.
Both Leo and Hannah are frightened and desperate, keen to avoid a brush with the law. Only thinking of themselves they hatch a terrible plan that has far reaching and devastating consequences spanning almost 2 decades.
I cannot reveal any more for fear of spoiling a tremendous tale. I ached for many of the characters, was horrified, saddened and shocked in equal measure, completely gripped by how these different people, torn apart by secrets, selfish motives and loss, go about their daily lives until suddenly events spiral out of control and the truth slowly emerges.
Tense and fast paced I loved the varying perspectives, the justifications and the evolving connections which bring this book to a fantastic conclusion.
I totally, whole-heartedly, unreservedly, recommend this book to others!
Well written, tightly plotted and the type of book that you GENUINELY cannot put down.
I read this through the night in more or less one sitting, so enthralled was I by the characters and circumstances,.
Hannah is a Jehovah' Witness and just 17 years old when her community turn against her thanks to the abusive actions of an elder. Hannah Faulkner gives birth to a baby daughter Zoe but Zoe's life is short lived.
Crazy with anguish Hannah runs out of the cold house she has been put in by social services, into the road with her dead baby in her arms only to be almost run over by whisky fuelled driver Leo who is escaping to Kent after his wife Jenny gives birth to a baby daughter Sophie.
Both Leo and Hannah are frightened and desperate, keen to avoid a brush with the law. Only thinking of themselves they hatch a terrible plan that has far reaching and devastating consequences spanning almost 2 decades.
I cannot reveal any more for fear of spoiling a tremendous tale. I ached for many of the characters, was horrified, saddened and shocked in equal measure, completely gripped by how these different people, torn apart by secrets, selfish motives and loss, go about their daily lives until suddenly events spiral out of control and the truth slowly emerges.
Tense and fast paced I loved the varying perspectives, the justifications and the evolving connections which bring this book to a fantastic conclusion.
I totally, whole-heartedly, unreservedly, recommend this book to others!
August 6, 2020
Split into two parts that are set sixteen years apart and narrated from the perspectives of Jenny, Leo, Hannah and sixteen year old Zoe this is a captivating tale of how the paths of the lives of a mother and her child were operated and sent in different directions due to the actions of a selfish, narcissistic man and a obviously damaged young girl. And the shocking consequences when their paths reconnected and the lies and deceptions from the past started to unravel in the present day. Hannah's upbringing was very secluded and she had just been through a very traumatic experience before she first encountered Leo which raised the question, did she actually have the mental capacity to understand how shocking her actions and demands were? It was also kind of ironic that sixteen years later Hannah was forcing Zoe to live in circumstances that were not too dissimilar to her own upbringing just because she didn't want Zoe to uncover the truth about her abduction and true parentage. Hannah seemed to have forgotten the saying, you can never outrun your past, it will always find a way to catch up with you. I really wanted Zoe to be reunited with her poor mother Jenny who had been distraught when her daughter disappeared. Despite the deceptive way that Sophie was conceived, I couldn't help feeling a lot of sympathy for Jenny especially after Sophie disappeared but I seriously couldn't understand why she stayed with obnoxious, freeloader Leo. He was a really unlikable character for various reasons but once the past started to catch up with him just how far was he prepared to go to prevent the truth from coming out and ruining the career and image he had worked so hard (and spent Jenny's money) to cultivate? And how much of his behaviour was also influenced by his upbringing?
This is a captivating, tightly plotted thriller that hooks the reader in from the first page and plays with the reader's emotions causing you to experience a wide range of feelings about the various, mainly flawed characters. It's a well written tale of secrets deceptions, manipulation,lies, consequences and repercussions. It's a very enjoyable read and very highly recommended.
This is a captivating, tightly plotted thriller that hooks the reader in from the first page and plays with the reader's emotions causing you to experience a wide range of feelings about the various, mainly flawed characters. It's a well written tale of secrets deceptions, manipulation,lies, consequences and repercussions. It's a very enjoyable read and very highly recommended.
August 6, 2020
I read this courtesy of Pigeonhole and the author. A brilliant book that raised many issues and held your attention throughout. The story was well planned and there were lots of unexpected twists along the way. It certainly kept me on the edge of my seat and there was hope in the ending...Thanks Pigeon and Emma!
June 13, 2020
When Jenny and Leo welcome their daughter, Sophie, into the world Jenny thinks their life is complete. Leo knows that he isn’t the father but he can never tell Jenny that. 17 year old Hannah arrives home from hospital with her own daughter, Zoe, but events unfold when Leo and Hannah meet and two world are devastated.
16 years later, Zoe wants to know the truth about her family and things take a dark turn.
I honestly wasn’t sure about this book as I started reading it, told in four parts the first part seemed slow but soon it picked up and I was engrossed. Definitely a page turner! Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
16 years later, Zoe wants to know the truth about her family and things take a dark turn.
I honestly wasn’t sure about this book as I started reading it, told in four parts the first part seemed slow but soon it picked up and I was engrossed. Definitely a page turner! Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
June 8, 2020
I really enjoyed the start of this book and felt it had the potential to be a really good story. However, for some reason I found the rest of the book harder to enjoy, it felt a bit slow, and I found myself wanting to skip chapters. None of the characters were particularly likeable and made a lot of questionable decisions, that were still questionable even after explanations were provided. I also found the ending, whilst possibly the most believable element, a bit flat. .
July 1, 2020
Wowzers! This book was in my opinion an absolutely brilliant read. From the first chapter I was hooked and as I finished one chapter I just had to keep on reading. This is a gripping psychological thriller . I loved the short snappy chapters told from alternative characters points of view. This book will suck you right in and you won’t want to stop reading. A massive 5 star read for me.
November 28, 2020
Mixed feeling about this book.
Good start but half way through I felt the plot became too unbelievable.
Yes, people don't act rationally but I didn't buy it, sorry.
Would read more by this author.
Good start but half way through I felt the plot became too unbelievable.
Yes, people don't act rationally but I didn't buy it, sorry.
Would read more by this author.
August 6, 2020
Keep Her Quiet is the latest explosive thriller from bestselling writer, Emma Curtis.
On a dark and stormy night at the back end of the 1980s, Jenny Creasey gives birth to a long awaited baby girl Sophie. She's beside herself with happiness; her world is complete. Although husband Leo has never wanted children, 9 months previously Jenny had a one-night-stand at a corporate conference & has since managed to trick Leo into thinking that their contraception failed. He believes the tiny child is the result of this happy accident and how can he fail to fall in love with her once she's here?
However unbeknownst to Jenny, Leo isn't as green as he's cabbage looking. He knows she's slept with someone else because despite her need for a baby, he had a vasectomy years before. He's absolutely furious with Jenny and determines to make her pay for her deception.
Lovely couple eh?
Just after Sophie is born Leo gets a call asking him to come to the family's second home, a cottage in a remote village outside of London as a tree has fallen through the roof. Jenny doesn't want him to go but he convinces her that he needs to, and proceeds to hurtle down there in his car, getting progressively drunker as the miles pass by.
On the same night, Hannah, a desperate teenage girl is also giving birth to a baby that will change the course of her life. She's been ostracised by her immediate and extended family for bringing shame upon them (although the circumstances around this are hardly her fault), and she takes the baby home to a dilapidated house that's been provided for her through social services - it just happens to be very close to Sparrow Cottage, the Creasey's storm damaged properly. Hannah, exhausted from birthing her baby, falls asleep trying to keep the little girl warm with her body heat. Tragically when she awakes the baby girl is dead and she's is distraught. She panics, thinks she's going to be accused of murder and runs out into the street to try and get help.
This is where their worlds irrevocably and tragically collide with devastating repercussions. I thought the next few chapters were a bit far fetched until I remembered the 1990s and how the past is so different to the present it's like a different country.
We fast forward 16 years and find Jenny and Leo still together. Leo's had some success as an author and the combination of a TV interview and a few chance comments from a school bully leads us to find out just what the ramifications were of those decisions he and Hannah made all those years ago, and how they are still affecting the lives of the people involved so many years later.
Then the lies start to unravel and the action really starts.
To start off with I thought this was going to be really slow and a generic potboiler kind of thriller with a twist you can see a mile off. I hated all of the characters, they were all lying to each other and seemed self-serving and careless with other people's emotions, and I didn't really see me sticking with it. However there's a big reveal really early on that changes the whole pace and tone of the book and from that point on I was hooked. It's full of surprises, some absolutely jaw-dropping moments and revelations, and although there was a plot line that I felt was a bit crow barred in for the shock factor, it was all plausible enough if you set your mind back to 1990 and the baby so easily snatched from a maternity ward. It's not really one story, to be honest, it's more like 3 or four with various themes running through it - but all intertwined so cleverly that you couldn't really pick them apart.
So if there were elements I didn't enjoy, why 5 stars? There were a few occasions when I felt that a particular character only behaved in a certain way to further the plot, and I really did dislike them all at the beginning - but isn't that a measure of how good the writing is? Given how invested I was in this story and the potential outcomes - including the tone of the ending which I can't really talk about without spoilers - it really deserves 5 stars.
Thank you to the Pigeonhole book club, Emma and the publishers for inviting me to read a review copy- this is my unbiased and personal review
On a dark and stormy night at the back end of the 1980s, Jenny Creasey gives birth to a long awaited baby girl Sophie. She's beside herself with happiness; her world is complete. Although husband Leo has never wanted children, 9 months previously Jenny had a one-night-stand at a corporate conference & has since managed to trick Leo into thinking that their contraception failed. He believes the tiny child is the result of this happy accident and how can he fail to fall in love with her once she's here?
However unbeknownst to Jenny, Leo isn't as green as he's cabbage looking. He knows she's slept with someone else because despite her need for a baby, he had a vasectomy years before. He's absolutely furious with Jenny and determines to make her pay for her deception.
Lovely couple eh?
Just after Sophie is born Leo gets a call asking him to come to the family's second home, a cottage in a remote village outside of London as a tree has fallen through the roof. Jenny doesn't want him to go but he convinces her that he needs to, and proceeds to hurtle down there in his car, getting progressively drunker as the miles pass by.
On the same night, Hannah, a desperate teenage girl is also giving birth to a baby that will change the course of her life. She's been ostracised by her immediate and extended family for bringing shame upon them (although the circumstances around this are hardly her fault), and she takes the baby home to a dilapidated house that's been provided for her through social services - it just happens to be very close to Sparrow Cottage, the Creasey's storm damaged properly. Hannah, exhausted from birthing her baby, falls asleep trying to keep the little girl warm with her body heat. Tragically when she awakes the baby girl is dead and she's is distraught. She panics, thinks she's going to be accused of murder and runs out into the street to try and get help.
This is where their worlds irrevocably and tragically collide with devastating repercussions. I thought the next few chapters were a bit far fetched until I remembered the 1990s and how the past is so different to the present it's like a different country.
We fast forward 16 years and find Jenny and Leo still together. Leo's had some success as an author and the combination of a TV interview and a few chance comments from a school bully leads us to find out just what the ramifications were of those decisions he and Hannah made all those years ago, and how they are still affecting the lives of the people involved so many years later.
Then the lies start to unravel and the action really starts.
To start off with I thought this was going to be really slow and a generic potboiler kind of thriller with a twist you can see a mile off. I hated all of the characters, they were all lying to each other and seemed self-serving and careless with other people's emotions, and I didn't really see me sticking with it. However there's a big reveal really early on that changes the whole pace and tone of the book and from that point on I was hooked. It's full of surprises, some absolutely jaw-dropping moments and revelations, and although there was a plot line that I felt was a bit crow barred in for the shock factor, it was all plausible enough if you set your mind back to 1990 and the baby so easily snatched from a maternity ward. It's not really one story, to be honest, it's more like 3 or four with various themes running through it - but all intertwined so cleverly that you couldn't really pick them apart.
So if there were elements I didn't enjoy, why 5 stars? There were a few occasions when I felt that a particular character only behaved in a certain way to further the plot, and I really did dislike them all at the beginning - but isn't that a measure of how good the writing is? Given how invested I was in this story and the potential outcomes - including the tone of the ending which I can't really talk about without spoilers - it really deserves 5 stars.
Thank you to the Pigeonhole book club, Emma and the publishers for inviting me to read a review copy- this is my unbiased and personal review
August 6, 2020
I absolutely loved this book and couldn’t wait to read the next stave (I was reading with The Pigeonhole online book club and received a new stave every day for ten days). So why only four stars on Amazon and Goodreads? I’ll try to explain without any spoilers.
Leo is a budding writer. Nothing will stand in the way of his ambition. His father wanted to be a writer but gave it up for family and ended up committing suicide. Leo is never going to let that happen. Jenny, luckily for him, has a high powered job which earns them enough for him to give up work and concentrate on his writing. So far so good. Well for Leo anyway. He’s a selfish so-and-so but this is just the beginning.
Jenny, however, desperately wants a baby. Fed up with Leo’s behaviour she has a one night stand while away on a conference. A few weeks later she realises she is pregnant. It must be Leo’s she thinks. It was only one stupid mistake. Naive or what? Unbeknown to Jenny, Leo has had a vasectomy and DIDN’T TELL HER. Alarm bells! Leo knows the baby is not his but doesn’t say a word.
Then along comes Hannah, pregnant at 17 by one of the Elders at her Church but no-one believes her. She is disgraced and thrown out by her family. She tries to manage but her baby dies and she is bereft. It is at this point that she meets Leo by chance and both their lives spin out of control. Fantastic premise, but the whole while I kept thinking this is all a bit far-fetched. Leo’s ‘punishment’ of Jenny, what Hannah does, the fact that Jenny still loves him and then what Leo does when he finds out about the child. No-one seems to think things through and I wanted to shake Jenny when Leo kept telling her that her baby is gone and she should move on. But then I guess we knew the truth and she didn’t. Well not in that sand she stuck her head under for 16 years.
An excellent read and many thanks to The Pigeonhole and my fellow Pigeons for making this such an enjoyable read.
Leo is a budding writer. Nothing will stand in the way of his ambition. His father wanted to be a writer but gave it up for family and ended up committing suicide. Leo is never going to let that happen. Jenny, luckily for him, has a high powered job which earns them enough for him to give up work and concentrate on his writing. So far so good. Well for Leo anyway. He’s a selfish so-and-so but this is just the beginning.
Jenny, however, desperately wants a baby. Fed up with Leo’s behaviour she has a one night stand while away on a conference. A few weeks later she realises she is pregnant. It must be Leo’s she thinks. It was only one stupid mistake. Naive or what? Unbeknown to Jenny, Leo has had a vasectomy and DIDN’T TELL HER. Alarm bells! Leo knows the baby is not his but doesn’t say a word.
Then along comes Hannah, pregnant at 17 by one of the Elders at her Church but no-one believes her. She is disgraced and thrown out by her family. She tries to manage but her baby dies and she is bereft. It is at this point that she meets Leo by chance and both their lives spin out of control. Fantastic premise, but the whole while I kept thinking this is all a bit far-fetched. Leo’s ‘punishment’ of Jenny, what Hannah does, the fact that Jenny still loves him and then what Leo does when he finds out about the child. No-one seems to think things through and I wanted to shake Jenny when Leo kept telling her that her baby is gone and she should move on. But then I guess we knew the truth and she didn’t. Well not in that sand she stuck her head under for 16 years.
An excellent read and many thanks to The Pigeonhole and my fellow Pigeons for making this such an enjoyable read.
June 4, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for an Arc of this book before its release later this year!
Also thank you to Emma Curtis for writing a sensational and well written book
This follows a woman called Jenny who has recently given birth to the baby in which she has always wanted most of her life but her husband feels like hes been so betrayed and lied to as he knows that that baby simply cannot be his! 😱
On the same exact night as Jenny gave birth a very vunerable girl named Hannah wakes up to find out that her newborn baby has actually died beside her as she slept!! She's beside herself with grief when she bumps into Jenny's Husband Leo in which they talk and makes plans with her... to find out that these plans have quite serious consequences to them.
Many years later a 16 year old girls reads her local newspaper at an article in which makes her determined to find out the truth about herself and her past BUT... a shocking twist in which puts herself in deep trouble and danger itself...😱
This book was my first ever Emma Curtis read and I don't regret it at all, I loved how beautifully written it is and it is beautifully executed together from start to middle to the end. It was very edge of your seat wondering what twist will happen next and It made me want more cant wait to read her other books!
Well done Emma Curtis
Will review on retail sites once published
Definitely Recommend
5 Stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Also thank you to Emma Curtis for writing a sensational and well written book
This follows a woman called Jenny who has recently given birth to the baby in which she has always wanted most of her life but her husband feels like hes been so betrayed and lied to as he knows that that baby simply cannot be his! 😱
On the same exact night as Jenny gave birth a very vunerable girl named Hannah wakes up to find out that her newborn baby has actually died beside her as she slept!! She's beside herself with grief when she bumps into Jenny's Husband Leo in which they talk and makes plans with her... to find out that these plans have quite serious consequences to them.
Many years later a 16 year old girls reads her local newspaper at an article in which makes her determined to find out the truth about herself and her past BUT... a shocking twist in which puts herself in deep trouble and danger itself...😱
This book was my first ever Emma Curtis read and I don't regret it at all, I loved how beautifully written it is and it is beautifully executed together from start to middle to the end. It was very edge of your seat wondering what twist will happen next and It made me want more cant wait to read her other books!
Well done Emma Curtis
Will review on retail sites once published
Definitely Recommend
5 Stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
December 20, 2020
Impressive book to round off my summer holiday and to keep me hooked especially on the long journey from airport back to my house, I barely knew where I was as I was quite happily absorbed in the pages of this.
Emma Curtis is fast becoming an auto-must read author for me, this is another top quality story that had me on my toes and I was never quite sure how things would turn out.
It starts with every woman's nightmare, followed by a huge betrayal and it continues from that. I really don't want to comment further on the plot as it is so intricately connected I'd inadvertently spoil something. Suffice to say its addictive, and with varying view points, you really get to know all the main protagonists.
Jenny is the one I feel sorry for in all it, she has done nothing wrong, and is caught up in a nightmarish scenario.
This is tense, I'm never quite sure where it will go next and I loved every second of this.
Thank you to Transworld and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
Emma Curtis is fast becoming an auto-must read author for me, this is another top quality story that had me on my toes and I was never quite sure how things would turn out.
It starts with every woman's nightmare, followed by a huge betrayal and it continues from that. I really don't want to comment further on the plot as it is so intricately connected I'd inadvertently spoil something. Suffice to say its addictive, and with varying view points, you really get to know all the main protagonists.
Jenny is the one I feel sorry for in all it, she has done nothing wrong, and is caught up in a nightmarish scenario.
This is tense, I'm never quite sure where it will go next and I loved every second of this.
Thank you to Transworld and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
August 8, 2020
Four and a half stars from me.
Well written and tightly plotted, the story held me all the way through. This is about morals, bad behaviour and lying. My loyalties changed according to the behaviours of the characters, and Leo in particular was so easy to despise. But there were others who behaved badly or became very weak or annoying. Sometimes to the point of being quite implausible, which is the only reason for deducting half a star.
So many twists and turns that I didn't see coming at all, so a really enjoyable book.
Well written and tightly plotted, the story held me all the way through. This is about morals, bad behaviour and lying. My loyalties changed according to the behaviours of the characters, and Leo in particular was so easy to despise. But there were others who behaved badly or became very weak or annoying. Sometimes to the point of being quite implausible, which is the only reason for deducting half a star.
So many twists and turns that I didn't see coming at all, so a really enjoyable book.
October 18, 2020
Another great book by Emma Curtis who is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. This one kept me on the edge of my seat and there were unexpected twists and turns. The characters felt real and evoked different emotions as the storyline progressed.
An excellent read.
An excellent read.
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