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She
SHE’s everything he dreamed of, isn’t SHE?
Ben can’t believe his luck when Bella walks into his life, just when he needs her most. Sexy, impulsive and intelligent, Bella is everything he ever wanted. And Bella wants him. All to herself.
In fact, Bella decides that everything is better when it is just the two of them, making it harder for Ben’s friends and family to stay in touch. And then a sudden tragedy triggers a chain of events which throws Ben headlong into a nightmare.
Secrets, lies, vengeance and betrayal are at the heart of this utterly twisted story about a family that is destroyed when SHE becomes part of it…
Ben can’t believe his luck when Bella walks into his life, just when he needs her most. Sexy, impulsive and intelligent, Bella is everything he ever wanted. And Bella wants him. All to herself.
In fact, Bella decides that everything is better when it is just the two of them, making it harder for Ben’s friends and family to stay in touch. And then a sudden tragedy triggers a chain of events which throws Ben headlong into a nightmare.
Secrets, lies, vengeance and betrayal are at the heart of this utterly twisted story about a family that is destroyed when SHE becomes part of it…
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2020
223 people are currently reading
3012 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 548 reviews
October 29, 2020
OMG!!! I can absolutely say: I finally found a new detestable villanelle to hate her every fiber! Bella, you freaking witch, what kind of monster you are! When you think she won’t go there, even she has some limits, she exactly goes there does something culmination of hundred mean girl’s evil brains cannot imagine! Yes, my friends, get ready to meet with one of craziest girlfriends of the literature history! Bella is at your service! (She is beauty and she is also beast)
This extra exciting and not only nail biter but also teeth grinder high tension story is a true wild ride! Poor sweet pie Ben is kindest and nicest guy you can ever meet, a typical boy next door! He was planning a future with his longtime girlfriend Charlotte and when he was about to propose, Charlotte dumbed him for her urgent need for space and think she would do with her life.
And sad Ben meets with his buddy Matt at a bar where a gorgeous woman keeps looking at his direction. That’s love at first sight and that’s where he meets with his dream girl Bella. Dream girl is great definition of her because she’s too good to be true, appears from nowhere and saves the man who suffers from broken heart. Ben’s father expresses those worries with the exact same words: there’s something wrong with this girl you cannot put your finger on.
But it seems like Ben is too happy to care! They start living together and she says she’s pregnant to their baby! Wow! Isn’t everything moving faster than light speed?
Wait till you read Bella’s parts. Yes, at the second part of the book: she shows her true colors, building a secluded party of relationship by alienating all of her Ben’s friends and family! She’s getting too far and I became so sorry for Ben. At some parts I want to shake him so hard and cut his Angel wings. He shouldn’t have to be so good especially when he chooses Lilith as a girlfriend!
And this entertaining and also extremely agitating story ends with a twisty finale that I didn’t see it coming. But it eventually came and hit me in the face!
Overall: a whirlwind, fast pacing story hooks you from the first chapter, disturbing characters, smart, moving writing style earned my well done, crazy, obsessed girlfriend stars!
One of my fastest reads and I had really amazing time!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Harper 360 / HQ for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
This extra exciting and not only nail biter but also teeth grinder high tension story is a true wild ride! Poor sweet pie Ben is kindest and nicest guy you can ever meet, a typical boy next door! He was planning a future with his longtime girlfriend Charlotte and when he was about to propose, Charlotte dumbed him for her urgent need for space and think she would do with her life.
And sad Ben meets with his buddy Matt at a bar where a gorgeous woman keeps looking at his direction. That’s love at first sight and that’s where he meets with his dream girl Bella. Dream girl is great definition of her because she’s too good to be true, appears from nowhere and saves the man who suffers from broken heart. Ben’s father expresses those worries with the exact same words: there’s something wrong with this girl you cannot put your finger on.
But it seems like Ben is too happy to care! They start living together and she says she’s pregnant to their baby! Wow! Isn’t everything moving faster than light speed?
Wait till you read Bella’s parts. Yes, at the second part of the book: she shows her true colors, building a secluded party of relationship by alienating all of her Ben’s friends and family! She’s getting too far and I became so sorry for Ben. At some parts I want to shake him so hard and cut his Angel wings. He shouldn’t have to be so good especially when he chooses Lilith as a girlfriend!
And this entertaining and also extremely agitating story ends with a twisty finale that I didn’t see it coming. But it eventually came and hit me in the face!
Overall: a whirlwind, fast pacing story hooks you from the first chapter, disturbing characters, smart, moving writing style earned my well done, crazy, obsessed girlfriend stars!
One of my fastest reads and I had really amazing time!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Harper 360 / HQ for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
January 4, 2023
This is a Psychological Thriller/Mystery. I have to say after reading the mixed reviews of this book I did not know if I wanted to read the book anymore, so I put off reading this book for awhile. I can see why their is mixed reviews. The twists and turns where really crazy, and I did not know what to think about them. I did not love or connect to any of the characters in this book. I did not love this book, but I did not hate this book. This book was just ok to me, but I have to say you do not want a thriller to just be ok. I think there was to much drama in this book, and the thriller parts was just ok. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Harper 360) or author (H.C. Warner) via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.
July 11, 2020
After a bad breakup, Ben meets Bella. She seems to be the perfect woman...charming, adoring, loving. It’s all a ruse. As she alienates him from his family and friends and increasingly makes his life difficult, it soon becomes clear that she has ulterior motives for their relationship.
I really wanted to love SHE. The premise is intriguing and seems original with the role reversal that we don’t often see in these types of thrillers. The book is separated into four parts. I really enjoyed Part 1. I thought it was emotional, well written, and gave a decent background on the characters and their dynamics. Part 2 is where the story takes a major nosedive. It’s a redundant re-telling of part 1, but from another POV. Other books have done this successfully without it feeling repetitive, but it doesn’t work here. It’s very dialogue-driven, so I spent about 30% of the book reading the EXACT SAME DIALOGUE I’d already read. Part 3 feels like a bad Lifetime movie (not the good kind of bad...the BAD). I couldn’t help but find the whole muddle of events so unlikely and cheesy. Part 4 is basically the epilogue, which is particularly unsatisfying as the climax is so underwhelming. The little “shock” at the end is ridiculous, and made me rethink my opinion on one of the few characters I actually enjoyed.
The main characters are detrimental to this book. Ben is a coward, and Bella is one of the most unlikeable characters I’ve read in recent history. The “co-stars” are actually the best thing about this book.
Thank you to Edelweiss, HarperCollins, and H.C. Warner for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I really wanted to love SHE. The premise is intriguing and seems original with the role reversal that we don’t often see in these types of thrillers. The book is separated into four parts. I really enjoyed Part 1. I thought it was emotional, well written, and gave a decent background on the characters and their dynamics. Part 2 is where the story takes a major nosedive. It’s a redundant re-telling of part 1, but from another POV. Other books have done this successfully without it feeling repetitive, but it doesn’t work here. It’s very dialogue-driven, so I spent about 30% of the book reading the EXACT SAME DIALOGUE I’d already read. Part 3 feels like a bad Lifetime movie (not the good kind of bad...the BAD). I couldn’t help but find the whole muddle of events so unlikely and cheesy. Part 4 is basically the epilogue, which is particularly unsatisfying as the climax is so underwhelming. The little “shock” at the end is ridiculous, and made me rethink my opinion on one of the few characters I actually enjoyed.
The main characters are detrimental to this book. Ben is a coward, and Bella is one of the most unlikeable characters I’ve read in recent history. The “co-stars” are actually the best thing about this book.
Thank you to Edelweiss, HarperCollins, and H.C. Warner for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 13, 2020
Hey new week and first review for ‘SHE’ below, next up the soon to be published ‘The Liar’s Daughter’ the new book from Claire Allan
‘SHE’ by H C Warner published by HQ and OUT NOW!
400 Kindle Flix
SHE
Is Bella
Bella is a psychopath
Bella is evil, abhorrent, manipulative, scary, nasty and probably the worst character you will meet, ever
Bella is also charming, beautiful, kind, loving and wants Ben
Ben, of course, is flattered and falls immediately for her
If only he had taken the time to find out more about herbefore he married her
The book is cleverly told by Ben, then Bella for the first say 60% but 30% each, so ( let me try and explain this right ) its the same story on how they met and their initial time together but told by each of them, first Ben, then Bella and the rest of the book then carries on in the ‘now’ as the horrific consequences of this marriage start to unfold
Bella is a modern day monster, you really wont believe the depths she sinks to make her plan work, she is capable of anything and everything and Ben, well Ben slowly realises just what he has allowed into his life
Simply sublime characters and a strong cast of parents, ex’s and best friends make this book one that’s on your mind even when not reading it and you cant wait to get back to to see what has happened next
The ending and the lead up to it are nothing short than breathtaking and the whole book is one of the best I have ever read for psychological drama and suspense and for painting characters so real they make you literally shudder with rage and disgust!
Absolutely brilliant
10/ 10
5 Stars
The book does involve female to male domestic abuse, physical and emotional
‘SHE’ by H C Warner published by HQ and OUT NOW!
400 Kindle Flix
SHE
Is Bella
Bella is a psychopath
Bella is evil, abhorrent, manipulative, scary, nasty and probably the worst character you will meet, ever
Bella is also charming, beautiful, kind, loving and wants Ben
Ben, of course, is flattered and falls immediately for her
If only he had taken the time to find out more about herbefore he married her
The book is cleverly told by Ben, then Bella for the first say 60% but 30% each, so ( let me try and explain this right ) its the same story on how they met and their initial time together but told by each of them, first Ben, then Bella and the rest of the book then carries on in the ‘now’ as the horrific consequences of this marriage start to unfold
Bella is a modern day monster, you really wont believe the depths she sinks to make her plan work, she is capable of anything and everything and Ben, well Ben slowly realises just what he has allowed into his life
Simply sublime characters and a strong cast of parents, ex’s and best friends make this book one that’s on your mind even when not reading it and you cant wait to get back to to see what has happened next
The ending and the lead up to it are nothing short than breathtaking and the whole book is one of the best I have ever read for psychological drama and suspense and for painting characters so real they make you literally shudder with rage and disgust!
Absolutely brilliant
10/ 10
5 Stars
The book does involve female to male domestic abuse, physical and emotional
November 3, 2019
This is a new author for me, the books simple title caught my eye and I was not disappointed.
When Ben’s eyes meet Bella’s across a crowded bar, is it love at first sight? Beautiful Bella seems to be the perfect cure for Ben’s broken heart after long term girlfriend Charlotte breaks up with him. They go from having a drink together to a meal and her moving in with him. A
real rollercoaster of a relationship!!
The first part is from Ben’s point of view, then Bella’s and why she settled down with Ben.
I couldn’t keep quiet whilst reading this and kept shouting out to my poor husband “you’ll never guess what she did next”. The way that Bella cuts Ben off from his family and friends made me so angry, Bella is the perfect character to hate whilst Ben is the nice guy you root for and would want him to have a happy ending. I was so angry I found myself grinding my teeth.
A must read. When you feel such strong emotions then that’s a sure sign of a good author. Even after reading this I keep thinking what a horrible character Bella was!!
I would definitely recommend this.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
When Ben’s eyes meet Bella’s across a crowded bar, is it love at first sight? Beautiful Bella seems to be the perfect cure for Ben’s broken heart after long term girlfriend Charlotte breaks up with him. They go from having a drink together to a meal and her moving in with him. A
real rollercoaster of a relationship!!
The first part is from Ben’s point of view, then Bella’s and why she settled down with Ben.
I couldn’t keep quiet whilst reading this and kept shouting out to my poor husband “you’ll never guess what she did next”. The way that Bella cuts Ben off from his family and friends made me so angry, Bella is the perfect character to hate whilst Ben is the nice guy you root for and would want him to have a happy ending. I was so angry I found myself grinding my teeth.
A must read. When you feel such strong emotions then that’s a sure sign of a good author. Even after reading this I keep thinking what a horrible character Bella was!!
I would definitely recommend this.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
March 29, 2021
Part 1 of She pulled me in. The premise is intriguing and I was interested in seeing where the story would go. Part 2 was told from a different POV. It was very repetitive and redundant. The remainder of the book didn’t hold my interest as much as I had hoped. Although I was still somewhat attentive, it read like a mediocre Lifetime movie. She has one of the most despicable characters I have encountered and a host of frustrating characters as well. Character motivations are weak and some are nonsensical. The story is full of “what if’s ” and “ if onlys.” The best word I can use to describe She is FRUSTRATING! “What they didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them”, NOT! I would give Part 1 ⭐️⭐️⭐️, but because the rest of the book didn’t live up to the promising beginning, ⭐️⭐️.
Thank you NetGalley and Harper 360 for my ARC.
Thank you NetGalley and Harper 360 for my ARC.
May 27, 2021
A fast paced read, part 1 made me hate Bella enough that by the time her view came around in part 2, I didn’t want to read about her at all. I felt for Ben. He had such lovely family and fantastic friends. I loved that unexpected twist and then part 2 became too good to put down. Part 3 came around and I’m back to hating Bella like I have never hated a character before. Domestic violence is one read that I love but cringe at the same time. This story somehow reminds me of that song If I Were A Boy by Beyonce. The role of the abuser can easily switched and both victims being a male/female can equally look scared. I liked that there are both views of the victim and abuser in this story because I love knowing what went on in their minds.
This book started with a prologue following Jo, told in the third person point of view, as she noted to her husband Peter how their son’s new girlfriend is perfect for him. Peter however had a bad feeling about the girlfriend. Then the story began with Ben, 30, driving his girlfriend Bella home. She informed him that she’s pregnant. The second view was Charlotte. She’s asking about Ben. After broken up with him, she realized that she loved him but it’s too late to get him back because he had moved on. The third view was Matt, Ben’s friend. Matt and his wife Freya had Ben and Bella over for dinner and they noticed something was off. After married, Ben and his family felt uneasy about Bella, but Ben put a happy face for his family. The fourth view was Freya when she ambushed Ben at work to question him what’s going on. Part 2 started with Bella’s view going parallel to part 1. This book was divided into 4 parts. The story ended with an epilogue.
SHE was well written and well developed. The characters were well liked and well hated. Psychological thriller is always good to read because it reminds readers that people can have two sides and oftentimes they look so normal that it’s unbelievable to believe that they could be so evil. I’m glad Bella met Leo because she got too conceited and she deserved to meet someone equally conceited as her. I liked the ending. Definitely didn’t see it coming that way, but it was absolutely awesome. Loved the twists and “what they didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them.” An excellent read and I do recommend everyone to read this book!
xoxo, Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com for more details
Many thanks to HarperCollins 360 for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.
This book started with a prologue following Jo, told in the third person point of view, as she noted to her husband Peter how their son’s new girlfriend is perfect for him. Peter however had a bad feeling about the girlfriend. Then the story began with Ben, 30, driving his girlfriend Bella home. She informed him that she’s pregnant. The second view was Charlotte. She’s asking about Ben. After broken up with him, she realized that she loved him but it’s too late to get him back because he had moved on. The third view was Matt, Ben’s friend. Matt and his wife Freya had Ben and Bella over for dinner and they noticed something was off. After married, Ben and his family felt uneasy about Bella, but Ben put a happy face for his family. The fourth view was Freya when she ambushed Ben at work to question him what’s going on. Part 2 started with Bella’s view going parallel to part 1. This book was divided into 4 parts. The story ended with an epilogue.
SHE was well written and well developed. The characters were well liked and well hated. Psychological thriller is always good to read because it reminds readers that people can have two sides and oftentimes they look so normal that it’s unbelievable to believe that they could be so evil. I’m glad Bella met Leo because she got too conceited and she deserved to meet someone equally conceited as her. I liked the ending. Definitely didn’t see it coming that way, but it was absolutely awesome. Loved the twists and “what they didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them.” An excellent read and I do recommend everyone to read this book!
xoxo, Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com for more details
Many thanks to HarperCollins 360 for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.
January 29, 2020
SHE is cray cray!! This woman, my goodness. You have to read this book and see what happens but trust me, it is nuts! this was the perfect book to read whilst on holiday and I devoured it in just a few hours. At times I could not believe what I was reading!!
Ben has just broken up with long time girlfriend Charlotte when he meets Bella in a bar in London. Their relationship goes from 0 to 200 in a very short space of time and soon they are living together. But Bella doesn't like to share and wants to keep Ben all for herself. Slowly she manages to cut him off from his friends and family. She is manipulative and violent but beautiful at the same time. She really is a piece of work and Ben is stuck, unable and scared to get away.
The book is told firstly from ben's perspective and then we hear it from the point of view of Bella. Ben is far too nice and trusting and even though his family and friends can see something is not right he cannot. The ending of this book is explosive! I really couldn't get enough - even though I wanted to slap Ben at some many points!!
Thank you Harlequin Books Australia for my advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.
Ben has just broken up with long time girlfriend Charlotte when he meets Bella in a bar in London. Their relationship goes from 0 to 200 in a very short space of time and soon they are living together. But Bella doesn't like to share and wants to keep Ben all for herself. Slowly she manages to cut him off from his friends and family. She is manipulative and violent but beautiful at the same time. She really is a piece of work and Ben is stuck, unable and scared to get away.
The book is told firstly from ben's perspective and then we hear it from the point of view of Bella. Ben is far too nice and trusting and even though his family and friends can see something is not right he cannot. The ending of this book is explosive! I really couldn't get enough - even though I wanted to slap Ben at some many points!!
Thank you Harlequin Books Australia for my advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.
January 29, 2020
*www.onewomansbbr.wordpress.com
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
She by HC Warner. (2020).
**Thank you to Harlequin Australia for sending me a free advance readers copy of this novel; published 20 January 2020**
Ben's just met the girl of his dreams, but she is about to turn his life into a nightmare...
Ben is bruised and vulnerable after splitting with his long-term girlfriend. In walks Bella who is sexy, impulsive, intelligent and out of his league. She is everything he never knew he wanted and she wants him...all to herself. Secrets, lies and revenge are at the heart of their story and Ben's family is about to be destroyed when she becomes part of it.
I thought this one sounded right up my alley but when I read it I was quite disappointed. Then I was genuinely shocked to find so many high ratings on Goodreads which makes me wonder if I was too harsh a critic on this particular book? Maybe I went in with too high expectations? But I can only go off my responses to the novel and I honestly found this to be a pretty mediocre thriller. I also felt that dialogue from the characters and the way things were described just didn't sound right to me which was off-putting. I actually almost stopped reading this in part one because I was so not into it. I did like that part two was from Bella's perspective and that made the story a bit more interesting. However overall I definitely finished this book unsatisfied with the plot having a lot of holes in my opinion.
As always, please give the book a go if the synopsis sounds good to you; certainly a lot of people really enjoyed this book and I'm very much in the minority at the moment!
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
She by HC Warner. (2020).
**Thank you to Harlequin Australia for sending me a free advance readers copy of this novel; published 20 January 2020**
Ben's just met the girl of his dreams, but she is about to turn his life into a nightmare...
Ben is bruised and vulnerable after splitting with his long-term girlfriend. In walks Bella who is sexy, impulsive, intelligent and out of his league. She is everything he never knew he wanted and she wants him...all to herself. Secrets, lies and revenge are at the heart of their story and Ben's family is about to be destroyed when she becomes part of it.
I thought this one sounded right up my alley but when I read it I was quite disappointed. Then I was genuinely shocked to find so many high ratings on Goodreads which makes me wonder if I was too harsh a critic on this particular book? Maybe I went in with too high expectations? But I can only go off my responses to the novel and I honestly found this to be a pretty mediocre thriller. I also felt that dialogue from the characters and the way things were described just didn't sound right to me which was off-putting. I actually almost stopped reading this in part one because I was so not into it. I did like that part two was from Bella's perspective and that made the story a bit more interesting. However overall I definitely finished this book unsatisfied with the plot having a lot of holes in my opinion.
As always, please give the book a go if the synopsis sounds good to you; certainly a lot of people really enjoyed this book and I'm very much in the minority at the moment!
September 11, 2020
I really wanted to love this book! I am very into books about female psychopaths (let's not think TOO hard about what that might say about me) and superficially, the cover really drew me in because I love shoes. Unfortunately, the book itself was not as exciting or creepy as the cover might suggest with its Louboutin-heeled villain. The book recites events from different points of view, without enough twists or differences to make the repetition exciting. There was the opportunity for some awesome, freaky discoveries once you finally got inside Bella's mind, but nothing too exciting or unexpected came to pass.
You also have to wonder how a guy wouldn't instantly notice a lot of the super crazy behavior "She" was exhibiting right off the bat. Such as following him out of the house when he wants to take a walk -- the weirdness of which was pointed out to him by a friend. This was one of those books where the purported protagonist is so kind of clueless that it's a little hard to identify with him.
I struggled a bit to finish this book because I was not interested enough in any of the characters. Also, a lot of the book had more of a relationship drama feel than a mystery or thriller feel for me. As a side note this book really lost me when it went to even the possibility of a subplot of a woman concocting sexual assault or rape allegations. Nope, nope, nope, not my kind of read, even if the book doesn't ultimately go there -- not unless it's done REALLY well with a compelling psychological portrait, which this unfortunately was not.
So in summary, loved the idea, did not love the execution. I'd be open to reading another book by this author though, as long as it's not the same theme.
Thanks very much to HQ Digital, NetGalley and the author for the ARC!
You also have to wonder how a guy wouldn't instantly notice a lot of the super crazy behavior "She" was exhibiting right off the bat. Such as following him out of the house when he wants to take a walk -- the weirdness of which was pointed out to him by a friend. This was one of those books where the purported protagonist is so kind of clueless that it's a little hard to identify with him.
I struggled a bit to finish this book because I was not interested enough in any of the characters. Also, a lot of the book had more of a relationship drama feel than a mystery or thriller feel for me. As a side note this book really lost me when it went to even the possibility of a subplot of a woman concocting sexual assault or rape allegations. Nope, nope, nope, not my kind of read, even if the book doesn't ultimately go there -- not unless it's done REALLY well with a compelling psychological portrait, which this unfortunately was not.
So in summary, loved the idea, did not love the execution. I'd be open to reading another book by this author though, as long as it's not the same theme.
Thanks very much to HQ Digital, NetGalley and the author for the ARC!
April 7, 2020
Repetitive and tedious domestic noir with superficial characterisation.
She is an uninspired domestic noir and family drama that proved to be boring and mind numbingly repetitive.
The plot is straightforward and the story split into four parts which begin six months after Ben Gordon’s heart has been broken by his girlfriend of twelve years and breathtakingly beautiful Bella walks into his life. Everything about Bella seems perfect and a whirlwind romance ensues with Bella pregnant after only two months together and marriage imminent. However Ben’s family and his best friends have reservations about his choice of partner who is openly hostile toward them and notice how Bella is edging them out of Ben’s life. As Bella points out, “It’s better when it’s just us”. Not better for Ben, however, as Bella morphs into a very different person with a manipulative streak and fiery temper.
Part 1 tells the story of the relationship from Ben’s and a variety of his family and friend’s third person perspectives, and part 2 presents Bella’s first person perspective and reveals her motives for hooking up with Ben (there is a glaringly obvious clue in part 1). Heavily repetitive, with the exact scenes shown in reverse and devoid of any insight into Bella’s troubled background and her fathers much alluded to departure, these two parts combined account for 244 pages out of a total of 358. The characterisation is pretty simplistic and the author neglects to delve too deeply into protagonist Bella making for a pretty tedious read and the writing offers no insights into Ben’s lack of backbone regarding confronting her.
Part 3 opens one year later and after a tragedy that serves to unleash the even darker side of Bella’s character and sees Ben diminished and more ostracised from his loved ones than ever before, with baby Elodie his sole ray of light. Unconvinced that Ben is happy, his support network stage a belated intervention with a last gasp but underwhelming twist that felt unlikely and also made me feel a little queasy!
A quick but boring read that I would not recommend.
She is an uninspired domestic noir and family drama that proved to be boring and mind numbingly repetitive.
The plot is straightforward and the story split into four parts which begin six months after Ben Gordon’s heart has been broken by his girlfriend of twelve years and breathtakingly beautiful Bella walks into his life. Everything about Bella seems perfect and a whirlwind romance ensues with Bella pregnant after only two months together and marriage imminent. However Ben’s family and his best friends have reservations about his choice of partner who is openly hostile toward them and notice how Bella is edging them out of Ben’s life. As Bella points out, “It’s better when it’s just us”. Not better for Ben, however, as Bella morphs into a very different person with a manipulative streak and fiery temper.
Part 1 tells the story of the relationship from Ben’s and a variety of his family and friend’s third person perspectives, and part 2 presents Bella’s first person perspective and reveals her motives for hooking up with Ben (there is a glaringly obvious clue in part 1). Heavily repetitive, with the exact scenes shown in reverse and devoid of any insight into Bella’s troubled background and her fathers much alluded to departure, these two parts combined account for 244 pages out of a total of 358. The characterisation is pretty simplistic and the author neglects to delve too deeply into protagonist Bella making for a pretty tedious read and the writing offers no insights into Ben’s lack of backbone regarding confronting her.
Part 3 opens one year later and after a tragedy that serves to unleash the even darker side of Bella’s character and sees Ben diminished and more ostracised from his loved ones than ever before, with baby Elodie his sole ray of light. Unconvinced that Ben is happy, his support network stage a belated intervention with a last gasp but underwhelming twist that felt unlikely and also made me feel a little queasy!
A quick but boring read that I would not recommend.
September 3, 2023
I really liked the way in which this novel follows each of the main characters POVs in the opening two parts.
The first section follows recently single Ben who finds the girl of his dreams in a bar, but it becomes apparent that she's not exactly the type of ideal partner that Ben thinks she is...
The second section then recounts Bella's version of their encounter with a much more sinister twist.
There's a slight repetitive nature to the narrative, though it makes for a quick read.
Seeing the plot unravel made me want to read more.
The first section follows recently single Ben who finds the girl of his dreams in a bar, but it becomes apparent that she's not exactly the type of ideal partner that Ben thinks she is...
The second section then recounts Bella's version of their encounter with a much more sinister twist.
There's a slight repetitive nature to the narrative, though it makes for a quick read.
Seeing the plot unravel made me want to read more.
December 7, 2019
Originally published on The Nerd Daily | Review by Rosie Smith
When Ben’s long-term girlfriend unexpectedly leaves him, his world is turned upside down. Feeling down, depressed, and hopeless, Ben goes to a bar one night and has a chance meeting with the enigmatic Bella. Beautiful, funny, confident, and more importantly, into him, Ben feels he has hit the proverbial jackpot. The two are quickly inseparable, falling in love, moving in together, and having a child. Ben is infatuated. But Bella has dark, vengeful secrets and Ben discovers he has been ensnared in a web of lies, affairs, and abuse. Will he make it out alive? The only way to find out is to pick up the book and enter the twisted world of sordid secrecy, sex, and suffering.
Warner writes from a range of character perspectives including Bella, Ben, and their family and friends, cleverly introducing secrets, which give the reader an overview of who is in on what and who is in the dark, creating an atmosphere of suspense. Despite this seemingly tangled web, Warner’s chronological and clear style is easy to follow and allows the reader to focus fully on the story and highly emotional content. Halfway through the book, the novel needs to be flipped over and the reader continues reading from the back of the book. Although this splits the ‘sides’ to demonstrate the two main perspectives; we witness two very distinct accounts from Bella and Ben.
The flipping of the book appears unnecessary and confusing to readers as both sides of the book looks like a front cover. It seems that the book could have been split up just into its parts, of which there are four, or maybe just in half using part one and part two. Whether the splitting of this book in this way is a clever directive tool is a question best answered by those who dare to venture into this tale.
The book covers some really gritty and difficult to read subjects such as a range of domestic abuse accounts whereby Bella emotionally, verbally, and physically mistreats Ben, cutting him off from his family and friends and eventually manipulating him using their child. Abuse of males within romantic relationships is woefully under reported and discussed due to the stigma that over the years has been attached. Warner, delves into these issues and sheds a light on the potential tragic results of ‘manning up’ and shows that men can be just as likely be a victim of abuse as women and this comes with a range of additional issues around custody of children and Ben’s physical size compared to Bella. Other characters wonder how someone as small and petite as Bella could possibly assault someone much larger whom could arguably ‘fight back.’ Warner explores into the difficulties around this, giving us a fictional but also realistic and well researched situation that may resound with many victims and abusers showing how abuse is so complicated to detect and report from the inside.
She at heart is is also a suspense filled crime-thriller with a fantastically well-paced build up to an explosive shock ending. Readers will be on the edge of their seats throughout cycling through a range of emotions from sadness to shock, anger to disgust and tension to relief. It is easy to follow and although includes graphic depictions of abuse, does not take advantage of shock value and stays firmly on the side of telling a realistic, informative story. Warner incorporates all the elements of the thriller genre, perfectly arranged into an engaging and accessible story with captivating characters. With a release date in January, She is going to make some serious waves in the crime-thriller genre and is one to add to your 2020 reading list!
When Ben’s long-term girlfriend unexpectedly leaves him, his world is turned upside down. Feeling down, depressed, and hopeless, Ben goes to a bar one night and has a chance meeting with the enigmatic Bella. Beautiful, funny, confident, and more importantly, into him, Ben feels he has hit the proverbial jackpot. The two are quickly inseparable, falling in love, moving in together, and having a child. Ben is infatuated. But Bella has dark, vengeful secrets and Ben discovers he has been ensnared in a web of lies, affairs, and abuse. Will he make it out alive? The only way to find out is to pick up the book and enter the twisted world of sordid secrecy, sex, and suffering.
Warner writes from a range of character perspectives including Bella, Ben, and their family and friends, cleverly introducing secrets, which give the reader an overview of who is in on what and who is in the dark, creating an atmosphere of suspense. Despite this seemingly tangled web, Warner’s chronological and clear style is easy to follow and allows the reader to focus fully on the story and highly emotional content. Halfway through the book, the novel needs to be flipped over and the reader continues reading from the back of the book. Although this splits the ‘sides’ to demonstrate the two main perspectives; we witness two very distinct accounts from Bella and Ben.
The flipping of the book appears unnecessary and confusing to readers as both sides of the book looks like a front cover. It seems that the book could have been split up just into its parts, of which there are four, or maybe just in half using part one and part two. Whether the splitting of this book in this way is a clever directive tool is a question best answered by those who dare to venture into this tale.
The book covers some really gritty and difficult to read subjects such as a range of domestic abuse accounts whereby Bella emotionally, verbally, and physically mistreats Ben, cutting him off from his family and friends and eventually manipulating him using their child. Abuse of males within romantic relationships is woefully under reported and discussed due to the stigma that over the years has been attached. Warner, delves into these issues and sheds a light on the potential tragic results of ‘manning up’ and shows that men can be just as likely be a victim of abuse as women and this comes with a range of additional issues around custody of children and Ben’s physical size compared to Bella. Other characters wonder how someone as small and petite as Bella could possibly assault someone much larger whom could arguably ‘fight back.’ Warner explores into the difficulties around this, giving us a fictional but also realistic and well researched situation that may resound with many victims and abusers showing how abuse is so complicated to detect and report from the inside.
She at heart is is also a suspense filled crime-thriller with a fantastically well-paced build up to an explosive shock ending. Readers will be on the edge of their seats throughout cycling through a range of emotions from sadness to shock, anger to disgust and tension to relief. It is easy to follow and although includes graphic depictions of abuse, does not take advantage of shock value and stays firmly on the side of telling a realistic, informative story. Warner incorporates all the elements of the thriller genre, perfectly arranged into an engaging and accessible story with captivating characters. With a release date in January, She is going to make some serious waves in the crime-thriller genre and is one to add to your 2020 reading list!
July 5, 2020
Definitely fast-paced, definitely a thriller, definitely some seriously warped characters
But...some flaws in the plot and I thought there was so much potential for a ‘get-even’ conclusion.
Told from the perspective of Ben, then Bella; readers are able to step into these characters- all three stars are for the first half of this book.
Then it changes to everyone else. By the time the ending comes I was hoping for so much more. Ultimately they deserved each other!
But...some flaws in the plot and I thought there was so much potential for a ‘get-even’ conclusion.
Told from the perspective of Ben, then Bella; readers are able to step into these characters- all three stars are for the first half of this book.
Then it changes to everyone else. By the time the ending comes I was hoping for so much more. Ultimately they deserved each other!
January 25, 2021
I haven’t read a wickedly evil book like this in a long time and I enjoyed every sick and twisted minute of it! A very fast and addictive read. I look forward to reading more books by this author. I thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
February 16, 2021
Audio 3 Stars
Story 2.75 Stars
Story 2.75 Stars
April 23, 2020
Really 2 1/2 - rounded down because I am feeling mean today.
So it’s good to try new genres, and I can see why some people love it so much but I don’t think this author is for me and I will not be picking up any more from her.
This is a psychological thriller, fast-paced and ever so melodramatic. The novel is meant to be read in a rush, in one or two long gulps and over before you have time to think about it.
The premise is an interesting one, if you, like me you had discussions about certain people who seem to fall off the face of the earth to no longer be seen by family and friends once they meet new partners. What on earth could be happening in the relationship to make them abandon their lives like that?
The answers given in this novel are certainly melodramatic, it is a thriller, after all, but they lack a certain amount of plausibility. My ability to suspend disbelief was tenuous in part 2 - but I was rather enjoying reading the story again from then "Bad Girls” perspective. However, there were too many plot holes by part three and the ending reminded me of a movie made for TV.
So overall not my genre but glad I tried it and I am sure it is lots of fun to those who like their Bad girls mean bitches.
So it’s good to try new genres, and I can see why some people love it so much but I don’t think this author is for me and I will not be picking up any more from her.
This is a psychological thriller, fast-paced and ever so melodramatic. The novel is meant to be read in a rush, in one or two long gulps and over before you have time to think about it.
The premise is an interesting one, if you, like me you had discussions about certain people who seem to fall off the face of the earth to no longer be seen by family and friends once they meet new partners. What on earth could be happening in the relationship to make them abandon their lives like that?
The answers given in this novel are certainly melodramatic, it is a thriller, after all, but they lack a certain amount of plausibility. My ability to suspend disbelief was tenuous in part 2 - but I was rather enjoying reading the story again from then "Bad Girls” perspective. However, there were too many plot holes by part three and the ending reminded me of a movie made for TV.
So overall not my genre but glad I tried it and I am sure it is lots of fun to those who like their Bad girls mean bitches.
January 21, 2020
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I thouroghly enjoyed every page, every chapter. I loved reading about all the characters.
The reason I loved Ben was because he was so excited about the future with him and Charlotte, that he was on the verge of proposing to Charlotte. But Charlotte decided to leave Ben, maybe she was getting cold feet with the fact that they would be spending their the rest of their lives together.
Then Ben becomes a weak man being told what to do by sexy young woman, Bella, that he meets. It’s not long before Bella delivers news that she is pregnant. With now Bella the new baby she has become possessive of Ben and domineering.
I loved reading about how wicked Bella was. There always has to be a nasty one in a psychological thriller.
The crunch comes when Ben’s friends call and text, Ben, but he doesn’t return any calls or texts.
Far more happens but I won’t share it as there maybe many readers wanting to read SHE, and find out every detail of what Bella is really like.
The novel SHE, is very much a must buy must read.
I thouroghly enjoyed every page, every chapter. I loved reading about all the characters.
The reason I loved Ben was because he was so excited about the future with him and Charlotte, that he was on the verge of proposing to Charlotte. But Charlotte decided to leave Ben, maybe she was getting cold feet with the fact that they would be spending their the rest of their lives together.
Then Ben becomes a weak man being told what to do by sexy young woman, Bella, that he meets. It’s not long before Bella delivers news that she is pregnant. With now Bella the new baby she has become possessive of Ben and domineering.
I loved reading about how wicked Bella was. There always has to be a nasty one in a psychological thriller.
The crunch comes when Ben’s friends call and text, Ben, but he doesn’t return any calls or texts.
Far more happens but I won’t share it as there maybe many readers wanting to read SHE, and find out every detail of what Bella is really like.
The novel SHE, is very much a must buy must read.
December 27, 2019
Really enjoyed this one! Only reason Iv not given a 5 is because the twists didn't shock me. But still... a very good read. Ben is smitten with his new girlfriend Bella. But he is also a little bit scared! He can't put a fonger on it, but she's actually quite perfect. He can see it, but somehow, everyone around him can't! This book is a bit of a mix of the hand that rocked the cradle and fatal attraction!!
January 16, 2020
This was SUCH a surprising book!
I went into this one with pretty low expectations. I wasn't sure how much of a thriller it was going to be, if it was going to be more drama than thriller but I was pleasantly surprised
I was hooked from the very beginning. The writing style was really engaging and easy to read.
There was a big twist, during the book and I was shocked! I literally gasped out loud. I did not see it coming.
What I loved the most about this book was how it challenges stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding abuse. Its clever and definitely needed in the genre.
The reason I didn't give it a full five stars was due to the fact there was some quite repetitive bits. I don't want to spoil it, but it was a bit repetitive in certain parts.
This was a really clever, addictive domestic thriller. Whether you call it a domestic thriller or drama could be up for debate. Personally, I see it more as a thriller because of the shocking twists and the ending
Its definitely a dark book and can be uncomfortable to read at times. But its incredibly important and definitely needed.
TW: domestic physical and emotional abuse
I went into this one with pretty low expectations. I wasn't sure how much of a thriller it was going to be, if it was going to be more drama than thriller but I was pleasantly surprised
I was hooked from the very beginning. The writing style was really engaging and easy to read.
There was a big twist, during the book and I was shocked! I literally gasped out loud. I did not see it coming.
What I loved the most about this book was how it challenges stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding abuse. Its clever and definitely needed in the genre.
The reason I didn't give it a full five stars was due to the fact there was some quite repetitive bits. I don't want to spoil it, but it was a bit repetitive in certain parts.
This was a really clever, addictive domestic thriller. Whether you call it a domestic thriller or drama could be up for debate. Personally, I see it more as a thriller because of the shocking twists and the ending
Its definitely a dark book and can be uncomfortable to read at times. But its incredibly important and definitely needed.
TW: domestic physical and emotional abuse
August 19, 2020
tw // domestic abuse (physical and emotional).
Okay so this is my first H.C. Warner book and definitely is not going to be my last. This story was everything that I wanted to read, evil women in fiction can be such complex characters and this completely f*cked me up. I read this in one sitting and I couldn't stop thinking about the characters for hours after.
She is about Bella and Ben, Bella is....a psychopath she's pure evil, and she's out for blood. She wants her revenge, and she has found the perfect victim for her plan. Ben instantly falls in love with her and how couldn't he? She is perfect, the perfect girl in everyone's eyes...only if he knew. The first part of the book is so cleverly told by Ben's pov while the second part is told by Bella's pov and that's when the WTF part is coming. From the start you can tell that something is definitely wrong with them... Bella seems perfect...too perfect and Ben's family is starting to get worried.
There were so many parts in this book that I felt so bad about Ben, wishing that someone could see how helpless he is, how trapped in this marriage he was. But of course Bella knew what she was doing all along, her character is just so complex, yes when you read the book there's no way you will sympathize with her cause the things she did were simply unforgivable, but she is sick, and she wasn't treated right so even tho she's the bad guy I can't help but feel sorry for the events that made her turn out that way.
The povs of Ben's family, Charlie's and some other characters really added to the story seeing one part told by their eyes and then back to Bella's pov was just so captivating. And that ending....we all knew what this was leading to so even tho I wish it was changed a bit it still felt like a good closure to the whole story. Such a good psychological/suspense book it felt like a study of character and being in Bella's mind was a wild ride, one of my favorite 2020 reads so far!!!
Thank you to Edelweiss, HarperCollins, and H.C. Warner for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Okay so this is my first H.C. Warner book and definitely is not going to be my last. This story was everything that I wanted to read, evil women in fiction can be such complex characters and this completely f*cked me up. I read this in one sitting and I couldn't stop thinking about the characters for hours after.
She is about Bella and Ben, Bella is....a psychopath she's pure evil, and she's out for blood. She wants her revenge, and she has found the perfect victim for her plan. Ben instantly falls in love with her and how couldn't he? She is perfect, the perfect girl in everyone's eyes...only if he knew. The first part of the book is so cleverly told by Ben's pov while the second part is told by Bella's pov and that's when the WTF part is coming. From the start you can tell that something is definitely wrong with them... Bella seems perfect...too perfect and Ben's family is starting to get worried.
There were so many parts in this book that I felt so bad about Ben, wishing that someone could see how helpless he is, how trapped in this marriage he was. But of course Bella knew what she was doing all along, her character is just so complex, yes when you read the book there's no way you will sympathize with her cause the things she did were simply unforgivable, but she is sick, and she wasn't treated right so even tho she's the bad guy I can't help but feel sorry for the events that made her turn out that way.
The povs of Ben's family, Charlie's and some other characters really added to the story seeing one part told by their eyes and then back to Bella's pov was just so captivating. And that ending....we all knew what this was leading to so even tho I wish it was changed a bit it still felt like a good closure to the whole story. Such a good psychological/suspense book it felt like a study of character and being in Bella's mind was a wild ride, one of my favorite 2020 reads so far!!!
Thank you to Edelweiss, HarperCollins, and H.C. Warner for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
February 12, 2021
4 stars audio and story
July 31, 2022
Czy książka ,,Idealna" jest idealna? 🤔
Niekoniecznie. 😁
Fabuła niestety ani trochę nie wybija się oryginalnością. Ujmując krótko, jest to historia kobiety, która sama sobie jest winna, ale postanowiła z tego powodu zrujnować życie innym. 😅 Bohaterka była niesamowicie wkurzająca. Dobrze, że część rozdziałów była z perspektywy Bena.
Czy polecam? Nie wiem. 😁 Na pewno polecam przesłuchać ją w audiobooku, 🎧 ponieważ wszystkie dodatki dźwiękowe sprawiły, że świetnie się słuchało, przez co książka wypadła znacznie lepiej niż jakbym pewnie czytałam ją w formie papierowej. 👌📖
Niekoniecznie. 😁
Fabuła niestety ani trochę nie wybija się oryginalnością. Ujmując krótko, jest to historia kobiety, która sama sobie jest winna, ale postanowiła z tego powodu zrujnować życie innym. 😅 Bohaterka była niesamowicie wkurzająca. Dobrze, że część rozdziałów była z perspektywy Bena.
Czy polecam? Nie wiem. 😁 Na pewno polecam przesłuchać ją w audiobooku, 🎧 ponieważ wszystkie dodatki dźwiękowe sprawiły, że świetnie się słuchało, przez co książka wypadła znacznie lepiej niż jakbym pewnie czytałam ją w formie papierowej. 👌📖
February 19, 2020
A gripping psychological thriller with a good plot and great characters. The first 150 pages really drew me in but after that I did think it became a little repetitive as the story was told from different points of view. A couple of great twists though.
November 11, 2019
Thank you very much to the publisher HQ for sending me a copy of this book to read and review, this book will be released in January.
Wow this book honestly had be gripped from the start! , well first up that premise and those tag lines are just brilliant and drew me in straight away. I was hoping this would be a really great twisty read that would suck me in and leave me guessing, and it was all that and more!.
I loved everything about this book, firstly i will talk about the format, reading the first section of the book from one characters perspective and then flipping the book over to read part 2 from the other perspective was genius! i really loved that and it just worked seamlessly here. Re reading that first part of the story but having the extras of her thoughts, feelings and actions told to the reader that were previously unknown was just brilliant!. The story then breaks into other parts to carry on telling the events and then that explosive ending.
This book had me feeling every single emotion i possibly could, going in i didn't expect it to affect me emotionally but it really did! the subject matter it covers i thought it did so really well and it is so crucial to have subjects that maybe do not get much coverage, portrayed in media more! so for that alone i praise the author hugely. This had me feeling tense , angry , frustrated, on the edge of my seat wondering what the hell was coming next, and then satisfied at the end ha.
The writing here i really loved!, seriously had me sold by just a few pages in and i was excited to see how things would play out. And i was really happy to be taken by surprise by such great twists and turns!
I cannot recommend this enough! , this is instantly a top read of mine for the year, and a top favourite domestic thriller/ drama for me of all time. I think this will be so popular come release in January and i can't wait to see everyone elses reviews.
Wow this book honestly had be gripped from the start! , well first up that premise and those tag lines are just brilliant and drew me in straight away. I was hoping this would be a really great twisty read that would suck me in and leave me guessing, and it was all that and more!.
I loved everything about this book, firstly i will talk about the format, reading the first section of the book from one characters perspective and then flipping the book over to read part 2 from the other perspective was genius! i really loved that and it just worked seamlessly here. Re reading that first part of the story but having the extras of her thoughts, feelings and actions told to the reader that were previously unknown was just brilliant!. The story then breaks into other parts to carry on telling the events and then that explosive ending.
This book had me feeling every single emotion i possibly could, going in i didn't expect it to affect me emotionally but it really did! the subject matter it covers i thought it did so really well and it is so crucial to have subjects that maybe do not get much coverage, portrayed in media more! so for that alone i praise the author hugely. This had me feeling tense , angry , frustrated, on the edge of my seat wondering what the hell was coming next, and then satisfied at the end ha.
The writing here i really loved!, seriously had me sold by just a few pages in and i was excited to see how things would play out. And i was really happy to be taken by surprise by such great twists and turns!
I cannot recommend this enough! , this is instantly a top read of mine for the year, and a top favourite domestic thriller/ drama for me of all time. I think this will be so popular come release in January and i can't wait to see everyone elses reviews.
November 12, 2019
SHE is the type of book that I wish every thriller I read would be. I was gripped from the beginning, the first chapter just pulled me in and I honestly couldn't put it down - a cliche I know.
From the beginning I really didn't like Bella, she seemed too good to be true. There was just something about her that made you dislike her. I love when an author can create a character you love to hate.
I thought the format of reading the story and then flipping the book over to read it once more from Bella's perspective was a touch of genius. Reading parts 3 and 4 and furthering the story just made for an even better read.
I felt every emotion going. This was a truly gripping and mind blowing read that kept me hooked all the way through. The portrayal of such a conniving and deceitful woman was pure brilliance.
The twists were great and the ending was more than satisfying. I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good thriller.
From the beginning I really didn't like Bella, she seemed too good to be true. There was just something about her that made you dislike her. I love when an author can create a character you love to hate.
I thought the format of reading the story and then flipping the book over to read it once more from Bella's perspective was a touch of genius. Reading parts 3 and 4 and furthering the story just made for an even better read.
I felt every emotion going. This was a truly gripping and mind blowing read that kept me hooked all the way through. The portrayal of such a conniving and deceitful woman was pure brilliance.
The twists were great and the ending was more than satisfying. I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good thriller.
January 21, 2020
I never normally read thrillers this close together but this is my 3rd one this month already.
Very fast paced, a bit slow and repetitive in the middle but so addicting. I have read a lot of thrillers so I can find them to become predictable but this was such a pleasure to read.
Very fast paced, a bit slow and repetitive in the middle but so addicting. I have read a lot of thrillers so I can find them to become predictable but this was such a pleasure to read.
August 5, 2022
4 / 5 ⭐
Wciągająca, mroczna, nietuzinkowa... To tylko część przymiotników opisujących tę powieść. "Idealna" jest naprawdę dobrą książką! Tak dobrą, że przeczytałam ją w jeden dzień, co nie zdarza mi się często. Wciągnęła mnie od początku i trzymała w napięciu do samego końca. I choć domyślałam się motywów kierujących Bellą, a samo zakończenie nie do końca mnie usatysfakcjonowało, to żadne z tych dwóch drobnych 'potknięć' nie odebrało mi radości z czytania tej powieści! Jest świetną lekturą, porusza ważne tematy i jest napisana naprawdę przyjemnym w odbiorze językiem! Podobał mi się pomysł poznania historii z obu perspektyw - oprawcy i ofiary. Jest to książka naprawdę godna polecenia!
Wciągająca, mroczna, nietuzinkowa... To tylko część przymiotników opisujących tę powieść. "Idealna" jest naprawdę dobrą książką! Tak dobrą, że przeczytałam ją w jeden dzień, co nie zdarza mi się często. Wciągnęła mnie od początku i trzymała w napięciu do samego końca. I choć domyślałam się motywów kierujących Bellą, a samo zakończenie nie do końca mnie usatysfakcjonowało, to żadne z tych dwóch drobnych 'potknięć' nie odebrało mi radości z czytania tej powieści! Jest świetną lekturą, porusza ważne tematy i jest napisana naprawdę przyjemnym w odbiorze językiem! Podobał mi się pomysł poznania historii z obu perspektyw - oprawcy i ofiary. Jest to książka naprawdę godna polecenia!
August 25, 2020
SHE, by H.C. Warner is a suspense book that I just put down. I had to stay up to see this book to the end. I was drawn into this psychotic suspenseful book from the start when Ben meets Bella at a restaurant and the only thing she request is a drink of water. Let’s question this statement. Who sits in a bar and only request water to drink.
Mind you, recovering alcoholics don’t relax in bars and scope out victims. I new something was suspicious about her from that point. I was on a dramatic, ‘“oh no she didn’t” roller coaster with this book. I wanted to know what the author would give her readers next. Page after page this writer didn’t disappoint.
This writing is intense, suspenseful psychotic and a guard your loins book. Why Ben couldn’t detect Bella’s controlling ways from the beginning I don’t know. I do know what I would have done though, but this book isn’t about me. Hmh. I will say this, that living room and kitchen wouldn’t have been the same, because we would have been doing some rocking and rolling.
There would have been food splatter on the walls and every dish broken. Maybe even a stove turned over. Make no mistake, I do not condone men hitting women, but Ben does have a sister Emma, who never liked Bella. Ding, ding, ding. Innnnnn this corner, you have the illustrious Emma, high power attorney and daughter of Peter and sister to Ben annnnd that corner you have the psychotic, paranoid, cheater Bella.
Ladies tap your gloves and lets give them a good fight. Go! From the start Bella introduced her controlling ways into Bens family. His father Peter, the head of the family didn’t trust Bella. Once he said this to his wife Jo he remained quiet at every family gathering.
Somethings amiss with this. Bens mom Jo, who was welcoming of Bella, tried everything to include Bella to the family, but little did she know tragedy would strike her at every turn. Ben repeatedly stated to his family and friends that Bella was getting use to things and this new life. Getting use to things my foot! Kick that child to the curb man!
And not your curb. Somewhere near some docks. Let her tail catch a boat to a secluded island somewhere. Bella’s tormenting ways increase after her daughter Eloide is born. The verbal abuse and fights and plain view cheating couldn’t change Bens mind about Bella.
The hell you say? How could a man who had everything to be happy for crumble by one devastating question, are you hungry? Ben has been cut off from his childhood best friend, Matt and Freya. I loved Freya's take no crap from no one. She was suspicious of Bellas ways from the beginning.
Each time that Freya spoke with Ben, she could see her childhood friend wither away. Ben doesn’t look the same, he’s lost weight, he hasn’t slept, and he looks to be frightened and scared to move without Bellas consent. Freya was right. Grow a pair and take charge of yourself man, because “queen b” has them and a vise and she holds the key. Come on Ben! Grab that key and get some relief. You know you want it. Charlotte to the rescue. This woman who walked out of Ben’s life, teams up with Ben’s friends and family. She drafts a plan to convince Ben to leave Bella. You have to ask yourself, did this plan work?
Did other altering mishaps change this plan? What happened when Ben was holding the knife in the dark on his front lawn? Did Charlotte and Eloide make it out of that major car accident? And the most important question. Where the heck did Bella go?
I recommend this book with two snaps and walk with big stick and loaded gun. One more thing. Men, watch out for the woman who only orders water at a bar. Get the heck out of there as fast as you can man! Until next time my fellow readers... read on! I voluntary reviewed this ARC after receiving a free gifted copy. Safety warnings and it triggers of abuse/ violence.
Mind you, recovering alcoholics don’t relax in bars and scope out victims. I new something was suspicious about her from that point. I was on a dramatic, ‘“oh no she didn’t” roller coaster with this book. I wanted to know what the author would give her readers next. Page after page this writer didn’t disappoint.
This writing is intense, suspenseful psychotic and a guard your loins book. Why Ben couldn’t detect Bella’s controlling ways from the beginning I don’t know. I do know what I would have done though, but this book isn’t about me. Hmh. I will say this, that living room and kitchen wouldn’t have been the same, because we would have been doing some rocking and rolling.
There would have been food splatter on the walls and every dish broken. Maybe even a stove turned over. Make no mistake, I do not condone men hitting women, but Ben does have a sister Emma, who never liked Bella. Ding, ding, ding. Innnnnn this corner, you have the illustrious Emma, high power attorney and daughter of Peter and sister to Ben annnnd that corner you have the psychotic, paranoid, cheater Bella.
Ladies tap your gloves and lets give them a good fight. Go! From the start Bella introduced her controlling ways into Bens family. His father Peter, the head of the family didn’t trust Bella. Once he said this to his wife Jo he remained quiet at every family gathering.
Somethings amiss with this. Bens mom Jo, who was welcoming of Bella, tried everything to include Bella to the family, but little did she know tragedy would strike her at every turn. Ben repeatedly stated to his family and friends that Bella was getting use to things and this new life. Getting use to things my foot! Kick that child to the curb man!
And not your curb. Somewhere near some docks. Let her tail catch a boat to a secluded island somewhere. Bella’s tormenting ways increase after her daughter Eloide is born. The verbal abuse and fights and plain view cheating couldn’t change Bens mind about Bella.
The hell you say? How could a man who had everything to be happy for crumble by one devastating question, are you hungry? Ben has been cut off from his childhood best friend, Matt and Freya. I loved Freya's take no crap from no one. She was suspicious of Bellas ways from the beginning.
Each time that Freya spoke with Ben, she could see her childhood friend wither away. Ben doesn’t look the same, he’s lost weight, he hasn’t slept, and he looks to be frightened and scared to move without Bellas consent. Freya was right. Grow a pair and take charge of yourself man, because “queen b” has them and a vise and she holds the key. Come on Ben! Grab that key and get some relief. You know you want it. Charlotte to the rescue. This woman who walked out of Ben’s life, teams up with Ben’s friends and family. She drafts a plan to convince Ben to leave Bella. You have to ask yourself, did this plan work?
Did other altering mishaps change this plan? What happened when Ben was holding the knife in the dark on his front lawn? Did Charlotte and Eloide make it out of that major car accident? And the most important question. Where the heck did Bella go?
I recommend this book with two snaps and walk with big stick and loaded gun. One more thing. Men, watch out for the woman who only orders water at a bar. Get the heck out of there as fast as you can man! Until next time my fellow readers... read on! I voluntary reviewed this ARC after receiving a free gifted copy. Safety warnings and it triggers of abuse/ violence.
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