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The Waitress
Nameless. Faceless. Deadly?
Waitress Kit Lowman knows that people look down on her and the job she does. But being anonymous offers Kit safety and security and allows her own terrible secrets to remain hidden.
And then Kit’s luck changes, and she suddenly faces a terrible dilemma: reveal her true identity and accept that life will never be the same. Or stay in the shadows…where she hopes she’ll be safe?
But secrets can’t stay hidden forever. And the more Kit tries to hide away, the more someone makes it clear that they are going to make her pay for what she did.
Waitress Kit Lowman knows that people look down on her and the job she does. But being anonymous offers Kit safety and security and allows her own terrible secrets to remain hidden.
And then Kit’s luck changes, and she suddenly faces a terrible dilemma: reveal her true identity and accept that life will never be the same. Or stay in the shadows…where she hopes she’ll be safe?
But secrets can’t stay hidden forever. And the more Kit tries to hide away, the more someone makes it clear that they are going to make her pay for what she did.
290 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 21, 2022
1366 people are currently reading
911 people want to read
About the author
Nina Manning
30 books332 followersNina Manning began her career in the catering industry. She has worked as a private chef cooking for royalty and TV personalities.
She has a degree in Psychology and has three books published with Boldwood: The Daughter In Law, The Guilty Wife and The House Mate.
Her fourth Psychological thriller is published in Spring 2021.
Nina is a voracious reader of many genres, is the founding member of a long standing book club and the founder and co-host of a book podcast called Sniffing The Pages.
She is a mother to three young children so when she is not writing or reading she can usually be found scaling a soft play tower or romping in the woods with the family and her chocolate Labrador.
She has a degree in Psychology and has three books published with Boldwood: The Daughter In Law, The Guilty Wife and The House Mate.
Her fourth Psychological thriller is published in Spring 2021.
Nina is a voracious reader of many genres, is the founding member of a long standing book club and the founder and co-host of a book podcast called Sniffing The Pages.
She is a mother to three young children so when she is not writing or reading she can usually be found scaling a soft play tower or romping in the woods with the family and her chocolate Labrador.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 178 reviews
August 10, 2022
Pass the pepper, please.
"The Waitress" was not what I ordered.
I was hoping for a fast-paced thriller and, instead, I listened to a slow-burn drama that lacked sizzle and spice.
Trigger Warning: Canine abuse and cruelty.
Had I seen canine abuse and cruelty on the book's "menu", I never would have listened to this book
I listened to the audiobook and the narrator Penelope Rawlins did a fabulous job with the narration.
Had it not been for the narrator, this would have been a DNF early on.
"The Waitress" was not what I ordered.
I was hoping for a fast-paced thriller and, instead, I listened to a slow-burn drama that lacked sizzle and spice.
Trigger Warning: Canine abuse and cruelty.
Had I seen canine abuse and cruelty on the book's "menu", I never would have listened to this book
I listened to the audiobook and the narrator Penelope Rawlins did a fabulous job with the narration.
Had it not been for the narrator, this would have been a DNF early on.
July 20, 2022
**TRIGGER WARNING** THERE IS A DOG DEATH IN THIS STORY
Waitress Kit Lowman knows that people look down on her and the job she does. But being anonymous offers Kit safety and security and allows her own terrible secrets to remain hidden. And then Kit's luck changes, and she faces a sudden dilemma: reveal her true identity and accept that life will never be the same. Or stay in the shadows.... where she hopes she will be safe.
It did take me a little while to get into the book and then it was a page turner, I was hooked. Kit has a few issues with her family and a past relationship. There's also a trauma from her past. The story has a dual timeline - the present day and the past which is told in flashbacks. The last quarter of the book is by far the best part. There's not a lot of characters so it's easy to keep track of who's who. There's parts that are predictable, but that never spoils a book for me. I quite enjoyed how the story ended.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #Nina Manning for my ARC of #TheWaitress in exchange for an honest review.
Waitress Kit Lowman knows that people look down on her and the job she does. But being anonymous offers Kit safety and security and allows her own terrible secrets to remain hidden. And then Kit's luck changes, and she faces a sudden dilemma: reveal her true identity and accept that life will never be the same. Or stay in the shadows.... where she hopes she will be safe.
It did take me a little while to get into the book and then it was a page turner, I was hooked. Kit has a few issues with her family and a past relationship. There's also a trauma from her past. The story has a dual timeline - the present day and the past which is told in flashbacks. The last quarter of the book is by far the best part. There's not a lot of characters so it's easy to keep track of who's who. There's parts that are predictable, but that never spoils a book for me. I quite enjoyed how the story ended.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #Nina Manning for my ARC of #TheWaitress in exchange for an honest review.
July 14, 2022
Kit is a waitress, and she loves her job, can’t understand why some people find it a lowly job, it’s everything she wants it to be, she takes pride in it and with her new love interest her life is just fine
Until it isen’t, tragedy happens and she needs to leave all she knows behind her to start again…..and then something amazing happens to her, truly amazing she can hardly believe it
So starts a tale of deception, mis-trust, grief and subterfuge on a scale enough to floor anyone….but Kit just about keeps her wits about her and as the story continues she can never have imagined what dark secrets are behind her recent bad, and good fortunes!
Dark and mysterious, at times a bit repetitive and slowish but overall a good psychological thriller/drama
8/10
4 Stars
Until it isen’t, tragedy happens and she needs to leave all she knows behind her to start again…..and then something amazing happens to her, truly amazing she can hardly believe it
So starts a tale of deception, mis-trust, grief and subterfuge on a scale enough to floor anyone….but Kit just about keeps her wits about her and as the story continues she can never have imagined what dark secrets are behind her recent bad, and good fortunes!
Dark and mysterious, at times a bit repetitive and slowish but overall a good psychological thriller/drama
8/10
4 Stars
June 22, 2022
Nina Manning's book The Waitress is a slow burn with a zinger ending. Manning does an incredible job setting up atmospheric scenes in a large house where weird things occur. The author allows readers to discern the feelings and behavior of the main character without divulging the plot's dark secrets until the end.
Synopsis:
Waitress Kit Lowman suffers from depression and low self-esteem. Her job as a server is something she loves but feels that other people look down on her because of it. Kit tries to maintain her anonymity and keep her secrets safe by remaining a nameless faceless person in the crowd. Kit knows that secrets won't stay secret forever and the longer she tries to hide them the more she realizes that someone is out to get her.
I enjoyed the tense and creepy moments in this book. My attention was captured in The Waitress during several striking moments that had me quickly flipping pages to see what happened next. While it felt a tad slow-paced at times, I love reading books that scare me. (4.25 ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫)
Trigger Warnings: Depression, Low Self-Esteem, Anxiety, Animal Cruelty
The Waitress by Nina Manning is available on July 21st.
Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books. I appreciate the opportunity to read this mind-bending thriller. I look forward to reading more from the very talented Nina Manning.
Synopsis:
Waitress Kit Lowman suffers from depression and low self-esteem. Her job as a server is something she loves but feels that other people look down on her because of it. Kit tries to maintain her anonymity and keep her secrets safe by remaining a nameless faceless person in the crowd. Kit knows that secrets won't stay secret forever and the longer she tries to hide them the more she realizes that someone is out to get her.
I enjoyed the tense and creepy moments in this book. My attention was captured in The Waitress during several striking moments that had me quickly flipping pages to see what happened next. While it felt a tad slow-paced at times, I love reading books that scare me. (4.25 ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫)
Trigger Warnings: Depression, Low Self-Esteem, Anxiety, Animal Cruelty
The Waitress by Nina Manning is available on July 21st.
Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books. I appreciate the opportunity to read this mind-bending thriller. I look forward to reading more from the very talented Nina Manning.
January 22, 2024
This book is told by the POV of Kit. Set in an isolated mansion . This was a slow burn until about 1/2 way through when it really ramps up. I wanted to keep reading to see who was making her life such a misery. It has an unpredictable ending which is something I love in a book.
July 2, 2022
This one was a rare miss for me. I had a hard time getting into the story. It switched between then and now a lot, before I had any idea what was going on. The characters just seemed to fall flat to me. I really wanted to like this one!
Kit wins a $2 million home in some Publishers Clearing House kind of deal and the timeline is going back and forth between her old waitressing job and the new one, her previous boyfriend and now, when she is alone. We know that she hurt someone but we don't know how or why. We know she feels guilty and it haunts her. The story just moved at too strange of a pace for me but I wanted to stick around and see what happened. It isn't bad, it just isn't for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!
Kit wins a $2 million home in some Publishers Clearing House kind of deal and the timeline is going back and forth between her old waitressing job and the new one, her previous boyfriend and now, when she is alone. We know that she hurt someone but we don't know how or why. We know she feels guilty and it haunts her. The story just moved at too strange of a pace for me but I wanted to stick around and see what happened. It isn't bad, it just isn't for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!
October 21, 2022
Imagine the most generic and obvious thriller you've ever read, and then set that aside, because I don't think anything in recent memory could be as generic and obvious as this rubbish is.
Our main character is Kit Lowman, a woman who loves waitressing. She is hiding from life because she did something terrible about a month ago and never deserves to be happy again.
Sound familiar?
Kit goes on and on and on about this terrible thing she did that she can never tell anybody about because they would all hate her, without ever specifying what it is that she did.
Sound familiar?
We get chapters set in the "Now" and chapters set in the "Then", with the "Then" chapters slowly leading to the events of the terrible, terrible thing that Kit did.
Sound familiar?
Bloody hell. Is the same book just being written over and over again? This feels like it was spat out of a computer.
Kit wins a $2 million house in a competition and moves in. The plot mostly consists of Kit telling us that she doesn't deserve this sort of good luck because of the awful thing she did, or that she can't believe this is the life she has now and wish fervently for the life that she once had. Every now and again, mysterious events occurring in her house have her paranoid that somebody is seeking revenge for the awful, awful thing that she did.
The big problem here is that because Kit is being so fucking enigmatic about what she did, and we have no idea what the fuck she did, there's no suspense about who could be doing this, because we have no fucking idea who was affected so badly by Kit's awful thing that they would want to seek revenge. It's just a long, slow build-up to the big "reveal" of what Kit did, at which point the pieces can click into place.
I won't even go into details about what Kit did, suffice to say that, just like every other book out there these days, it's not nearly as bad as Kit seems to think it is, and it actually makes little sense for Kit to be as melodramatic about it as she is, once all is said and done.
To add insult to injury, the book can only exist through Kit being an incompetent nincompoop, despite supposedly being presented to us as not stupid. But she never reads email because technology = scary. Can't handle emails? REALLY??? She never reads the paperwork involving the house that she has won. When she goes to a person's house to confront them and hears them in a conversation with another person, instead of going in and catching them out, just runs off. What. The. Actual. Fuck.
The only character I liked was her dog Lucy and
There is absolutely nothing here you haven't come across before. It is bereft of anything new or interesting, and the plot moves at a snail's pace. Why do authors want to trot out something that has already been done 200 times before? Send this one back to the kitchen and get a refund. Then get the hell out of the restaurant before the chef can spit on it.
Our main character is Kit Lowman, a woman who loves waitressing. She is hiding from life because she did something terrible about a month ago and never deserves to be happy again.
Sound familiar?
Kit goes on and on and on about this terrible thing she did that she can never tell anybody about because they would all hate her, without ever specifying what it is that she did.
Sound familiar?
We get chapters set in the "Now" and chapters set in the "Then", with the "Then" chapters slowly leading to the events of the terrible, terrible thing that Kit did.
Sound familiar?
Bloody hell. Is the same book just being written over and over again? This feels like it was spat out of a computer.
Kit wins a $2 million house in a competition and moves in. The plot mostly consists of Kit telling us that she doesn't deserve this sort of good luck because of the awful thing she did, or that she can't believe this is the life she has now and wish fervently for the life that she once had. Every now and again, mysterious events occurring in her house have her paranoid that somebody is seeking revenge for the awful, awful thing that she did.
The big problem here is that because Kit is being so fucking enigmatic about what she did, and we have no idea what the fuck she did, there's no suspense about who could be doing this, because we have no fucking idea who was affected so badly by Kit's awful thing that they would want to seek revenge. It's just a long, slow build-up to the big "reveal" of what Kit did, at which point the pieces can click into place.
I won't even go into details about what Kit did, suffice to say that, just like every other book out there these days, it's not nearly as bad as Kit seems to think it is, and it actually makes little sense for Kit to be as melodramatic about it as she is, once all is said and done.
To add insult to injury, the book can only exist through Kit being an incompetent nincompoop, despite supposedly being presented to us as not stupid. But she never reads email because technology = scary. Can't handle emails? REALLY??? She never reads the paperwork involving the house that she has won. When she goes to a person's house to confront them and hears them in a conversation with another person, instead of going in and catching them out, just runs off. What. The. Actual. Fuck.
The only character I liked was her dog Lucy and
There is absolutely nothing here you haven't come across before. It is bereft of anything new or interesting, and the plot moves at a snail's pace. Why do authors want to trot out something that has already been done 200 times before? Send this one back to the kitchen and get a refund. Then get the hell out of the restaurant before the chef can spit on it.
June 20, 2022
Another literary winner for Manning!
I eagerly accepted Manning’s invitation to get inside the head of a waitress. I had absolutely no idea about the skills a great server uses in providing a fantastic dining experience! We could all do with being more appreciative customers, both in how we treat servers and the value of the tip we leave.
Manning takes advantage of her story’s natural twists and turns and enhances them through her artful organization in presenting it. She’s made a game of it - instead of telling readers what’s happening in chronological order, she teases us with what appears to be a tragic accident in the prologue and then slowly, chapter by chapter, reveals information in a way that matters to her story. By revealing information like this, she makes her readers eager and committed! Following the mystery, both about what happened to the waitress and the house enhances the story because readers need answers. What happened to the waitress? What did she do? Why does someone want her to pay for it? Why does she want to be anonymous?
Manning is skilled at making one character make observations about another character so that her readers will intuitively understand the importance of the tidbit of information. The further I got into the book, the thicker my ‘back pocket’ got as I continually stuffed it with clues.
My takeaway: Fantastic flawed protagonist and a brilliantly plotted, fast-moving and suspense-filled mystery.
I was gifted this advance copy by Nina Manning, Boldwood Books, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
I eagerly accepted Manning’s invitation to get inside the head of a waitress. I had absolutely no idea about the skills a great server uses in providing a fantastic dining experience! We could all do with being more appreciative customers, both in how we treat servers and the value of the tip we leave.
Manning takes advantage of her story’s natural twists and turns and enhances them through her artful organization in presenting it. She’s made a game of it - instead of telling readers what’s happening in chronological order, she teases us with what appears to be a tragic accident in the prologue and then slowly, chapter by chapter, reveals information in a way that matters to her story. By revealing information like this, she makes her readers eager and committed! Following the mystery, both about what happened to the waitress and the house enhances the story because readers need answers. What happened to the waitress? What did she do? Why does someone want her to pay for it? Why does she want to be anonymous?
Manning is skilled at making one character make observations about another character so that her readers will intuitively understand the importance of the tidbit of information. The further I got into the book, the thicker my ‘back pocket’ got as I continually stuffed it with clues.
My takeaway: Fantastic flawed protagonist and a brilliantly plotted, fast-moving and suspense-filled mystery.
I was gifted this advance copy by Nina Manning, Boldwood Books, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
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July 18, 2022
I was so excited about this book but it fell flat for me. This was a slow paced mystery and I only stuck to the end to know what actually happened to the main MC. The whole book felt like a long boring monologue of a lonely woman and nothing else. It was like the author crammed all the action in the last 10 percent. I fell in love with the cover and that's why I grabbed it. But other than that I don't think I'll recommend this book to others.
Thank you to netgalley and boldwood books for providing me an arc in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to netgalley and boldwood books for providing me an arc in exchange for my honest review.
February 15, 2023
This is an extremely slow burning thriller focusing on a woman named Kit Lowing. Kit prides herself on her abilities working as a waitress, despite the fact that she could be doing anything else that she desired. Without Kit, I don't think this book would be nearly as interesting as it turned out to be. I found myself relating to her a lot regarding her views on what life should be like. Her values were very similar to my own. The parallels of Kit's life in the past versus the present paints a picture of just how drastically her life has spiraled. Watching Kit's slow mental decline was the real thrill of this book, as twisted as it sounds. Kit is an incredibly strong woman who knows what she wants and who never falters even when she doubts herself momentarily. I was left constantly wondering what makes somebody like that finally snap?
Unfortunately, I had to reach the 90% mark of the novel to find out exactly what it was that Kit did. Finding out was extremely underwhelming. The author did a great job in throwing in some red herrings and even by the end, I didn't have the full picture until the final twist was revealed. I was able to guess a few of the twists throughout, but was intrigued enough to get right to the end.
Although I did enjoy this, it certainly isn't without noticeable flaws that took away from my enjoyment a bit. Aside from an underwhelming reveal of Kit's big sin after such a long wait, I wasn't prepared for the scene of animal abuse, which was incredibly sad. The book is relatively easy to follow but really is a very slow ride, even in comparison to some slow burn thrillers that I've read previously. The ending felt rushed. There was a sense of relief for Kit to finally be able to move on, but no real definitive ending that I was hoping for.
My rating is 3/5 stars and despite some of the issues, I would still recommend it if the patience is there for a slower read.
Unfortunately, I had to reach the 90% mark of the novel to find out exactly what it was that Kit did. Finding out was extremely underwhelming. The author did a great job in throwing in some red herrings and even by the end, I didn't have the full picture until the final twist was revealed. I was able to guess a few of the twists throughout, but was intrigued enough to get right to the end.
Although I did enjoy this, it certainly isn't without noticeable flaws that took away from my enjoyment a bit. Aside from an underwhelming reveal of Kit's big sin after such a long wait, I wasn't prepared for the scene of animal abuse, which was incredibly sad. The book is relatively easy to follow but really is a very slow ride, even in comparison to some slow burn thrillers that I've read previously. The ending felt rushed. There was a sense of relief for Kit to finally be able to move on, but no real definitive ending that I was hoping for.
My rating is 3/5 stars and despite some of the issues, I would still recommend it if the patience is there for a slower read.
July 19, 2022
This book had a nice writing style but the plot was inconsistent and flawed, foreseeable twist and the main protagonist's naivety was somewhat unbelievable. 2.5 stars rounded to 3.
December 13, 2022
1.5 stars rounded up because I did actually read it with minimal skimming. Free Prime Reading book
Super duper suspension of belief — the plot was ridiculous.
Kit had something bad happen, which she thinks about often and it’s obvious what happened, but she just refers to it in vague ways until about 80% of the book.
Kit needs to get away from her previous life. She had been happily waitressing at Mirabelle’s, living in a cute flat in town and dating a literal millionaire named Tom. She liked her coworkers — all except one named Courtney, who is inexplicably rude to her.
Now she’s won a huge house in an isolated area which seems good for starting over, although Kit laments often she doesn’t deserve it because of the mysterious thing she did. She meets her handsome, nice neighbor, Blake, who obv becomes her love interest.
Spoiler : kit didn’t win the house. Courtney hired a guy to carry Kit’s favorite book and sit at the restaurant bar. Of course the book draws Kit in and the two chat and he tells her a story about how he has to sell raffle tickets to win a house and even shows her a website and it’s all just so unbelievable, but Kit falls for it and buys some tickets and “wins” the house which is one of of Courtney’s many houses. Because she is Tom’s sister and is also a millionaire. But Tom never tells Kit that the woman she works with that hates her is his sister because….well, no good reason. Like, he didn’t and then it got too hard to tell her so he just kept up with it.
Courtney sets the whole thing up to get back at Kit for taking her brother — her only relative — away from her. So, punish her with a house?!
Oh, and the bad thing she did was not even done by her. There was a lot of detail about allergy training at the restaurant and a little girl from her fav family had life threatening allergies and she brought a health bar Tom gave her ti the restaurant and Courtney took it out of Kit’s bag so Kit would get in trouble for having something with nuts but the little girl finds it and eats it and dies so Kit thinks it’s her fault.
It’s not even worth going on. That’s basically it.
Super duper suspension of belief — the plot was ridiculous.
Kit had something bad happen, which she thinks about often and it’s obvious what happened, but she just refers to it in vague ways until about 80% of the book.
Kit needs to get away from her previous life. She had been happily waitressing at Mirabelle’s, living in a cute flat in town and dating a literal millionaire named Tom. She liked her coworkers — all except one named Courtney, who is inexplicably rude to her.
Now she’s won a huge house in an isolated area which seems good for starting over, although Kit laments often she doesn’t deserve it because of the mysterious thing she did. She meets her handsome, nice neighbor, Blake, who obv becomes her love interest.
Spoiler : kit didn’t win the house. Courtney hired a guy to carry Kit’s favorite book and sit at the restaurant bar. Of course the book draws Kit in and the two chat and he tells her a story about how he has to sell raffle tickets to win a house and even shows her a website and it’s all just so unbelievable, but Kit falls for it and buys some tickets and “wins” the house which is one of of Courtney’s many houses. Because she is Tom’s sister and is also a millionaire. But Tom never tells Kit that the woman she works with that hates her is his sister because….well, no good reason. Like, he didn’t and then it got too hard to tell her so he just kept up with it.
Courtney sets the whole thing up to get back at Kit for taking her brother — her only relative — away from her. So, punish her with a house?!
Oh, and the bad thing she did was not even done by her. There was a lot of detail about allergy training at the restaurant and a little girl from her fav family had life threatening allergies and she brought a health bar Tom gave her ti the restaurant and Courtney took it out of Kit’s bag so Kit would get in trouble for having something with nuts but the little girl finds it and eats it and dies so Kit thinks it’s her fault.
It’s not even worth going on. That’s basically it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2023
I had read a few reviews where the OP did not like this book. I always take them with a grain of salt as I know we all have different tastes. I’m glad I did ignore those reviews though, as I quite enjoyed this. The only thing that grated slightly was all the lead up to her big problem. And the constant reminder of certain things like why she didn’t want to leave the county and get a job elsewhere. Part of me understands the lead up part, but I didn’t need to read her rationale (in full) a number of times.
I read a complaint that there was no warning about animal abuse. I don’t see why there would have been one, as to me an animal death (regardless of the cause, unless they were beaten/kicked) is not really abuse. While it was sad and unexpected I certainly wouldn’t require a warning. And I classify myself as a true animal lover that cries over animals more than over humans.
The twist at the end (whodunit) was great and unexpected. It did make sense when all was revealed and I was grateful for that as I get tired of reading some thrillers/mysteries that leave you questioning at the end.
I read a complaint that there was no warning about animal abuse. I don’t see why there would have been one, as to me an animal death (regardless of the cause, unless they were beaten/kicked) is not really abuse. While it was sad and unexpected I certainly wouldn’t require a warning. And I classify myself as a true animal lover that cries over animals more than over humans.
The twist at the end (whodunit) was great and unexpected. It did make sense when all was revealed and I was grateful for that as I get tired of reading some thrillers/mysteries that leave you questioning at the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 24, 2022
This was a really tough read. And to be brutally honest, I’m not sure it even qualifies for the one star. This might have been the worst book I’ve ever read. Ever. It took me almost a week to trudge through it and that’s highly unusual for me to take so long to read a book. If I was able to DNF book, this would have been it. It never gained my interest and the plot was incredibly boring for 98%. Even what was considered action scenes fell considerably flat. The book is written in really confusing time lines - three chapters of “now” and one chapter of “then” so it tries to do a flashback type thing, but miserably fails because it’s confusing as all get out. At first I was thinking it was just a really really really slow burn, but when the plot was revealed…boy what a let down.
While I appreciate the ARC from netgalley, I would not recommend this one.
While I appreciate the ARC from netgalley, I would not recommend this one.
July 19, 2022
Kit Lowman, 31, is a waitress and prides herself on doing a great job. She recently entered a contest and has won a large house valued at two million pounds, plus furniture and an additional cash prize of twenty thousand pounds. The home is called Willow Cottage with extensive grounds and a pool. Kit is a bit wary of staying in the large house by herself, so when she meets a neighbor with a puppy looking for a home, she adopts the puppy. Soon, some strange things start to happen in the house which causes her concern.
Kit seems to be running from something in her past causing her guilt for what she did. The story switches back an forth in time. She has been seeing a very wealthy man named Tom who simply wants to marry her and have lots of children. This is not what Kit wants. She loves to work and her waitress job makes her happy. But there is still the guilt that she cannot overcome.
What did she do that has left her with such guilt? Can she ever get over it and be happy again?
This book had me guessing up to the very end. It is edgy and scary with some sad events. Lucy - so sweet and that made me cry. You have to read the book to see what I mean. Enjoy, readers.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Kit seems to be running from something in her past causing her guilt for what she did. The story switches back an forth in time. She has been seeing a very wealthy man named Tom who simply wants to marry her and have lots of children. This is not what Kit wants. She loves to work and her waitress job makes her happy. But there is still the guilt that she cannot overcome.
What did she do that has left her with such guilt? Can she ever get over it and be happy again?
This book had me guessing up to the very end. It is edgy and scary with some sad events. Lucy - so sweet and that made me cry. You have to read the book to see what I mean. Enjoy, readers.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
August 3, 2022
I chose to read this book after receiving a free e-copy from Rachel’s Random Resources. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.
Kit is a waitress and the narrator of this book. It has a decent beginning and a good ending, but there are a lot of words to wade through to get to the real story in between. I feel like there’s potential, but I just didn’t feel the suspense or Kit’s angst. Part of the reason for that could be that throughout the entire book, she talks about something terrible that she did, but it isn’t revealed until very late.
When authors go back and forth between times, it often works. Other times, like in this case, it went back and forth between Now and Then, and it didn’t work for me.
I am sure there are many readers who will enjoy this book. Personally, long, drawn out descriptions are not for me, and there are a lot of them here.
There were surprises at the end but only one that I hadn’t figured out. It was a good one though!
Kit is a waitress and the narrator of this book. It has a decent beginning and a good ending, but there are a lot of words to wade through to get to the real story in between. I feel like there’s potential, but I just didn’t feel the suspense or Kit’s angst. Part of the reason for that could be that throughout the entire book, she talks about something terrible that she did, but it isn’t revealed until very late.
When authors go back and forth between times, it often works. Other times, like in this case, it went back and forth between Now and Then, and it didn’t work for me.
I am sure there are many readers who will enjoy this book. Personally, long, drawn out descriptions are not for me, and there are a lot of them here.
There were surprises at the end but only one that I hadn’t figured out. It was a good one though!
January 15, 2023
It took a bit too long to find out what happened to the protagonist to make her so upset. Otherwise the story was ok. I also didn't like the fact her puppy was killed off. Too many books kill off the pet, not a good move as far as I'm concerned.
July 24, 2022
The Waitress is a slow burn with a shocking ending. Nina Manning sets up intense, creepy, atmospheric scenes that captivated me. I think the slower pace adds to the scary feel to this novel. There were quite a few times that had me creeped out, which is definitely up my alley.
Because of the slower pacing, it did take me a bit to really get into this story, but as I already stated, once I was hooked, it added to the story in a great way.
We stay with Kit throughout the story but switch between then and now. I found this interesting. At first, it was a bit jarring, but as the story continued, it really helped me understand Kit and understand her decisions throughout the story.
Overall, I enjoyed The Waitress. It is atmospheric with beautiful writing and the surprise ending is worth the slow burn plot. I recommend giving this a shot.
Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for the free review copy and tour invite. All opinions are my own and unbiased.
Because of the slower pacing, it did take me a bit to really get into this story, but as I already stated, once I was hooked, it added to the story in a great way.
We stay with Kit throughout the story but switch between then and now. I found this interesting. At first, it was a bit jarring, but as the story continued, it really helped me understand Kit and understand her decisions throughout the story.
Overall, I enjoyed The Waitress. It is atmospheric with beautiful writing and the surprise ending is worth the slow burn plot. I recommend giving this a shot.
Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for the free review copy and tour invite. All opinions are my own and unbiased.
November 15, 2022
I’ve read so many thrillers at this point that it’s hard to keep me interested. Well that wasn’t the case with this one. I love the build up of random doors being left open, her puppy being placed somewhere with help, items being left for her. That give me the creeps more than anything else! To know someone is in your home with you. But it wasn’t really Kit’s home now was it? She never won the house. Crazy Courtney set her all up. Her coworker or her ex boyfriends sister? TRY BOTH! She’s crazy for coco puffs that’s for sure. Completely set her up on two occasions. One with the house obviously but also when the little girl passed away due to her allergy. That was never Kit’s fault and I love that she gets that personal freedom of knowing she in fact was not responsible for that little angels unfortunate ending. Such a great book with a massive twist of who Courtney is that I actually never saw it coming 😂
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 24, 2022
*3.5 stars*
Kit is a waitress that wins a 2 million pound estate in a housing raffle along with some cash. Her story is broken up into "then" and "now" chapters and the reader navigates through her depression, relationships with others, and a mysterious event from her past. In the "then" segment we slowly learn about Kit's past and her boyfriend, Tom. In the "now" segment Nina Manning does a wonderful job creating a creepy atmosphere in the "cottage" and also leaving clues for the reader to try to figure out why Kit is trying to live an anonymous life.
This sure was a slow burn, but by the end I was hooked! Some of the plot was predictable but overall I enjoyed reading it. I would recommend it to others and I'm looking forward to reading more of Nina Manning's work.
Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.
Kit is a waitress that wins a 2 million pound estate in a housing raffle along with some cash. Her story is broken up into "then" and "now" chapters and the reader navigates through her depression, relationships with others, and a mysterious event from her past. In the "then" segment we slowly learn about Kit's past and her boyfriend, Tom. In the "now" segment Nina Manning does a wonderful job creating a creepy atmosphere in the "cottage" and also leaving clues for the reader to try to figure out why Kit is trying to live an anonymous life.
This sure was a slow burn, but by the end I was hooked! Some of the plot was predictable but overall I enjoyed reading it. I would recommend it to others and I'm looking forward to reading more of Nina Manning's work.
Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.
July 17, 2022
Be warned that this is a slow burn. I found myself checking at the halfway point when the secret that Kit has been hiding has yet to be revealed.
But if you stick with it, the book advances through some atmospheric scenes in the large and isolated mansion that Kit has won through a raffle. The house has its problems, like most old houses, but Kit also has won £20,000, which she believes will last her for a while (clearly, she has never lived in an old house!).
Although she still hasn't quite moved all her things into Willow Cottage, she feels like it's the perfect place to be anonymous, a place where her past won't catch up to her. But someone knows she's there. I cringed every time she returned home after dark. Since she still had her old flat, I kept willing her to return there.
Although it's easy to guess several of the plot points, and Kit's secret wasn't the horrible thing I thought it would be, Kit is so mired in guilt and self-doubt that to her it's the only thing she can think about. Stick through to the end of the book and the ending will be a pleasant surprise.
Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advance reader's copy.
But if you stick with it, the book advances through some atmospheric scenes in the large and isolated mansion that Kit has won through a raffle. The house has its problems, like most old houses, but Kit also has won £20,000, which she believes will last her for a while (clearly, she has never lived in an old house!).
Although she still hasn't quite moved all her things into Willow Cottage, she feels like it's the perfect place to be anonymous, a place where her past won't catch up to her. But someone knows she's there. I cringed every time she returned home after dark. Since she still had her old flat, I kept willing her to return there.
Although it's easy to guess several of the plot points, and Kit's secret wasn't the horrible thing I thought it would be, Kit is so mired in guilt and self-doubt that to her it's the only thing she can think about. Stick through to the end of the book and the ending will be a pleasant surprise.
Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advance reader's copy.
July 23, 2022
Kit loves being a waitress. But something that happened in her past is threatening to reveal itself again and Kit is determined to let it not be addressed again. Can she keep her secret hidden?
I enjoy my thrillers fast paced and exciting. This book was fairly slow and I was sad that the ending was so flat. This book also contains a small section of animal cruelty so if this is something you don't like, please be aware. I feel this book would suit those who aren't comfortable with overly graphic or twisted thrillers or someone who is reading a thriller for the first time. I did enjoy the author's writing style though and I would still be interested in reading more by her.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I enjoy my thrillers fast paced and exciting. This book was fairly slow and I was sad that the ending was so flat. This book also contains a small section of animal cruelty so if this is something you don't like, please be aware. I feel this book would suit those who aren't comfortable with overly graphic or twisted thrillers or someone who is reading a thriller for the first time. I did enjoy the author's writing style though and I would still be interested in reading more by her.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
July 22, 2022
Thank you Boldwood books publishers and Netgalley for this arc.
The main character is a waitress that meet a guy that change her life. We get to know her after she won something and move to a new house alone. She says she has done something and she is afraid noone will forgive her. But it turns to ne a drama more then a thriller and it takes some time to know what really happened and who is behind this strange and also cruel things that happened and are happening in her life and to people around her.
Thanks to my buddy reader Farah to get through this with me.
The main character is a waitress that meet a guy that change her life. We get to know her after she won something and move to a new house alone. She says she has done something and she is afraid noone will forgive her. But it turns to ne a drama more then a thriller and it takes some time to know what really happened and who is behind this strange and also cruel things that happened and are happening in her life and to people around her.
Thanks to my buddy reader Farah to get through this with me.
July 30, 2022
I was fortunate to given a space on the blog tour from Boldwood Books.
I found this book to be a gradual build up. At first it's not clear why Kit is living the life she is, but gradually more is revealed. I did guess who was behind the house set up but it didn't detract from the book at all.
My favourite quote:
"When we were driving, it felt as if we were always going somewhere, not just geographically, but as a couple together, on the move, even if in reality, we were two people just sitting side by side in a metal box."
CW: Animal death
I found this book to be a gradual build up. At first it's not clear why Kit is living the life she is, but gradually more is revealed. I did guess who was behind the house set up but it didn't detract from the book at all.
My favourite quote:
"When we were driving, it felt as if we were always going somewhere, not just geographically, but as a couple together, on the move, even if in reality, we were two people just sitting side by side in a metal box."
CW: Animal death
October 8, 2022
I’m glad I finished this book, but it took a while for me to get into it and follow it. It definitely had a nice twist. I gave it four stars, but it’s more like 3.5. I read it through audiobooks, and I’m glad that I did. I believe if I had I had been reading the physical copy I might not have finished it
November 28, 2022
I enjoyed the plot of this book. However, I predicted the ending way way early on.
August 26, 2025
No just no thank you
July 12, 2025
The Waitress is a fast-paced thriller full of secrets and suspense. K.L. Slater kept me guessing with clever twists and a strong main character. Some parts felt a bit rushed, but overall it was a gripping read I’d recommend to any thriller fan!
July 21, 2025
I wished that so many prices of paper weren’t wasted on this. Could not even finish it
June 28, 2022
Stars: ⭐⭐⭐
PUBLICATION DAY: July 21, 2022
Kit’s life is changing for the better. She’s just received some unbelievable news that should have taken all her worries away, but she can’t help but wonder if she really deserves it? What happened in the last month to completely upend her formerly stable life…and who wants to make sure she gets punished?
PROS and CONS:
Some really great writing in this one…for me, the beautiful words and descriptive passages really elevated my reading experience. The plot however, left a little to be desired. Hinting constantly at the bad thing that happened, but never revealing it…just served to frustrate me, and made me want to skip through to the end. I didn’t do that…but the feeling was definitely there!
READ IT?
This one was just ok for me…I enjoyed the ending and the beginning but felt the middle dragged in most parts. Would definitely try reading another one by Manning though!
3 Stars
PUBLICATION DAY: July 21, 2022
Kit’s life is changing for the better. She’s just received some unbelievable news that should have taken all her worries away, but she can’t help but wonder if she really deserves it? What happened in the last month to completely upend her formerly stable life…and who wants to make sure she gets punished?
PROS and CONS:
Some really great writing in this one…for me, the beautiful words and descriptive passages really elevated my reading experience. The plot however, left a little to be desired. Hinting constantly at the bad thing that happened, but never revealing it…just served to frustrate me, and made me want to skip through to the end. I didn’t do that…but the feeling was definitely there!
READ IT?
This one was just ok for me…I enjoyed the ending and the beginning but felt the middle dragged in most parts. Would definitely try reading another one by Manning though!
3 Stars
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