BLOGTOUR, BOOK REVIEW - Behind Her Smile by J.A.Andrews

 

                                                                    BOOK SYNOPSIS

There are two sides to every story… 

Grace Thomas and her husband Cameron live busy urban lifestyles and decided to take a short break away in the countryside to reconnect as a family with their two children. Suspecting her husband of having an affair, the trip is ruined when Cameron’s personal assistant Chantelle, arrives unannounced with some devastating news. Chantelle appears to be everywhere Grace turns, and her instincts can’t all be wrong. 

Not only does Chantelle resemble Grace, It soon becomes clear that she is desperate for Cameron’s attention, but at what lengths would she go to get it? 

Determined to save her marriage, Grace begins to unravel all the secrets in her relationship by scrutinising the clues. Chantelle is always in the background, but behind her smile is a dangerous lie that has devastating consequences for everyone. 

This very clever and ingeniously plotted psychological thriller is written in chapters that are set in both the present day and the past and entirely from the perspective of Grace. She was a multi layered, hot mess of a individual whose character traits at times during the story reminded me so much of myself that I began to wonder if the author had somehow managed to creep inside my head and taken up residence there whilst he was researching his character. Something which I personally think is a bit of a cheek and that the least he could have done was offered to pay me some rent for using my headspace in that way.

In the chapters that were set in the present day,Grace is embarking on a cruise with her friends Sarah and Milly,a much needed holiday that she had been encouraged to go on by her husband Cameron. A opportunity to take some time away from home, relax and rediscover herself after the shocking events in their recent past. Grace had conflicting feelings about going on the cruise, she was torn between wanting to go and staying at home with Cameron and their two children. But,she also saw the cruise as a opportunity to get to know her husband's assistant Chantelle better which was why Grace had decided to share a cabin with the woman she viewed as a rival for her husband's affections. The ship hadn't been at sea for very long when Grace's dream holiday started turning into a nightmare, her suitcase containing her vital medication went missing, it appeared that her family and friends were ghosting her and that her decision to share a cabin with Chantelle had been a bad mistake. As the story unfolded and Grace found herself trapped on a luxurious floating prison and struggling with increasing feelings of isolation, paranoia and anxiety, I was never sure where the story was going. Was Grace's narrative reliable or was there much more to her character than met the eye?

The chapters that were set in the past gave the reader a insight into the dynamics within Grace's family and the events that led up to three months before she embarked on the cruise. There was times during these parts of the story when I felt really guilty due to the similarities between Grace's behaviour and my own in the past. I know from personal experience that once the tiny seed of doubt plants itself inside your mind how quickly it can take root and consume your thoughts causing you to become overpowered with obsessive feelings of paranoia and anxiety. That said, although I did feel empathy towards her, there was also times when I found her quite irritating. The question was, where Grace's suspicions about Cameron and Chantelle correct or was Cameron one of the rare breeds that you occasionally come across in the world of fiction, a man who genuinely loved his wife? 

Wow...just wow, this extremely well written, cleverly and intricately plotted thriller is absolutely bloody incredible. It keeps you captivated from the first page as you hurtle through the various twists and turns of the fast paced story that hardly gives you a chance to breath as you frantically turn the pages. The author had said that he was worried because he had taken a risk with this story. I think that he had excelled his own very high standards of writing with this edge of your seat thriller and I hope that he plans to write more like this one in the future. I really really loved this book and would give it far more than five stars if I could. Very very highly recommended and definitely going to be one of my favourite reads of this year.

                                                                         Author Bio – 

JA Andrews is from Devon in the UK and the author of gripping twisty psychological thrillers. As well as writing fiction, he enjoys reading a mix of genres, watching reality TV and spending time with family and friends. He is a member of the Crime Writers Association and is often plotting his next novel... 

Social Media Links – 

https:// www.twitter.com/ jasona1980

Purchase Links 

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/JA-Andrews/e/B084TPDQFY

US - https:// www.amazon.com/ JA-Andrews/ e/ B084TPDQFY

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