One night. One man. One mystery. While she seems to have it all, Sophie Knight is looking for more. When gorgeous and carefree Michael Frisk walks into her life, he offers the excitement and passion she desires.Sophie is willing to risk everything she has. After all, she is used to concealing things from her husband—like her alcoholism, her unhappiness. But soon she has more to hide. She wakes up … hide. She wakes up one morning in an alcoholic haze and finds bruises on her body, but has no recollection of what happened to her. Was she raped?
When unsettling notes and mysterious phone calls start, Sophie wonders whom she should turn to. Is Michael the cause of the frightening things happening in her life, or is he the answer to her problems?
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she has woken up with bruises over her body but she has no memory of it. She drinks heavily even though her life seems prefect. What happened to her? notes starts to appear but who are they from? What is going on? Who can she trust? See what is going on
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Sophie goes to a club with a girlfriend, but wakes the next morning with only vague memories. She becomes obsessed with a young man she met that night and finding out what happened. Michael tells her a simple story that explains her ripped dress and bruises, but she can’t shake the feeling that there is more.
She’s unhappy with her job and her life. She knows she drinks too much. It wasn’t always this way.
”When we’re sad, we drink to forget. When we’re happy, we drink to celebrate. When nothing happens, we drink to make something happen. I drink to escape from the pain of life and to forget what happened.”
Her husband is older and has heart issues. He travels for work, so she spends a lot of time alone. When did their life get so boring?
“When the Devil presents himself to you, he’s alluring and beautiful.”
Written in diary format, we get Sophie’s POV. On the fence about this type of storytelling. The book was interesting, but not exciting enough to really grab me. One thing that did take away from it was errors. They don’t bother me in ARC’s, but they do in published books. Just a personal pet peeve.
My Rating: 3 ’s
Published: May 7th 2019 by Black Cat Ink Press
Pages: 395
Thank you to BookSirens, the publisher and the author for this ARC, in exchange for my honest review!
On the surface, Sophie Knight seems to be living the life most women would envy. She’s an accountant with a respectable firm, married to a man with a successful and lucrative career and living in a fashionable section in Notting Hill. But beneath that veneer is a woman who’s unhappy and uses alcohol to dull her pain and restlessness. One night out with her best friend turns her life upside down while also begins a complicated relationship with Michael Frisk, a much younger man and musician.
The format of the story took me a moment to get used to as there aren’t formal chapters, just progressive entries in Sophie’s journal. I thought it would be off putting but it didn’t take long for me to adapt and enjoy this unusual approach to storytelling. Sophie’s got a serious drinking problem, which makes her an unreliable narrator as everything is seen through her eyes, told through her voice. There are times when I find this type device annoying but not here. It made me pay attention, get to know Sophie and decipher the clues impacted by alcoholic haze versus the probable reality based on behavioral norms. It was often akin to watching the proverbial train wreck about to happen but with some unforeseen moments of clarity on Sophie’s part to avert disaster. The path was sometimes predictable but mostly not.
I got to a point where I just couldn’t put the book down. The story dragged, just a little, towards the middle but I’d advise you to pay attention. It later becomes important when things combust in ways I didn’t see coming. I’m impressed that this is a debut novel as the author has crafted a story we’ve heard and seen before but done in a way that feels unique at the same time. I raced through the second half and hadn’t a clue how it would be resolved. While it does reach a conclusion, there are still aspects left open for the reader’s imagination. I liked that as it kept me thinking about Sophie and this story long after I’d finished. You’ll want to read this one.
(Thanks to Love Books Group Tours for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
In Her Words by J.S Ellis is a wonderful story that I have read. This is a wonderful story that I read writen by a brand new author for me to read. I highly recommend this story to everyone who loves reading thrillers and suspense in theri stories.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Sophie’s life is on the brink of collapse. Her husband has a history of a heart attack, and as long as he takes his medication, he’ll do okay. But Sophie feels like she’s more of a care taker than a wife. Her husband doesn’t treat her the same way he used to.
She’s a woman of addictions … she’s a chain smoker and an alcoholic. although she hides the booze and cigarettes as much as possible. She’s an accountant, with many clients, but her job is going to the dogs. She is extremely unhappy.
Now she has another addiction…. a man with shoulder length blonde hair, mesmerizing eyes… and he’s 15 years younger than she is. How they meet is just part of this mystery.
Trying to balance everything wrong with her life is agony for her. How long can she keep up the lies she tells everyone?
But someone knows …. she’s getting notes stating they know what she’s doing. She feels eyes following her, more often than before. She’s tried to break off with the young man … but he’s like a magnet drawing her back for more.
And then things really turn bad … and dangerous.
IN HER WORDS is exactly that .. Sophie’s tale is told through her journal .. every excruciating thought, deed, with every alcoholic drink she has, and every lie.
This is a well-written psychological fiction. There are twists and turns and many surprises along the way. The characters are finely drawn, lending a lot of credibility to this story. I opened this book and was riveted to the very last word.
Many thanks to the author / BookSirens for the digital copy of this Psychological Drama. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
An interesting format for a story. This book is entirely done through journal entries. Sophie was falling apart, her life along with it. She was a mixed up woman who kept track of all that went wrong with her life. In the end, the journal saved her from prison. The story kept me reading as there were a few twists along the way.
I received a copy of this story through Enticing Journey Book Promotions, and this is my unsolicited review.
Sophie Knight appears to have everything she could ever want….nice home, loving husband, but something is missing. When Michael Frisk walks into her life she finds what she thinks she is missing. But there is a price to be paid for this. She wakes up with one morning with bruises on her body she can’t explain. She can’t even remember the night before. When the notes and phone calls start, can Sophie keep her affair a secret from her husband? A story is written in diary form which a new thing for me. I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this book.
I really enjoyed this story. This was a story that grabs you by the imagination and takes you for a ride.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
First book I have read by this writer. Wow is one word I would use to describe this book. I loved how this book is written from her view. You can see and feel everything that she is. One night changes her whole life. One night she can’t remember. But that might changes everything. Suspense twists turns gripping page turning. You are hooked from the very beginning to the very end. I was a little upset with the end because I feel like it does kind of leave you hanging. But this is definitely a book you will want to dig into and see what happens to her.
In Her Words By J.S. Ellis
5 Stars
Amazing! I was hoping this story would be great and it was a lot more than that! It is marvelous! Superb! Really kept my interest. So many twists and turns! I loved it! Very well written. Loved the characters. Loved it so much! I can not wait to read more by this author.
Recommend.
In Her Words is a uniquely written story. The entire format is from a diary perspective. This was a really cool idea and definitely got you into the head of the character.
It was interesting to see how she viewed herself and how she said others viewed her. It really makes you think about how quick we are to judge others. And even when we think we have all the information, there is still things we don’t know about situations.
The story was pretty intense and took a couple of turns I was not expecting. Many times I found myself willing Sophie not to do things. I stayed up way later than I should multiple nights reading this book because I needed to know what was going to happen next.
On the surface, Sophie Wright appears to have it all – a successful career, a loving husband and financial security. However, she also is trying to mask her pain with alcohol. Hiding her secret is a daily task, but it’s one she’s been able to manage until waking up one morning with no recollection as to how her body is bruised and her dress is ripped. Without sufficient facts or evidence, she is powerless especially knowing she will be labeled as a drunk.
As she tries to get answers, Sophie’s problems begin to compound. Though she has been loyal to her husband during their eleven-year marriage, Sophie’s insecurities resurface and she becomes distracted by a young, pretty musician. Trying to recapture the intangible is causing her to spiral downward.
Narrated from the protagonist’s POV in the form of diary entries, her intimate thoughts are uncensored and open to ridicule. Based on the content of her writing, the tone evokes an uneasy reaction, as it becomes clear what a precarious act Sophie is balancing. From the outset, the ramifications of Sophie’s bad choices are apparent, yet there is still some hope that she stops this reckless behavior.
Going into this book, I was expecting a thriller and the storyline certainly delivered on that point. But it also delves into the emotional aspects of what fuels Sophie’s unhappiness and the fallout when it all explodes. Adding to the tension is how her innermost thoughts – the highs and lows – are included in her diary. Because Sophie is a volatile and troubled character, it creates empathy for her vulnerability, but I was also steaming mad at her times.
Effectively, the storyline takes the reader down Sophie’s dark, destructive path. Though I had my suspicions early on, it didn’t detract from the tension or twists. However, I would have liked a bit more elaboration about a certain character’s motivations. When it all unravels, the impact is felt on multiple levels.
In Her Words is a thriller that will capture a reader’s curiosity until the very last page.
Well written but I found it dragged a little bit. Took a little too long to get going for my liking personally.