All she wanted was the life they had… fate has in store…
Then a little red envelope lands on the doormat and everything changes.
Inside is a birthday card from somebody she never dreamed would get in touch. Its message is a chilling reminder of the dark past that Erin has worked so hard to bury, a past that could put her precious family in terrible danger…
A gripping, spine-chilling read brimming with secrets and lies. If you loved The Girl on the Train or The Woman in the Window, then this dark, twisting psychological thriller from bestselling author Jess Ryder is guaranteed to have you gripped.
What readers are saying about The Girl You Gave Away:
‘Very well written. The storyline was so enticing that there is no surprise and the author sucks you in. I read this book in about two days. I cannot wait to read another story by this author.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Another gripping read from a talented author who has become, for me, a firm favourite. Ms Ryder deftly crafts a story that will keep you reading into the night, desperate to see how it all plays out… I am always thrilled to read the newest offering from a favourite author, and this one does not disappoint.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘What a great book. Would definitely recommend to it others I know. Great work will look out for this author again.’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Yet another superb psychological thriller from Jess Ryder… The Girl You Gave Away is an excellent psychological thriller and something Jess Ryder seems to excel in. A real page-turner of a book and a certain 5 star read.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘I was disappointed when the book ended. I was not ready to say goodbye yet… I was captured by the writing style and the heartbreaking story that kept me up till 2 am.’ B for Book Review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Full of twists that make the reader glued to the pages, absorbing narrators, and entertaining and mysterious characters… another phenomenal thriller.’ Alina’s Reading Corner, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Wow!! This is a gripping book that had me reading until the wee hours. From the first chapter I was pulled into the story and didn’t want to put it down… There is everything possible in this book, mystery, love, heartbreak, twists, blind alleys… The book is one of the best psychological suspense stories I have read. You don’t want to miss out on reading this book… 5 stars all the way.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Was gripped from the first chapter, kept me guessing, plenty of twists, did not see the ending coming. Definitely worth reading.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘This book had me hooked that I was up until the wee hours of the morning to find out how it all ended… As it ramped up with certain twists, it just kept on coming and I did not want to stop reading… I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a great thriller novel!… It did NOT disappoint!’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘WOW. I finished this book last night and have not stopped thinking about it since.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A lot of powerful drama and superb suspense definitely lead to a 5 star rating!!!’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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First, I want to thank Jess Ryder, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I can bring you this review.
WOW!! This was my first time reading Jess Ryder and it won’t be my last! She grabbed my attention right away and didn’t let go til the very end. In fact she shocked me in many places along the way.
This was a very interesting story. Learning about Erin and Dean’s past is now affecting the future. In a way I think most girls could relate to how Erin felt about Dean. However, like a typical male in that situation he was just a jerk!!
Fast forward to the future everything Erin thought was right in her life wasn’t. She was going to have a rude awakening call from her loved ones.
There are a lot of side stories in this book that intertwine with the main story.
I couldn’t believe how many twists and turns there were in this book. Events I didn’t even see coming. Not to mention the ending!!! WOW!!!!
Jess brought out so much drama and emotion in these characters!
I’m afraid this didn’t click with me. The plot was a bit far-fetched and took ages to get going, then didn’t really go anywhere. “All that for that” springs to mind. The characters were all unlikeable which didn’t help me root for them. Not for me.
Lots of twists and turns.
This was a good book. I’m normally good in figuring out the plot of a thriller, but this had a surprising twist and turn, which I wasn’t expecting. I read it in two days. I wasn’t crazy about the ending—a little abrupt. Otherwise, it’s a solid story.
Going in I thought this book had a great concept. I was excited to know who sent the envelope and how the fallout was going to happen. As a reader I was able to anticipate all of the twists and turns so nothing really shocked me as much as I would have liked. I also felt like the ending left me with a lot more questions that were not answered through out the whole book. What happened to their marriage? What became of Jade? Did she get her money back? What other types of things did Holly do to make Asha say she lived a double life?
Thank you to netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Maybe it’s just a personal pet peeve for me, but subtitles on books that make big claims irritate me. Especially when they don’t deliver, and this one did not. It started out well enough, but it quickly fizzled, and I didn’t find anything particularly gripping or thriller-like. What I found was a story that is more domestic drama than psychological thriller, and a lot of characters that aren’t all that likable. There are a number of twists, but to be honest, it felt like the author was throwing everything she could think of at us in the hope that something would stick. Sadly, the result is that very little did, at least for me. Instead, it made for an over the top, convoluted story. Despite that, there was still some lagtime, especially in the chapters dealing with Erin’s past. Finally, we come to the ending – and I do mean finally because that’s pretty much how I felt – and that ending was lackluster at best. For so much angst, it’s all rather simply settled in the end, and it just felt rushed. This is my first read by Jess Ryder, and I will say that she does write descriptively, and I felt like this story did have promise. I just think that sometimes less is more, and this book could’ve used a bit of that.
Thank you to Netgallery for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. All opinions are my own.
The Girl You Gave Away by Jess Ryder was your average Domestic Drama vs a Psychological Thriller, although it had a couple of “thriller moments “. While I feel the book was well written, I felt it fell short of being the Psychological Thriller it’s being marketed as. If you are looking to read a book about the struggles of a mother forced to give her baby up for adoption as a teen, this one is right up your alley.