The Life She Wants: A totally unputdownable psychological thriller

J.M. Hewitt

Jul 2021 · Canelo

4.7

22 reviews

Ebook

320

Pages

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About this ebook

You want to save your marriage. She wants to destroy it.

Paula worries that her marriage to Tommy is hanging by a thread. She loves how safe her husband makes her feel, but lately, it seems like he’s pulling away from her, and he keeps avoiding a much-needed conversation about finally having children.

When Tommy suggests a cruise getaway for the two of them, Paula is thrilled. He’s fighting for this marriage, and he’s even promised that they will talk about growing their family. It’s Paula’s dream come true. Until the couple meets beautiful Anna.

From the moment Anna appears in their lives, things start to go wrong for Paula. She finds herself trapped in a sauna. Her hair is destroyed at the salon. Money goes missing from her cabin. At first, Paula thinks she’s paranoid in suspecting Anna is turning her dream holiday into a nightmare. But soon, it becomes clear that Paula may not be the only woman fighting for Tommy’s affections.

How far will Anna go to get what she wants? What lines will Paula cross to protect her marriage? And whose dark past will return to destroy them first?

The Life She Wants is a suspenseful psychological thriller with a twist. Perfect for fans of Catherine Ryan Howard, Ruth Ware, and Lisa Jewell.

What everyone is saying about The Life She Wants:

‘A FANTASTIC can I say FANTASTIC AGAIN Book!!!!! Now this is what makes me Love reading a psychological novel. Sooooo fast-paced, many twists and turns... More heart-pounding than you can imagine. LOVED, LOVED, LOVED!!! So sad it’s over.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

‘Deliciously indulgent... absolute belter of a novel!! So easy to read, I literally inhaled it! Reading it while cooking, eating, bathing until I had finished it! Then I was left with the emptiness knowing it was the end!... Just mind blowing! Gutted it’s over... Loved it!!’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

‘The perfect thriller! Full of chills, thrills and everything in between this one kept me reading late into the night desperate to know how it ends! Full of fantastic twists and turns, believable characters and a plot like nothing I’ve read before!’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

‘It gripped me, I couldn't stop reading!’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

‘I could not get enough of this book. The author keeps you guessing until the very end... All I can say is I did not see the ending coming. If you love thrillers and books that keep you on the edge of you seat, you will LOVE this book!’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

‘I really loved this book!! It had so many twists and turns. It kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next!! This was my first book by this author, and it won’t be the last!! Quick read!! Highly recommended!! You won’t be disappointed!!’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

‘So glad I discovered this author, an unputdownable thriller that kept me hooked right until the end. Fantastic characters, a great plot and the twists kept me hooked. Loved it!’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

‘Suspenseful, full of mystery and twists and turns that I could not predict. I am definitely going to be reading more from this author.’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

‘This was a very entertaining read with comparisons to The Last Mrs Parish that I absolutely loved... This was great fun.’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Ratings and reviews

4.7

22 reviews

Marnie Harrison

July 9, 2021

It’s been a minute since J.M. Hewitt’s last book and as a fan of her work, I was pleased to see her back with this latest offering. I have been in a reading and reviewing slump of late and a chilling and intense psychological thriller with an unstable character, was just what I needed to get my mojo back. This story really delivered in giving me this and so much more. Paula and her husband Tommy take a holiday on a luxury cruise ship to Iceland, in what Paula hopes will help them reconnect and talk about having a child that she so desperately wants. But all Tommy is interested in is hanging out with the boys he meets upon arrival leaving Paula on her own. Then Anna comes into the picture and from here it is when things start to go wrong for Paula as Anna sets her sights on Tommy. Who is this woman and why is she targeting this couple? I thought the use of setting the story aboard a cruise ship was a great move and it had me feeling claustrophobic when things start to go wrong for Paula. There is no where to go and this just just added to the chilling atmosphere. I also know that if I had of been on the ship, I definitely would have pushed narcissist Tommy overboard! I enjoyed the alternate chapters from Paula and Anna’s perspectives as well as the chapters interspersed throughout from a voice in past tense which had me intrigued and curious as to how it was going to come together in the present. It does so with a great twist that although I saw coming before the reveal, still had an impact. All up The Life She Wants is a very enjoyable read for fans of psychological thrillers.

Linda Strong

July 11, 2021

Two women - one man. One is his wife, the other is a woman who wants her life;.. and will do anything it takes to get what she wants. Paula and Tommy are on a cruise. Supposedly, they are going to be talking about starting a family ..something Paula wants wholeheartedly. However, Tommy seems to be pulling away from the idea. Paula wants to save this marriage at all costs. When the meet Anna on the cruise, strange things begin to happen to Paula. She gets locked in the sauna. Her hair is accidentally bleached in a salon. Money goes missing from their cabin. No one seems to believe her when she suspects Anna. Of course, with Anna flirting with Paula's husband, things get even worse. How far will Anna go to get what she wants? What lines will Paula cross to protect her marriage? And whose dark past will return to destroy them first? This is well-written with a story line filled with twists and turns. It's fast-paced with surprises on almost every page. It is clear that someone has had a horrible childhood.. leading to a deranged adulthood. Every other chapter or so, the reader gets a peek at someone's childhood. The conclusion is riveting and totally unexpected. Many thanks to the author / Canelo / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Sheri Steuben

July 12, 2021

This is the story of two girls in foster care. One goes missing and now many years later a body is found in the woods. Could it be the missing girl? The story is told from multiple POV and timelines. It really helps to have the current and past story mixed in to fill in the holes. This is a good book to read.

About the author

J.M. Hewitt is the author of five crime thrillers. Her work has also been published in three short story anthologies. Her novels explore the darker side of human behaviour. In contrast to the sometimes dark content of her books, she lives a very nice life in a seaside town in Suffolk with her dog, Marley.

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