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Aside from being absorbed by the dynamics of a family of 4 (mum, dad and two teenage boys) and a couple of newly-weds who don’t seem to act very much in love, Leila also has her own relationship struggles, a relationship that feels strained from the start. It didn’t help of course that James decided to spend their money on this getaway while they need money for another round of IVF. Leila's desire to get pregnant is something that weighs on them and defines this couple in the story. Laila thinks she knows the truth of what happened. But in telling Em what she's seen, she stands to lose everything she holds dear. Unfortunately, I felt a little bit let down by this book. The cover and the title really caught my eye, but I didn't really get how they tie in with the book itself.
The Other Guest by Heidi Perks | Goodreads
Our servers are getting hit pretty hard right now. To continue shopping, enter the characters as they are shown the difference between fear and excitement is two inches, and what I once thought of as a flippant remark now feels closer” Laila thinks she knows the truth of what happened. But in telling Em what she’s seen, she stands to lose everything she holds dear. The book centres around a 5 star resort in Greece where a teenager is found dead in the swimming pool. I listened to the full-cast audiobook read by Imogen Church, Kristin Atherton, Louis Hill, and Roy McMillan.I raced through this in a weekend. A taut, clever whodunnit, masterfully structured, beautifully written, with an intriguing cast and some heart-wrenching moral dilemmas. Brilliant. * Gilly Macmillan * Laila and her husband James have arrived in Greece at a luxury resort for a make or break holiday. After several years of failed IVF treatment, James has said that he can no longer go through the painful process, leaving Laila’s dreams of motherhood in tatters. Both of them know that they have spent the last five years drifting apart, so this break from reality is desperately needed. To say it's categorised as a thriller, I didn't find it very thrilling - excuse the pun. It's a bit mysterious, maybe, but honestly, all that build up for, in my opinion, is not a fantastic ending. I was really waiting for some big plot twist or a seriously dramatic turn of events. Sadly, it never came. Laila and her husband are on holiday at a luxury island resort in Greece. After several failed IVF attempts they both need a break. Negatives aside, I did read the whole story and felt it was readable and an okay story. I just felt a but misguided from the beginning when I expected so much more.
The Other Guest - Penguin Books UK
As Laila sits by the pool she finds herself inexplicably drawn to the other family staying in their resort. This was a great, slow burn of a mystery. I liked the way that the author alternated between each day of the holiday to the day that the body was found, so that we could slowly begin to make our minds up on what had happened. I flitted from theory to theory but I did not suspect the ending at all! I found it so hard to know who we could trust, which is a credit to the author’s writing for making it so gripping and twisty! Loved the setting of Greece - reading it in the sunshine made me feel like I was actually there! Although I’m glad I wasn’t! I can’t even begin to imagine how it would feel to be caught up in something like that! I was very excited (maybe a bit too excited) to read The Other Guest so it’s a bit surprising that I found this an okay read, nothing wrong with it really, but there just wasn’t enough in it to get me really excited about it. I did enjoy the holiday setting in a lush 5* resort on a Greek island and Leila’s people watching. It felt oddly relatable although I don’t think – I hope not – I’m that much into it as Leila.
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A dead body is discovered in the pool at the resort, Laila thinks she knows the truth about what has happened. she realises that everyone is under suspicion. However, it becomes clear to Laila and James that they are not the only ones who have secrets. But, secrets have a way of coming out......and they will come out in the end. The way Heidi has written and described the venue really makes you feel like you are on holiday with the characters, especially as Laila (like me) is a people watcher!
The Other Guest Heidi Perks - Tesco Groceries The Other Guest Heidi Perks - Tesco Groceries
Alongside James and Laila's story and their childless marriage is the dilemma of a mother (Em) as to the loyalty she shows to her sons, how far she will go to protect them. I also didn't feel the characters had much depth to them. Therefore, I was unable to connect with them. Her One Mistake is a thriller story featuring Charlotte, a mother whose life changes overnight when a friend’s child goes missing. Charlotte was looking forward to a fun and carefree day with her children and her best friend’s daughter Alice. Tragedy strikes when Alice goes missing. Charlotte takes her eyes off the kids for just one minute, and it’s like Alice disappears into thin air. A frantic search for the lost child starts, but even after looking everywhere, she is nowhere to be found. Now Charlotte has to tell Alice’s mum Harriet, that her daughter is missing and it’s all her fault. Laila and her husband James. James books a holiday, on an exclusive Greek island resort. James is hoping that this holiday will help them both relax, as they have just gone through an unsuccessful IVF and felt they both needed a break. Laila is so obsessed with having a baby but James thinks they have both gone through enough especially as it's put a great strain on their marriage. But, he loves Laila and wants them to work. Thank you to the publisher and Heidi Perks for allowing me to read this book as part of a blog tour!I found the plot never really moved anywhere, the characters were unlikeable and overall, a lot of loose ends, plus a fall-flat ending. Laila loves watching people and soon becomes obsessed with one of the families at the resort. She is so jealous of Em and her husband and their two boys Theo and Issac. I received a gifted copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review as part of the tour hosted by Random Things Tours. Heidi Perks has a gift for ratcheting up tension and suspense in her books, leaving this reader gasping for breath with the lights on in the middle of the night. Bravo!' Liz Nugent We all go on holiday a people watch don't We? This is that and much more. . Seriously couldn't put this one down. ..
The Other Guest by Heidi Perks | Waterstones
As well as Laila’s obsession with paying close attention to the other holidaymakers, there are some really emotional strands to this story of which some could possibly be triggering (IVF, infertility etc.) but which I thought were written about sensitively.This is one of those books that you start to read and right from the outset it becomes completely addictive .' The blurb and name seemed interesting but it’s a little misleading as it doesn’t quite fit in with the storyline. It’s described as thriller but it really didn’t live up to that. There are no real twists or turns. No build up or suspense. I found it dull and it never really got going. The characters for me werent likeable in any way with Laila being a little irritating. Story was a real slow burn and dragged out with an ending that was just meh. Not a favourite I’m afraid. I thought the author’s portrayal of a couple’s struggle with infertility and a family dealing with the sudden loss of a loved one were heartbreakingly well done, Perks has obviously done a lot of research into this and it definitely paid off Heidi successfully applied for a place on the inaugural Curtis Brown Creative online Novel Writing Course and after that dedicated her time to completing her first novel, Beneath The Surface.
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