The Girl You Gave Away: An absolutely gripping psychological thriller

· Bookouture
4.4
16 reviews
Ebook
350
Pages

About this ebook

All she wanted was the life they had…


It is the day of Erin’s fortieth birthday party. Pink and silver balloons drift through her garden, the platters of food are empty and the recycling is overflowing with empty wine bottles.


As Erin mingles with groups of family and friends, surrounded by love and laughter, she feels like the luckiest woman alive. She has no idea what 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, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


‘If you're after a page-turner, The Girl You Gave Away is exactly that. A terrific hook grips you from the start, and the story maintains its grip throughout the well-paced narrative… I read this in one sitting.’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ratings and reviews

4.4
16 reviews
Becky Baldridge
March 23, 2020
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.
7 people found this review helpful
A Google user
March 5, 2020
Wow, wow, wow!!!!! This book had me hooked line sinker from the very start. This is the first book I read by Jess Ryder and she sure did not disappoint. It is a stand alone novel and not part of a series. This book was about a mother who was young and naive who had to give up something she loved with all her heart. Erin made many mistakes but there was one big one that she had been paying for since she was fourteen. As she got older and tried to forget what happened the past came knocking on her door on her fortieth birthday. As Erin found out secrets don’t stay that way forever. I want to start off by saying that I loved the storyline of this book. Nothing gets me more than when something from your past catches up to you. This book shows that you can not run from your past mistakes and must own up to them or they will haunt you forever. I also loved the growth that Erin had by the end of the book. She finally tried to right the wrong that she did so many years ago so she can move forward in life. This book was very fast paced and had so many twists and turns. I did not see that shocking ending coming at all. What I had thought in my head was totally wrong and I loved that. That ending is going to take me a while to get over. I am definitely going to be reading many more of Jess Ryder’s books. Between the plot, characters and all the twists in this book it made it an easy and fast read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 5 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
5 people found this review helpful
Susan Marfell
March 11, 2023
loved this book

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