Jess RyderRezensionen

I listened to the audiobook of The Second Marriage by Jess Ryder. The blurb instantly made me want to see what it was all about and I am so glad I grabbed it.
Lily was a great character, although maybe a little bit too trusting but I am glad she starts seeking answers.
The plot was different, I haven’t read one like this before and it flowed well at an even pace.

This psychological thriller kept me on the edge of my seat throughout, there were twists and turns and a shocking conclusion.
Jess Ryder is new to me but I will definitely be looking out for more from her.

I loved all the twists and turns in "The Good Sister." As is evident from the title, this novel is built heavily on the intricacies of family relationships. Josie, one of the main narrators, gets a huge surprise after the death of her father... it seems he was not at all the man their family believed him to be.

These characters are richly drawn. I loved the dual perspectives between the two sisters, allowing a glimpse into their heads, their private motivations and fears, and the pasts they carry with them as we struggle along with them to understand WHY their father did what he did. The second half of the book is where things really pick up. Jess Ryder takes us a series of twists and turns that are not only satisfying, but make the book impossible to put down. I completely enjoyed this read.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author.

Trigger Warning: rape.

Please excuse typos. Entered on screen reader.

What is the secret about Edward’s first wife?

Why won’t he let anyone talk about her in front of Noah?

Did Lily marry Edward too soon? Did he have a plan that she was unaware of?

Why do they live in a gated mansion and not let Noah go to school?

Lily found out about all of these questions and all these secrets Edward seems to be keeping after her whirlwind romance that her friend warned her about.

Something is going on, and you can feel the tension and undertone of menace on each page.

Lily isn’t taking all of this lightly, though. She is determined to find out the truth.

When she finds letters in a secret place Noah uses to communicate with his mother, her fears escalate about what is going on.

Excellent character development and characters that have you feeling what they are experiencing both good and bad.

Ohhhh so good...don't miss this one that has an ending you will love. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a psychological thriller told in now and then timeframes. Natasha is a naive young woman who has an affair with Nicky and gets pregnant. Nick is overjoyed about having a child, as he and his wife, Jen, were never able to have one. However, Jen and Nick's family are not happy about Natasha and see her as an intruder. They do love Emily, the child.
Fast forward to now and we find Anna who is in hiding. Who is Anna - and why is she hiding? Why does she fear for her life, and why is she keeping a picture of Emily with her at all times?
What was Nick and Jen's game, and how would Natasha ever be able to fight them for Emily?
This was a decent thriller, but I felt it went on a bit too long. If it had been 50 pages shorter, it would have made for a better and more taut thriller.
#TheExWife #JessRyder

3.5 stars, a good tale but a bit unrealistic at times.

3.5 stars from me for this first book Lie To Me by Jess Ryder I found it a very enjoyable read and would definitely read other works written by this talented new author.
The story follows Meredith Banks as she discovers an old VCR tape in the attic of her childhood home.
This tape starts a spiral of questions for Meri as it features the mentally ill mother she can barely remember, Becca.Three minutes of footage is all it takes to turn Meredith's life topsy-turvy.
Blocked at every turn and determined to discover the truth Meri delved into the thirty-year mystery who is Christopher Jay and Cara? and where is Becca?
Lie to Me kept me interested and the mystery flowing. Meri was a very likeable, if a bit of a lonely character, I couldn't help but feel for as she seemed so vulnerable and isolated. Thought her ex-copper boyfriend was a bit of a douche more concerned about his career than the feelings of someone he once professed to love, Yep big douche in my opinion.
The book also had some very bright vivid secondary players, Cara herself, Jay, Alice and not forgetting the very flamboyant Isobel. Every single one of these participants played a part, however small, contributing to the final picture, answering questions and bringing closure to that all important finale.
And can I just say what a finish this was, I loved the ending so much, It Kind of gave the reader a gateway to create there own future story, Brilliantly executed.
I Received a free E-copy of Lie To Me from NetGalley and this is my own honest opinion.

https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/

3.5 stars from me for this first book Lie To Me by Jess Ryder I found it a very enjoyable read and would definitely read other works written by this talented new author.
The story follows Meredith Banks as she discovers an old VCR tape in the attic of her childhood home.
This tape starts a spiral of questions for Meri as it features the mentally ill mother she can barely remember, Becca.Three minutes of footage is all it takes to turn Meredith's life topsy-turvy.
Blocked at every turn and determined to discover the truth Meri delved into the thirty-year mystery who is Christopher Jay and Cara? and where is Becca?
Lie to Me kept me interested and the mystery flowing. Meri was a very likeable, if a bit of a lonely character, I couldn't help but feel for as she seemed so vulnerable and isolated. Thought her ex-copper boyfriend was a bit of a douche more concerned about his career than the feelings of someone he once professed to love, Yep big douche in my opinion.
The book also had some very bright vivid secondary players, Cara herself, Jay, Alice and not forgetting the very flamboyant Isobel. Every single one of these participants played a part, however small, contributing to the final picture, answering questions and bringing closure to that all important finale.
And can I just say what a finish this was, I loved the ending so much, It Kind of gave the reader a gateway to create there own future story, Brilliantly executed.
I Received a free E-copy of Lie To Me from NetGalley and this is my own honest opinion.

https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/

Natasha is happily married, with a loving husband and a beautiful baby girl. The problem is that her husband's ex-wife Jen is still part of his life. Natasha is coping with that difficult dynamic well enough, but truly falls apart when her husband and daughter are suddenly gone without a trace. Needless to say, her entire life falls apart. Her resources are now quite limited, and with no one to trust and to rely on, she enlists the aid of Jen.

This story is told from multiple viewpoints, including "then and now". While ordinarily this would bother me in a book, it was done excellently here, and lent quite well to covering the twists and turns in this captivating story. Ultimately, this is a story about secrets. This dark, chilling story truly kept me on the edge of my seat. This is a true psychological thriller. The ending was truly a shock. I definitely am looking forward to reading more by this author.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review.

Date of publication: June 5, 2018

Stella bought a house based on her inheritance, and she and her boyfriend Jack are determined to turn the former Westhill House into the perfect dwelling. However, Jack is getting frustrated with the renovation. One night a woman comes banging on their door. Her name is Lori and she claims that she is escaping her abusive spouse and that she was told that this house was a safe refuge.

Stella just cannot let the bruised and battered Lori back out into the night, so she allows her to stay, at least until Lori has a place to go. Thing is, Lori stays longer, although Stella is quite wary. Even more so, Jack is not happy and works longer and longer hours to stay away from home.

Things begin to get weird and quite quickly at that. For one thing, it becomes quite unnerving to Stella that Lori seems to know a lot about the house. While Lori stays there she begins working with the handyman and strange things begin happening. One example is that underneath wallpaper are some very dark drawings that Lori unearths and shows Stella. Is Lori who she says she is?

This story is told in dual timelines. We the reader know that at some point things will converge. It is a thrilling journey to see things progress, and we begin to wonder who is reliable in this story. Sadly, remembering what brought Lori to Stella is a bit unsettling. Lori's whole story involves the domestic abuse she tells Stella about. This was indeed difficult to read, especially as the story evolved.

With the twists and turns, and character development, it was definitely an engaging read, one that kept me turning pages right through until the end. Nope, I could not put this book down. I enjoy the writing style of Jess Ryder and look forward to reading more from him in the future.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

I enjoyed this book via Audible. It kept me guessing up to the end. The characters were believable and there were some great twists. Hope to read her other books soon!

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Twisted and suspenseful are the very first words that come to mind when I think of how to describe The Good Sister. At times difficult to follow and even more difficult to comprehend, The Good Sister is Jess Ryder's latest novel about two sisters who have no idea the other exists. The loss of their father causes their chance meeting and begins the downward spiral of their very new relationship. It's a stunning novel, a thriller in every sense of the word that will leave you questioning everything. With unreliable narrators, The Good Sister is the kind of read that leaves you uneasy, you never know what to expect with each turn of the page.

"We are black and white, yin and yang, form and shadow. She is the girl I want to be, yet am afraid of becoming."

Valentina and Josie are sisters; they look alike, they share a father, but everything after that is different. They dress different, they have different personalities, and their sense of self are completely opposite. Valentina sees herself as a product of upbringing, a crass woman with few morals and little hope for life gratification outside of the bottle. Josie is a good girl, her father's easy child, with a study career, a long-term relationship, and a fairly normal family life. Building a relationship between them is impossible, especially with a father like theirs. A believer in all things Viking, he's managed to keep their lives a secret from one another with his cleverness. He's taught them everything they need to know about the warriors, about themselves, leaving them to figure out what to do with that information. I was astounded at the things their father did, but even more so with how the girls each dealt with the information. Their father's lies opened up holes inside each girl, their anger boiling over, their actions no longer thought through. I couldn't put the book down, each tiny reveal sucking me in.

"If I concentrate really hard, I can do it. I've got the props and costume; all I have to do now is be the character."

I loved that The Good Sister wasn't just based on the father's secret though, but more so on each sister and how they are as individuals. The changing POV's, but unidentified chapters, made reading interesting as I tried to sort out which girl's head I was in. As time goes on both begin to read as eerily similar, their lives intersecting too much. For every twist I saw coming, there was another I didn't expect. Jess Ryder feeds you tiny truths in every chapter, leaving the final explosion amidst a sea of tiny bombs. I speculated what the real truth could possibly be from the moment I sensed things were not right. Who really is the good sister? Is either really all that good? Who else knows something? Do they even know the truth? Everything I discovered left me surprised, but satisfied. The Good Sister is so good, because Jess Ryder gives you proof and answers for everything. There are no lose ends, the ending is firm in its conclusion, and the impact the book has on the reader is significant.

If you're look for a good psychological thriller, Jess Ryder has delivered with The Good Sister. Dramatic and unique, it's the kind of book you start and don't put down.

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Debbie Krenzer
Debbie Krenzer's Reviews > The Ex-Wife
The Ex-Wife by Jess Ryder
The Ex-Wife
by Jess Ryder
12691311
Debbie Krenzer's review Jun 05, 2018 · edit
it was amazing
bookshelves: ebooks, net-galley-books

What a crazy ride this book was!! A twisted, complex and ever changing relationship between a husband, his wife and his ex-wife. I tore through these pages. I could not believe that someone could be that much of a psycho. One surprise . . . who is the real psycho in this story?

My opinions of a couple of these characters had me going back and forth as the author intended. However, my opinions never really changed regarding the psycho. I disliked that person from the very beginning. And, the more I read of that person, the more my dislike grew.

The twists in this book will have you (or at least it did me) looking up and thinking "OMG".

This was my first book by this author and if I have anything to do with it, it won't be my last. Excellent read!!

Thanks to Bookouture and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Josie is happily living with her boyfriend until her eccentric father dies mysteriously and then her life begins to unravel alarmingly by what she discovers. Her "perfect" father wasn't so perfect after all. Well this was a page turner and a half and I kept reading it long after I should have turned the light off! Josie was naive though and a bit of a ditherer, the sort of character you want to shout at and shake. Loved the ending too - what a twist. A great cover too - enticing and I would definitely pick it up for a closer look. A book which definitely lives up to its description.

Jess Ryder knows how to write a mesmerizing story that will hook your attention from the first chapter and pull you across the emotional spectrum as the story and characters unfold. Ryder is the pseudonym for Jan Page who happens to have over twenty years’ experience as a screenwriter, playwright and award winning TV producer, all of which shines through her first ever debut crime novel.

I loved her characters as she made them intriguing, easy to fall for and really created a great father-daughter relationship between Meredith and her father.

Her storyline was really good and her talent definitely showed through when just as you think she’s going to use some cheesy, stereotypical, over done plot device she makes a left turn into something better. When you think you know who the murderer is I promise you will be wrong because the real one comes out of the wings as Ryder knows how to play up red herrings for all their worth.

Her story line shouldn't be able to get any better but wait until you reach the conclusion which was simply charming and aided by the alternating points of view. She added so much depth to her plot by using the different time periods and alternating character stories which may seem confusing at first but level out.

This was billed as a psychological thriller and it really doesn’t feel like that as it feels firmly entrenched in the standard crime genre but that didn’t make it any less good you just need to alter your expectations going in.

I felt it was a strong debut and hope to see more in this area from her in the future.