BOOK REVIEW: His Other Life by Beth Thomas

I had been looking forward to His Other Life by Beth Thomas for some time, especially as I had heard good reviews about Beth's other novel, Carry You. Other reasons? The cover is spellbinding, and I love a good mystery, so the synopsis really pulled me in.

Grace’s new husband Adam seems like the perfect package. Good looking, great job, completely charming – almost too good to be true... 

So when Adam suddenly disappears from Grace’s life, she is left bewildered and heartbroken. And with a lot of unanswered questions.

As she tries desperately to find him, Grace opens a Pandora’s Box of secrets and lies – and starts to learn that Adam wasn’t so perfect after all.

Grace is leading a seemingly happy life with new husband Adam. In fact, she still can't believe how lucky she is. With his great job as an estate agent and his charming demeanor, Grace is looking forward to a cosy life with her lovely husband. That is, until he receives a mysterious text - and a strange voice message from a man called Leon. Just what is Adam hiding?

But before she can question him about it, Adam disappears. When he doesn't return from picking up a takeaway, Grace begins to worry, because Adam is gone. Completely. With no clues as to why her husband has vanished (besides the mysterious Leon), Grace is determined to solve the mystery. With the help of her best friend Ginger and  Ginger's police officer brother Matt, Grace begins her search, with a key found in Adam's belongings leading her to a safe. A safe that is about to uncover her 'perfect' husband's big secret...

I had high hopes for this book, especially at the beginning. The first chapter begins with Grace seeing a text on Adam's phone, and I was instantly intrigued. However, I found that the story became quite slow after Adam's initial disappearance, and often throughout the book. Another odd thing I found is that after the anger at the start of the book, Grace didn't seem too bothered about Adam shortly afterwards, which seemed a bit out of character given that her love for her apparent Mr Right was implied since the start of the book. It didn't take long for Grace to turn her attentions to Matt, and even though people deal with grief in various ways (and Adam's faults were becoming clearer throughout the story), there was just something strange about Grace's behaviour.

In addition, Adam's big secret was a bit of a let-down. I won't elaborate due to the obvious risk of spoilers, but even though it was unpredictable, it was just a bit disappointing.

His Other Life did convey elements of a crime novel, and I really enjoyed this, no doubt because I am a fan of both crime fiction and chick-lit, and sometimes this mixture works extremely well. And it did here, somewhat. I just found that it had more potential.

That said, I enjoy Beth's writing style, and definitely would not hesitate to read her future novels.

Rating: 3/5

UNCOVERED PICKS: Five new releases for March

March is here, and so are some great new books! Among the new releases this month are Rowan Coleman's latest novel, an intriguing read from Beth Thomas and the newest addition to Nikki Moore's #LoveLondon short story series...

Cocktails in Chelsea by Nikki Moore
Nathan Black is on a mission to prove himself. His family may be upper class and his cousin Matt might be a famous music producer, but he's going to make it on his own. So as soon as he has enough money set aside, he's quitting his bar-tending job on the King's Road and opening up his own cocktail bar. He hasn't got time for love, and definitely not with the spoilt Chelsea Princesses who flirt with him shamelessly every night. But is there something a bit different about the pretty blonde who's just walked in?

Bournemouth girl Sofia Gold is reluctantly visiting old childhood friends in London for Easter weekend. Keenly aware she's not part of their glamorous world, she's more comfortable riding a surfboard than wearing designer dresses and towering heels… although she's always had a soft spot for cocktails.

It's never really bothered Sofia that she's 'one of the boys,' and that her romantic experiences have been amazingly unspectacular, so when she meets gorgeous Nathan, why does she find herself faking an accent and pretending to be a London socialite? It can't be anything to do with impressing him, can it? After all, she's only in the capital for a few days…

But one impulsive kiss later, they both find themselves wishing for things they didn't know they wanted.

Spring in Chelsea – will love blossom?

The One That Got Away by Bethany Chase
Sarina Mahler thinks she has her life all nailed down: a growing architecture practice in Austin, Texas, and an any-day-now proposal from her loving boyfriend, Noah. She's well on her way to having the family she's hoped for since her mother's death ten years ago. But with Noah on a temporary assignment abroad and retired Olympic swimmer—and former flame—Eamon Roy back in town asking her to renovate his new fixer-upper, Sarina's life takes an unexpected turn. Eamon proves to be Sarina's dream client, someone who instinctively trusts every one of her choices—and Sarina is reminded of all the reasons she was first drawn to him back in the day. Suddenly her carefully planned future with Noah seems a little less than perfect. And when tragedy strikes, Sarina is left reeling. With her world completely upended, she is forced to question what she truly wants in life—and in love.

Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center
A year after getting divorced, Helen Carpenter, thirty-two, lets her annoying, ten years younger brother talk her into signing up for a wilderness survival course. It's supposed to be a chance for her to pull herself together again, but when she discovers that her brother's even-more-annoying best friend is also coming on the trip, she can't imagine how it will be anything other than a disaster. Thus begins the strangest adventure of Helen's well-behaved life: three weeks in the remotest wilderness of a mountain range in Wyoming where she will survive mosquito infestations, a surprise summer blizzard, and a group of sorority girls. Yet, despite everything, the vast wilderness has a way of making Helen's own little life seem bigger, too. And, somehow the people who annoy her the most start teaching her the very things she needs to learn. Like how to stand up for herself. And how being scared can make you brave. And how sometimes you just have to get really, really lost before you can even have a hope of being found.

The Day We Met by Rowan Coleman
A gorgeous husband, two beautiful children, a job she loves—Claire's got it all. And then some. But lately, her mother hovers more than a helicopter, her husband Greg seems like a stranger, and her kids are like characters in a movie. Three-year-old Esther's growing up in the blink of an eye, and twenty-year-old Caitlin, with her jet-black hair and clothes to match, looks like she's about to join a punk band—and seems to be hiding something. Most concerning, however, is the fact that Claire is losing her memory, including that of the day she met Greg.

When Claire meets a handsome stranger on a rainy day, she starts to wonder if Greg still belongs in her life. She knows she should love him, but she can't always remember why. When Greg gives her a blank book, Claire fills its pages with private memories and keepsakes, jotting down beginnings and endings and everything in between. The book becomes the story of Claire—her passions, her sorrows, her joys, her adventures in a life that refuses to surrender to a fate worse than dying: disappearing.

His Other Life by Beth Thomas
He was hiding a terrible secret...

Grace’s new husband Adam seems like the perfect package. Good looking, great job, completely charming – almost too good to be true...

So when Adam suddenly disappears from Grace’s life, she is left bewildered and heartbroken. And with a lot of unanswered questions.

As she tries desperately to find him, Grace opens a Pandora’s Box of secrets and lies – and starts to learn that Adam wasn’t so perfect after all.

What shameful secrets was her husband hiding? Is Grace in danger? And can she survive the truth? However terrible it may be...

UNCOVERED PICKS: Five February Releases

February is here, along with some great new releases from authors such as Katie Fforde, Jenny Colgan and Stella Newman! Not to mention exciting novels from Beth Thomas and new author Jillianne Hamilton. Here are this month's top five picks...

A Vintage Wedding by Katie Fforde
In a small Cotswold country town, Beth, Lindy and Rachel are looking for new beginnings. So they set up in business, organising stylish and perfectly affordable vintage weddings. Soon they are busy arranging other people's Big Days. What none of them know is that their own romances lie waiting, just around the corner...

Molly Miranda: Thief for Hire by Jillianne Hamilton
Molly Miranda has made a successful living from “acquiring” valuables and delivering them to clients who pay buckets of cash for her unique services. 

So what if she has to lie about her lavish lifestyle in Manhattan and her frequent trips out of the country? Molly has everything under control. 

Things go astray when she knocks boots with her charming roommate right before taking off to Scotland with an untrustworthy wildcard on a job assignment that doesn’t go quite as planned. 
It doesn’t help that this new partner-in-crime is super annoying. And attractive… 

Join Molly on her hilarious adventures as she dodges bullets, trespasses, wears disguises, and steals her way into trouble.

The Dish by Stella Newman
Love is on the menu. With a side order of lies.

When Laura Parker first crosses forks with Adam Bayley, she's only after one thing: his custard doughnut. But when she takes a closer look she sees a talented, handsome man who outshines the string of jokers she's been dating.

There's just one problem. Adam's job means Laura has to keep her job as restaurant critic for The Dish, a secret. Tricky for someone who prides herself on honesty.

Can the truth be put on ice long enough for love to flourish?

And how can you expect your boyfriend to be honest if you're not quite telling the truth yourself?

Summer at Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan
Summer has arrived in the Cornish town of Mount Polbearne and Polly Waterford couldn't be happier. Because Polly is in love: she's in love with the beautiful seaside town she calls home, she's in love with running the bakery on Beach Street, and she's in love with her boyfriend, Huckle. And yet there's something unsettling about the gentle summer breeze that's floating through town. Selina, recently widowed, hopes that moving to Mount Polbearne will ease her grief, but Polly has a secret that could destroy her friend's fragile recovery. Responsibilities that Huckle thought he'd left behind are back and Polly finds it hard to cope with his increasingly long periods of absence. Polly sifts flour, kneads dough and bakes bread, but nothing can calm the storm she knows is coming: is Polly about to lose everything she loves?

His Other Life by Beth Thomas
Grace's new husband Adam seems like the perfect package. Good looking, great job, completely charming - almost too good to be true ...So when Adam suddenly disappears from Grace's life, she is left bewildered and heartbroken. And with a lot of unanswered questions. As she tries desperately to find him, Grace opens a Pandora's Box of secrets and lies - and starts to learn that Adam wasn't so perfect after all. What shameful secrets was her husband hiding? Is Grace in danger? And can she survive the truth? However terrible it may be...