Review: You and Me by Nicola Rayner

Print Length: 368 pages

Publisher: Avon Publishing (October 1, 2020)

From Goodreads.com:  

Watching sunrises together should have been romantic.

But you were always inside with your wife, and I sat in your garden, in the shadows.

I thought you’d never know how I felt about you.

Until one night, I witnessed a terrible crime.

I wanted it to bring us closer together.

But now the secrets are tumbling out.

And they could tear everything apart…

A breath-taking suspense full of twists and turns – if you think you know how this ends, think again

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My Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Honestly? I didn't find this to be a breath-taking suspense, nor (with the exception of the ending) did I find it to be full of twists and turns like the blurb claims. 

This could be do in part because of the fact that I couldn't connect with Fran at all. Honestly, I found her more pathetic than anything else. She has been obsessed with the same person since they were in school (even going so far as to have a box of things pertaining to him that she keeps to present day - including an old pair of his rugby socks). Added to that, she often goes to his house (where he lives with his wife and his twin daughters) and sits outside, watching the house (and this is when she isn't following him around like some kind of stalker). In fact, most of the book was based around her obsession with Charles, something that became old quick. 

Because of this, she has no friends and only a handful of acquaintances (mostly people she works with) so whenever anyone shows her the slightest bit of attention she takes it to the extreme. Lady you're in your thirties and should know by now that just because someone invites you to tea, they are not suddenly your best mate. 

It was sad really, because the concept of people having secrets that no one else knows about was solid. And the writing flowed just enough to keep me interested (although I was by no means glued to the pages). Hands down the best part of this story was the ending - while I had my suspicions about what had happened with one character, I was completely caught off guard by how everything came together. 

I would definitely give this author another chance in the future! 

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

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                                                                   You and Me is available from Amazon.com