The Only Child
- Downloads：5619
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-10-17 21:21:14
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Miranda Rijks
- ISBN：B09HMQFT3X
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Tahseen Faruqi
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 So I hated the ending 。 I also hated on how she made Stuart’s cheating behavior excusable and how she kept saying how nice the mistress was 。 Any woman who sleeps with a married man is despicable and so is the married man 。 Everybody in the book was a loser 。
Anna
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A thank you to Netgalley for sharing the ARC is exchange for an honest review。 Wow。 I'm actually a little perplexed by all the rave reviews of this one。 It started off strong - storyline with potential， interesting characters， and I thought that the author did a fine job with the alternating past and present chapters。 However， somewhere towards the middle it started to unspool， then really unspool， and then the ending？ I honestly feel like this may be the most ridiculous book I've read this year A thank you to Netgalley for sharing the ARC is exchange for an honest review。 Wow。 I'm actually a little perplexed by all the rave reviews of this one。 It started off strong - storyline with potential， interesting characters， and I thought that the author did a fine job with the alternating past and present chapters。 However， somewhere towards the middle it started to unspool， then really unspool， and then the ending？ I honestly feel like this may be the most ridiculous book I've read this year。 。。。more
Jill Burgin
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Miranda Rijks is one of my favorite psychological thriller writers。 You always know to expect the unexpected twists and big reveals。 The Only Child is slightly different in that we know the circumstances of the major catalyst early on， and we see the damage caused by an act of violence and the consequences years later。 Chantal， the main character is living her best life with tv presenter husband Stuart and teenage son， Alex。 When questions are raised regarding Alex Chantal is disturbed and goes Miranda Rijks is one of my favorite psychological thriller writers。 You always know to expect the unexpected twists and big reveals。 The Only Child is slightly different in that we know the circumstances of the major catalyst early on， and we see the damage caused by an act of violence and the consequences years later。 Chantal， the main character is living her best life with tv presenter husband Stuart and teenage son， Alex。 When questions are raised regarding Alex Chantal is disturbed and goes from 0-100 bat s crazy within a page or two。 Now， I’m all for the unreliable narrator and love rooting for the ‘they did me wrong’ character but everyone is so unlikable I wasn’t totally invested nor on board with all the events as their lives quickly unraveled。 Glad I read it but it’s not my favorite。 。。。more
Paula Phillips
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This book captured my attention with the cover and I was in the mood for a mystery read。 However， this book got on my nerves and frustrated the heck out of me。 The book starts with meeting Chantal who is a lawyer and her husband Stuart who has just been promoted to an awesome news reporter slot。 Life has been great for them as they are finally at the top of their careers， however， their son Alex has different ideas as he has currently turned into a pro-environmentalist and his current target is This book captured my attention with the cover and I was in the mood for a mystery read。 However， this book got on my nerves and frustrated the heck out of me。 The book starts with meeting Chantal who is a lawyer and her husband Stuart who has just been promoted to an awesome news reporter slot。 Life has been great for them as they are finally at the top of their careers， however， their son Alex has different ideas as he has currently turned into a pro-environmentalist and his current target is the LALO clothing company which the husband is Chantal's client and with his dad now in the spotlight， the family is under pressure and Chantal is starting to crack。 If that wasn't bad enough， she is being blackmailed as seventeen years ago she chose that if anyone finds out the truth， it could cause dangerous consequences and a ripple of events。 As I was saying at the start， this book frustrated me as I hated the son Alex as he was a spoilt selfish brat and such an arrogant prick， and then when the blackmailer is revealed and the ending revealed it was like seriously WTF。 If you like mysteries， then you may enjoy this as everyone loved Gone Girl and even that had the worst ending than this book。 。。。more
Melissa Borsey
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I really enjoyed this multi-layered domestic drama that deals with Chantal， a solicitor and her husband， a popular tv personality and their teenage son Alex who is getting into a lot of trouble as he is taking an environmental stand and attending protests， which is casting his family in an unfavorable light in the media。 There is also the timeline of when Chantal and her husband had taken a hiatus from their relationship for a year and the things Chantal did while on her own。 These two timelines I really enjoyed this multi-layered domestic drama that deals with Chantal， a solicitor and her husband， a popular tv personality and their teenage son Alex who is getting into a lot of trouble as he is taking an environmental stand and attending protests， which is casting his family in an unfavorable light in the media。 There is also the timeline of when Chantal and her husband had taken a hiatus from their relationship for a year and the things Chantal did while on her own。 These two timelines collide and swiftly we watch Chantals life fall apart and her mental and physical health begins to deteriorate。 The ending was quite shocking。 I thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book。 。。。more
Kristi
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One little boy。 One little lie。 Where will it end？A gripping， thrilling read that will pull you in and keep you glued to the pages。 Suspense and intrigue fill the story keeping you sitting on the edge of your seat as you wait to find out what will happen。I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review。
Claudete Takahashi
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She wanted everything in her life to be perfect - the wedding， the husband， the child， the career -， and she works hard， extremely hard， to get everything she wants， until she gets unhinged and all around her start to fall apart。 She believes she is being blackmailed and that all the ones around her are conspiring to her fall， including those she thought once were the most important ones - her husband and her son。 Who is the culprit？ Why is everything collapsing？ What is her responsibility regar She wanted everything in her life to be perfect - the wedding， the husband， the child， the career -， and she works hard， extremely hard， to get everything she wants， until she gets unhinged and all around her start to fall apart。 She believes she is being blackmailed and that all the ones around her are conspiring to her fall， including those she thought once were the most important ones - her husband and her son。 Who is the culprit？ Why is everything collapsing？ What is her responsibility regarding her own fall？ Download the book and you will learn all the answers to this engaging plot！I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review。 。。。more
Denise
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This one will suck you in giving you the foundation， Chantal and her perfect family。 Like a ball of yarn though it will get unraveled because the foundation was a creation。 Secrets gotta love em cause sooner or later they will be used to a advantage like in this。 Threats create anger that cause even more trouble。 Turn the pages to see if the family in this is till in the picture when finished。
melissa
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This book came out Tuesday I received it from netgalley I loved this story it has a good twist to it。I didn't think it turn out the way it did I was surprised！ 😯 This book came out Tuesday I received it from netgalley I loved this story it has a good twist to it。I didn't think it turn out the way it did I was surprised！ 😯 。。。more
Billie
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This is a brilliant read。Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start。Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable。Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously。Can't wait to read what the author brings out next。Recommend reading。I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review。 This is a brilliant read。Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start。Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable。Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously。Can't wait to read what the author brings out next。Recommend reading。I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review。 。。。more
Suesyn Zellmer
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Chantal is a prominent divorce lawyer with a minor celebrity husband who features on a morning news show。 They have a teenage son， Alex， who has been pushing his boundaries， most recently skipping school to be with his new tattooed and pierced older girlfriend， Luna。 Their tendency to stage protests for saving the environment causes Chantal trouble at work - the client for her biggest case yet is the owner of a company notorious for environmental pollution and unsafe working conditions。 When her Chantal is a prominent divorce lawyer with a minor celebrity husband who features on a morning news show。 They have a teenage son， Alex， who has been pushing his boundaries， most recently skipping school to be with his new tattooed and pierced older girlfriend， Luna。 Their tendency to stage protests for saving the environment causes Chantal trouble at work - the client for her biggest case yet is the owner of a company notorious for environmental pollution and unsafe working conditions。 When her son’s actions start to affect the divorce case， she angrily blames him and Luna for interfering。 That’s not all that causes tension - she hardly sees her husband， Stuart， as it is， and now he’s up for a huge promotion。 Not only that， but Stuart doesn’t support her discipline of Alex and tends to let him off too easily， in her opinion。Right as Chantal starts to buckle under the stress of it all， she receives mysterious text messages alluding to a dark secret from her past。 She’s determined to uncover who could possibly be threatening her now， when it’s been many years since that troubled time in her life。 But will she discover who the culprit is before they spill the secret she’s so desperate to keep？The story is told in alternating viewpoints， mostly Chantal’s and Alex’s。 This helps later on when the reliability of some of the characters comes into question。 It also alternates between Chantal’s narrative in the present and in the past， almost two decades ago。 It’s not hard to see where that timeframe leads and why someone would choose now to reveal what she’s been hiding。 Unfortunately， if you prefer stories where you empathize with the characters， or at least like them in any way， this one’s not for you。 We’re supposed to sympathize with Alex about how Chantal is hard on Luna， but Luna really is a terrible influence on him and he’s too blind to see it。 So is everyone else except Chantal， apparently。 It’s not due to her looks， it’s the fact that she’s rude， engages with criminals， and tries to turn Alex against his parents。 He doesn’t even care when he’s arrested due to incorrect information on her part – he doesn’t even bring that up！ Likeable characters aren’t a necessity， but it’s hard to enjoy this book， otherwise。 I couldn’t root for anyone specifically and found I was just waiting to see when and how everything would explode。 The author is great with pacing， as I found myself racing through the pages towards the conclusion。 But upon reaching it， I thought， this is it？？ There’s a narrative sorely lacking from the epilogue。 If that been included， I would be much more satisfied with the ending and I believe other readers will feel the same。I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review。 。。。more
Faith Hurst-Bilinski
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What a terrible family。 Really。 It was very hard to like or care about what happened to any of them。 Chantel makes terrible decisions and is basically an area rug for her family to walk all over。 Stuart is an ass。 Alex…。how does he even have a place to live？ Who let’s their kid talk to them like that？ Who supports their kid cursing out his mom？ She only has two speeds-doormat and full on psychopath。 I was hoping there would be more to the story than where it was obviously going。 Sadly， pushing m What a terrible family。 Really。 It was very hard to like or care about what happened to any of them。 Chantel makes terrible decisions and is basically an area rug for her family to walk all over。 Stuart is an ass。 Alex…。how does he even have a place to live？ Who let’s their kid talk to them like that？ Who supports their kid cursing out his mom？ She only has two speeds-doormat and full on psychopath。 I was hoping there would be more to the story than where it was obviously going。 Sadly， pushing my way through it did not result in any kind of payoff。 Just a lingering feeling that I wanted those hours back。 。。。more
Sue Wallace
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The only child by Miranda Rijks。One little boy。 One little lie。 Where will it end？Chantal and Stuart are a golden couple。 She’s a high-flying divorce lawyer dealing with the biggest case of her career， and he’s the darling of daytime television， on the cusp of A list celebrity。 Their seventeen-year old son Alex is a passionate environmentalist， the apple of his mother’s eye。And it’s all built on a lie。A lie told by Chantal。When someone discovers her secret and starts to blackmail her， Chantal’s The only child by Miranda Rijks。One little boy。 One little lie。 Where will it end？Chantal and Stuart are a golden couple。 She’s a high-flying divorce lawyer dealing with the biggest case of her career， and he’s the darling of daytime television， on the cusp of A list celebrity。 Their seventeen-year old son Alex is a passionate environmentalist， the apple of his mother’s eye。And it’s all built on a lie。A lie told by Chantal。When someone discovers her secret and starts to blackmail her， Chantal’s perfect life threatens to go into freefall。 Her marriage， her career， and even her relationship with her son are at stake。 She can’t let it happen！She decides to fight fire with fire， but soon finds her actions have extreme - and unexpected - consequences。 As she is pulled ever deeper into a web of lies and deceit， she has to ask the most terrifying question of all…Where will it end？This was a very good read with some great characters。 This is my first book by this author but it won't be the last。 4*。 。。。more
marnie | once upon a time book reviews
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Chantal a highflying divorce lawyer， Stuart her daytime talk show host husband and Alex their beloved son， are the family that make up this tale where their seemingly perfect lives are all built on one major lie created by Chantal。A gripping and tense read， The Only Child explores secrets， lies， deception and how one lives with indiscretion。 The reader is drawn into drama and when Chantal starts to get blackmailed by someone claiming to know her secret， you are wondering how far she will be will Chantal a highflying divorce lawyer， Stuart her daytime talk show host husband and Alex their beloved son， are the family that make up this tale where their seemingly perfect lives are all built on one major lie created by Chantal。A gripping and tense read， The Only Child explores secrets， lies， deception and how one lives with indiscretion。 The reader is drawn into drama and when Chantal starts to get blackmailed by someone claiming to know her secret， you are wondering how far she will be willing to go to protect it。The Only Child is a fast paced page turner and a just one more chapter kind of read。 This is the third book of Miranda’s that I have reviewed this year and it is another cracking story。 Highly entertaining and addictive， this is a must read psychological thriller。Thank you to Miranda Rijks， Inkubator Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of The Only Child， which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily。Where you can find me 😊💻 Blog: bit。ly/3gR3io8👩🏫 Facebook: bit。ly/3gVeC2B🐤Twitter: bit。ly/3BQk2Dl📷 Instagram: bit。ly/3wSv0Gj📌 Pinterest: bit。ly/3vS2HGX📚 Goodreads: bit。ly/3wQxUM3 。。。more
Bookishdays
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Chantal made a very dangerous choice when she was young。 She lived all her life with a secret， but now she is questioning her decision。 Suddenly her secret is in danger of being exposed and threatening to risk all her recent achievements。I liked the premise of this book and thought it was well written and engaging。 I read very fast because I was interested and curious about the ending。 This is a psychological thriller and towards the end there is a massive twist in the story which leads to a ver Chantal made a very dangerous choice when she was young。 She lived all her life with a secret， but now she is questioning her decision。 Suddenly her secret is in danger of being exposed and threatening to risk all her recent achievements。I liked the premise of this book and thought it was well written and engaging。 I read very fast because I was interested and curious about the ending。 This is a psychological thriller and towards the end there is a massive twist in the story which leads to a very unexpected ending。If you like a very fast paced book with a lot of twists and turns， this is the perfect read for you。I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review。 。。。more
Hannah Symonds
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This is an author I need to keep in my radar， this was a brilliant psychological thriller that really packed a punch。 It had me hooked from the first page and I raced through it at lightening speed as I wanted to find out what was going to happen。 Every chapter leaves you wanting a bit more so you don't want to put it down。 I liked the story line and I felt as the story flowed well throughout。 The characters were a great bunch some with relatable issues。 The story is about Chantal and her family This is an author I need to keep in my radar， this was a brilliant psychological thriller that really packed a punch。 It had me hooked from the first page and I raced through it at lightening speed as I wanted to find out what was going to happen。 Every chapter leaves you wanting a bit more so you don't want to put it down。 I liked the story line and I felt as the story flowed well throughout。 The characters were a great bunch some with relatable issues。 The story is about Chantal and her family， Chantal has a big secret that no one knows， but when that secret gets into the wrong hands， there are some severe consequences for Chantal and her family。 But can she get herself out of it before it is too late？ The story draws you further in with the twists and some of them made me gasp。 The ending you won't even believe。 I really enjoyed this story and I will be looking out for more of Miranda's books in the future。 I would definitely recommend this book too。 。。。more
Mary Ryan
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This is another decent offering from Miranda Rijks who is a really prolific writer。 Chantal is a successful divorce lawyer while her husband Stuart is a daytime TV presenter。 They have a son， Alex， who is 17 and is becoming more passionate about the environment。A long time ago， Chantal did something which suddenly has culminated in blackmail。 The story is told from the viewpoints of Chantal， Stuart and Alex， and rotates between the present day and events from years ago。 Despite this， it's easy t This is another decent offering from Miranda Rijks who is a really prolific writer。 Chantal is a successful divorce lawyer while her husband Stuart is a daytime TV presenter。 They have a son， Alex， who is 17 and is becoming more passionate about the environment。A long time ago， Chantal did something which suddenly has culminated in blackmail。 The story is told from the viewpoints of Chantal， Stuart and Alex， and rotates between the present day and events from years ago。 Despite this， it's easy to keep track of whats going on。None of the main characters are likeable but this actually fits the story well。 This is enjoyably tense and the tension ramps up as the book gets closer to the end。 I didn't expect the end outcome which added to the enjoyment。I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review。 。。。more
The Book Booth
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After reading The Visitors and The Influencer by Miranda Rijks， I knew I had to read The Only Child。 This book did NOT disappoint！ It is very enticing and well written。 The story surrounds a small family with an only child， Alex。 His parents are Chantal and Stuart， both are high profile which is the opposite of what Alex wants to be。 They seem to have it all but things quickly start unraveling for this "perfect" family。 Someone is blackmailing Chantal and she will stop at nothing to keep appeara After reading The Visitors and The Influencer by Miranda Rijks， I knew I had to read The Only Child。 This book did NOT disappoint！ It is very enticing and well written。 The story surrounds a small family with an only child， Alex。 His parents are Chantal and Stuart， both are high profile which is the opposite of what Alex wants to be。 They seem to have it all but things quickly start unraveling for this "perfect" family。 Someone is blackmailing Chantal and she will stop at nothing to keep appearances up。 I could not put this book down！ The author makes the story very thrilling and the characters are believable。 It is definitely one of those books that make you take a deeper look at those around you。 It seems like everyone in Chantal's life could be the blackmailer and you can not stop reading until you figure out who it is。 5 stars and an extra 5 for the ending！ I am off to go check out more Miranda Rijks titles！ I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout （Thank you so much！） and am voluntarily leaving a review。 。。。more
angie
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This year， I started branching out to Psychological Thrillers。 Surprisingly， I actually like this genre。😀This book caught my attention on NetGalley because of its cover and synopsis。This is the story of Chantal and her seemingly perfect life with her husband Stuart and son Alex。This was a fast read for me and there's no slow parts on the story which made me enjoy reading this。 I love guessing what will happen next and who did what or the approaching plot twist。 I have lots of speculations but no This year， I started branching out to Psychological Thrillers。 Surprisingly， I actually like this genre。😀This book caught my attention on NetGalley because of its cover and synopsis。This is the story of Chantal and her seemingly perfect life with her husband Stuart and son Alex。This was a fast read for me and there's no slow parts on the story which made me enjoy reading this。 I love guessing what will happen next and who did what or the approaching plot twist。 I have lots of speculations but not one of which hit the mark。😅Chantal is a very strong character。 She knows what she wants and will do everything to achieve it。 At times she overthink things。😅Stuart is a bit on the background here maybe because we don't have his POV。 But I kinda like him on the latter part。Alex is on his rebellious stage and quite impulsive on a lot of things。 His POVs are quite authentic for his age。 He tends to do stupid things but he has his views and very vocal about them。All in all， it was a good read for me。 The mystery is interesting and kept me reading till the end。 The pacing is just right and I like how the story kept throwing plot twists on my face。I was just a bit underwhelmed on the great reveal and how things wrapped up for the 'villain'。 But I still enjoyed reading this。 Recommended for fans of Psychological Thrillers。❤👍*Thanks to the publisher for making this book available for review via Netgalley。 This review is voluntary and contains my honest thoughts and opinions of the book。* 。。。more
RK_reads
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I have been a fan of Miranda Rijks ever since I read 'The Influencer' and so this book was an auto-select for me。 To an outsider， Chantal Lacey has got it all - a successful career as a top divorce attorney， the big house and flashy car and most importantly， her husband of 18 years， Stuart， a TV presenter， and their seventeen-year-old son， Alex。 But Chantal alone knows all that she had to do， to have and hold this family together。 So when a blackmailer threatens to expose her terrible secret， Ch I have been a fan of Miranda Rijks ever since I read 'The Influencer' and so this book was an auto-select for me。 To an outsider， Chantal Lacey has got it all - a successful career as a top divorce attorney， the big house and flashy car and most importantly， her husband of 18 years， Stuart， a TV presenter， and their seventeen-year-old son， Alex。 But Chantal alone knows all that she had to do， to have and hold this family together。 So when a blackmailer threatens to expose her terrible secret， Chantal is prepared to， once again， do all that it takes to protect her family。 In her usual style， the author has delivered yet another fast-paced thriller that keeps the pages turning and adrenaline kicking into overdrive。 Though the prologue was misleading， nothing prepared me for that plot twist。 I had recently read another thriller with a similar premise and I must admit that I found the ending to this one more satisfying。 The plot is narrated through Chantal and Alex's POV。 I love that the author doesn't shy away from casting her protagonists in shades of grey。 Chantal is one kickass woman whom you would love to hate。 While you do tend to feel sorry for Alex who is subjected to his mother's helicopter parenting， he was， to quite an extent， a spoilt brat。 And I do wonder why we didn't get Stuart's POV since he was one of the core characters。 Overall， a quick， gratifying fix for the thriller junkie in me。 Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Vicky Chapman
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Thanks to Inkubator for the advanced ebook in exchange for an honest review。This one kept me guessing until the very end。 I enjoyed reading from the two different perspectives and timelines， it kept a good flow going。
Sophie Sheppard
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Chantal and Stuart are living happily with their son Alex。 Little do Stuart and Alex know that their whole life is based on a lie which has true potential to destroy their lives。 Stuart and Chantal consider it a miracle to have their son as Chantal was diagnosed with severe endometriosis and was told the chances of her having a child were next to impossible， now 17 years later here they are living the perfect life， her as a high flying solicitor， Stuart as a news presenter and Alex in a private Chantal and Stuart are living happily with their son Alex。 Little do Stuart and Alex know that their whole life is based on a lie which has true potential to destroy their lives。 Stuart and Chantal consider it a miracle to have their son as Chantal was diagnosed with severe endometriosis and was told the chances of her having a child were next to impossible， now 17 years later here they are living the perfect life， her as a high flying solicitor， Stuart as a news presenter and Alex in a private school about to complete his A-levels and start university。 Just as things seem to be going so well for her family things soon change when strange things start to happen to Chantal， her car gets vandalised， she’s being blackmailed and starts receiving threats。 Chantal is terrified that someone knows her secrets and that her nasty little Pandora’s box is about to be blown wide open。Determined to find out who it is who’s blackmailing her Chantal will go to extreme circumstances to discover who is behind it。 Soon Chantal starts to look at her colleagues， family and friends is there anyone she can trust as one by one she starts to doubt them all。 Although I enjoyed this book I did find it a little tedious is places and I did find it quite predictable。 I liked the twist at the end of the book as I didn’t see it coming and I always enjoy an unexpected conclusion。 I also love that endometriosis got a mention in this book and the fact the difficulty to conceive because of this condition is explored and as someone who suffers I felt sorry for Chantal when she was experiencing the extreme pain from the condition。 Thank you to NetGalley， the publisher and the author for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an open and honest review。 。。。more
Helen Leecy
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Hmmm， so the is the second book in a row of Rijks’ that I’ve come away feeling a bit disappointed。My frustration started right at the beginning where there were a few story inconsistencies。 Firstly Chantal says she and Stuart have been married for 18 years， but the ‘then’ chapters start as 17 years ago， meaning they can’t have been married that long， or it was， in fact， 19 years ago since she went to Manchester （this would actually make more sense in regards to Alex’s age as well）。 Secondly， Jad Hmmm， so the is the second book in a row of Rijks’ that I’ve come away feeling a bit disappointed。My frustration started right at the beginning where there were a few story inconsistencies。 Firstly Chantal says she and Stuart have been married for 18 years， but the ‘then’ chapters start as 17 years ago， meaning they can’t have been married that long， or it was， in fact， 19 years ago since she went to Manchester （this would actually make more sense in regards to Alex’s age as well）。 Secondly， Jade says she can’t come back to clean as she has no other available slots。 She then tells Chantal later that she is struggling to get a job and that she only cleans Chantal’s and the landlord’s place， meaning she would have lots of other slots available。It is discrepancies like this that make me feel as a reader that the author herself isn’t invested in the story enough to have kept track of what her characters have said in pages gone by。I tied to put these problems aside and enjoy the book and hoped the author’s proofreading and editing team would pick up these problems in the final round of edits before publication。However， the book as a whole was just not enjoyable。 Chantal makes some very questionable decisions。 Her actions are sort of explained at the end， but even this doesn’t marry up with the Chantal we have been in the mind of。It is hard to marry the ‘now’ and ‘then’ versions of Chantal as the same person， and I sometimes felt like I was reading two different stories。The ending is bizarre。 We have predominantly had Chantal’s point of view throughout the book with the odd chapter in Alex’s voice。 However， when it comes to the conclusion， we don’t hear from Chantal again。 I think it would have been nice to know what she thought when everything was revealed。 I came away from the book feeling like I missed something or there should have been more。 I felt like I hadn’t finished the book。Even though the majority of strangeness that had occurred throughout the book is explained， there were a few things that just didn’t add up or make sense。So， overall， not the most enjoyable book from Miranda Rijks。 I enjoyed her books until the last two， but I feel like something has changed。 I might have to take a break from reading her books and hope that she finds her groove again in the future。Thanks for reading！ If you want to see more of my reviews visit www。pinkanddizzy。com 。。。more
Amber
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This domestic thriller was highly addictive and can easily be read in a couple of sittings。 We follow Chantal’s POV in the past and the present as well as Alex’s present POV， which all fit together really well。Although the characters are unlikeable at times， they were interesting and I could understand why they behaved in the ways they did。 Overall I really enjoyed this book， it had me hooked and felt very fast paced。 However， I’m not sure how I feel about the ending， although reading the author This domestic thriller was highly addictive and can easily be read in a couple of sittings。 We follow Chantal’s POV in the past and the present as well as Alex’s present POV， which all fit together really well。Although the characters are unlikeable at times， they were interesting and I could understand why they behaved in the ways they did。 Overall I really enjoyed this book， it had me hooked and felt very fast paced。 However， I’m not sure how I feel about the ending， although reading the authors note about why she wrote this book helped me understand why she chose the ending she did。 I also felt it wrapped up slightly too quickly for me personally， but overall it was an enjoyable book。Many thanks to Netgalley and Inkubator Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Trina Dixon
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Miranda Rijks writes great psychological thrillers， as a reader I'm are dragged into the story and cannot put the book down until I've finished。 This book is no exception。 Chantal， a very successful divorce lawyer， is married to Stuart a morning TV presenter。 Their son Alex is studying for his A levels or at least when he's not rebelling against his privileged upbringing or chaining himself to railings protesting about environmental pollution。 But when Chantal starts getting text messages blackm Miranda Rijks writes great psychological thrillers， as a reader I'm are dragged into the story and cannot put the book down until I've finished。 This book is no exception。 Chantal， a very successful divorce lawyer， is married to Stuart a morning TV presenter。 Their son Alex is studying for his A levels or at least when he's not rebelling against his privileged upbringing or chaining himself to railings protesting about environmental pollution。 But when Chantal starts getting text messages blackmailing her for past indiscretions her life as she knows it completely explodes。 The story is told from Chantals point of view， both present and past， and Alex's。 None of the characters are particularly likeable all of them have flaws but that just draws you in even more Many thanks to Netgalley and Inkubator books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review 。。。more
Fiona Campbell
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I've just finished 'The Visitors' by the same author which I really enjoyed。 However， I found 'The only child' even more gripping， engaging and intriguing。Chantal （divorce lawyer） lives with her husband， Stuart （TV presenter） and their teenage son， Alex。 Alex and his mother have a difficult relationship， especially when his eco protests and his girlfriend， Luna interfere with Chantal's career。 Coupled with the fact that she suspects her husband of having an affair and she is being blackmailed， h I've just finished 'The Visitors' by the same author which I really enjoyed。 However， I found 'The only child' even more gripping， engaging and intriguing。Chantal （divorce lawyer） lives with her husband， Stuart （TV presenter） and their teenage son， Alex。 Alex and his mother have a difficult relationship， especially when his eco protests and his girlfriend， Luna interfere with Chantal's career。 Coupled with the fact that she suspects her husband of having an affair and she is being blackmailed， her life seems to be falling to pieces。I thought Chantal was very harsh in the way she punished Alex。 At almost eighteen years old， cancelling his gap year plans and confiscating his car seemed a bit dramatic。 I liked the fact that Auntie Debbie provided a safe space for Alex and always looked out for him。I thought alternating between then and now worked well at the beginning， as it let us see how Chantal came to have Alex。 I wasn't sure about the chapters from Alex's perspective。 His dialogue didn't always sound authentic for a teen。The book was well plotted and I was shocked by the reveal at the end。 This would make a great TV drama/film。 I will be recommending this book and look forward to reading more by Miranda Rijks。Thanks indeed to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC。 。。。more
Patricia
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"Oh how the mighty have fallen" could be the theme of this book by Miranda Rijks。 Take two people focused on their careers， throw in a rebellious teenager， and mix in one deep， dark secret （or two）， and you have The Only Child。This book was a bit of departure from her previous books， but no less dark。 The story takes you into the mind of Chantal， a driven divorce lawyer who makes a decision early in her life that will affect her future， and her son Alex， an environmentalist who is so wrapped up "Oh how the mighty have fallen" could be the theme of this book by Miranda Rijks。 Take two people focused on their careers， throw in a rebellious teenager， and mix in one deep， dark secret （or two）， and you have The Only Child。This book was a bit of departure from her previous books， but no less dark。 The story takes you into the mind of Chantal， a driven divorce lawyer who makes a decision early in her life that will affect her future， and her son Alex， an environmentalist who is so wrapped up in his teenage beliefs that he falls to see the impact his actions will have on his Mom and Dad's careers。 Thank goodness for Debbie， Chantal's sister and "voice of reason" who is probably the only likeable character in the book。 And that's okay， because Rijks accomplishes what she set out to do， show you the escalating breakdown of this seriously flawed family。 The ending accelerates at warp speed and will require suspension of disbelief， but just enjoy the ride！Thanks to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for an advance reader's copy。 。。。more
Hannah Sutherland
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We follow a quaint little family， Chantal， Stuart， and Alex。 Chantal is a prominent divorce lawyer and her husband is a morning news show host。 Their son Alex， has begun pushing his boundaries with his parents and his actions start to cause trouble for Chantal at work。 She has begun experiencing other stressors throughout the novel including seeing less of her husband and their disagreement on how to discipline Alex。 Chantal then begins to receive mysterious text messages threatening to expose a We follow a quaint little family， Chantal， Stuart， and Alex。 Chantal is a prominent divorce lawyer and her husband is a morning news show host。 Their son Alex， has begun pushing his boundaries with his parents and his actions start to cause trouble for Chantal at work。 She has begun experiencing other stressors throughout the novel including seeing less of her husband and their disagreement on how to discipline Alex。 Chantal then begins to receive mysterious text messages threatening to expose a dark secret from her past。 She gets pulled deeper and deeper into her web of lies and starts questing everything around her。 What was once a perfect life， starts to unravel。 **This was the first book that I have read by Miranda Rijks and it was sent to me from Netgalley！ Overall I thought it was a pretty decent and fast read。 The beginning did start off a bit slow and the ending was anticlimactic。 The story is told from alternating points of view between both Chantal and Alex。 I personally would have enjoyed the POV of both Debbie and Stuart because I think that could have added a lot into the storyline。 This book kept me fully engaged and at the end of the day I would definitely try another novel written by Miranda。 。。。more
Carrie Shields
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"Guilt is the thief of life"， Anthony Hopkins said。 You remember reading Poe's classic short story "The Tell-Tale Heart" back in school， right？ If so， you remember that guilt is oppressive， powerful， and damning to the soul。Chantal is a successful attorney who lives with her equally successful husband Stuart， a news broadcaster， and their teenage son Alex。 From all outward appearances， they are the golden family; wealthy， happy， and successful。But it's all a facade。 Chantal is hiding a dark secr "Guilt is the thief of life"， Anthony Hopkins said。 You remember reading Poe's classic short story "The Tell-Tale Heart" back in school， right？ If so， you remember that guilt is oppressive， powerful， and damning to the soul。Chantal is a successful attorney who lives with her equally successful husband Stuart， a news broadcaster， and their teenage son Alex。 From all outward appearances， they are the golden family; wealthy， happy， and successful。But it's all a facade。 Chantal is hiding a dark secret from her past that has resurfaced。 Someone is threatening to tell her secret， the secret that she will go to any lengths to protect。I loved the way the story came together。 First， it's told in alternating points of view from Chantal and Alex， so the reader really gets the experience of what this relationship is like from both sides。 I thought it was curious that Stuart's POV was left out， but you'll see why。 Also， the story alternates between Chantal then and now， which was a great way to highlight her downward spiral。I've learned to always read the author's note at the end of all her books because she usually shares her inspiration for the story。 Another winner from Miranda that is NOT to be missed。 Releases October 10。I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review。 。。。more
Gary
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