The Rival by Charlotte Duckworth
Description
An addictive psychological suspense about ambition, female rivalry, and how far you'd go to get what you want.
'A Chilling read with a killer twist'
The Sun
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NOW
Helena is a career woman with no job and a mother without a baby. She blames Ashley for destroying her life. But is what happened really Ashley's fault?
THEN
When Helena hires Ashley to work for her, she's startled but impressed by her fierce ambition. They form a dream team and Helena is proud - maybe this is the protégée she's always wanted to have. But soon Helena realizes that nothing will stand in the way of Ashley's drive to get to the top. And when Helena becomes pregnant, everything she has worked so hard for is suddenly threatened, with devastating consequences...
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'Brilliant and insidious'
Lucy Clarke, author of You Let Me In
'Absolutely terrific, a beautifully written debut from an exciting new voice in psychological fiction' Cass Green, author of The Woman Next Door and Don't You Cry
'A compelling addictive read... I absolutely loved it'
Karen Hamilton, author of The Perfect Girlfriend
'A chilling and compelling debut'
Lucy Dawson, author of The Daughter
Advance Praise
'Brilliant and insidious' Lucy Clarke, author of You Let Me In
'Absolutely terrific, a beautifully written debut from an exciting new voice in psychological fiction' Cass Green, author of The Woman Next Door and Don't You Cry
'A compelling addictive read... I absolutely loved it' Karen Hamilton, author of The Perfect Girlfriend
'A chilling and compelling debut' Lucy Dawson, author of The Daughter
'A Chilling read with a killer twist' The Sun
My Review
If you were looking for a book that you could not figure out until the end, this one is it!
I loved the writing, told from two points of view, both in the past and present times you get a real feel for both Helena and Ashley. That being said, both characters were a little less than stellar and I found it hard to like either one. Expect for the fact that Helena is a tad more likable than Ashley for obvious reasons (you have to read it to find out what I mean).
Uncovering the emotions I think all women feel at some point in their lives, feeling forced to choose between career and family, often having to sacrifice one for the other. The Rival stirs up emotions over motherhood, friendship and even family. The question that lingers is when we only see things from our perspective, how can we trust that its real? That it's not paranoia or insecurity?
We can only do the very best we can and at the end of the day, give yourself and others the benefit of the doubt. Not always and not in every situation, but when the situation warrants, do the best you can to go easy!