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Safe With Me

K.L. Slater (Goodreads Author)

3.75 · Rating details · 9,706 ratings · 682 reviews

Thirteen years ago someone did something very bad to Anna. Now it’s her turn to get even …

Anna lives a solitary existence, taking solace in order and routine. Her only friend is the lonely old lady next door. She doesn’t like to let people get too close – she knows how much damage they can do.

Then one ordinary day Anna witnesses a devastating road accident and recognises t ...more

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Kindle Edition, 376 pages

Published November 3rd 2016 by Bookouture

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Feb 26, 2017 Melissa rated it it was ok

Shelves: not-for-me, horrible-ending, 2017, netgalley

Can you see me, standing alone on my island of discontent, waving halfheartedly from the shore? Yup, here I am, once again . . . in the minority. I was sure the overwhelmingly positive reviews I’ve seen for this author’s work and the blurb couldn’t be wrong - this was going to be a creeptastic read. One I would revel in or heck, even just enjoy. Turns out . . . not so much.

“Let’s face it, some people are just weird and there’s no logic behind it.”

I think we all know by now, the same can be Can you see me, standing alone on my island of discontent, waving halfheartedly from the shore? Yup, here I am, once again . . . in the minority. I was sure the overwhelmingly positive reviews I’ve seen for this author’s work and the blurb couldn’t be wrong - this was going to be a creeptastic read. One I would revel in or heck, even just enjoy. Turns out . . . not so much.

“Let’s face it, some people are just weird and there’s no logic behind it.”

I think we all know by now, the same can be said about books and the characters that inhabit them. This story was riddled with weird characters and the narrator, Anna, was the worst of the bunch. I’m all for an unreliable narrator, but there still has to be something about that character I connect with or that’s even interesting on some level. For me, Anna’s character crossed the line from creepy in an interesting and suspenseful way, to creepy in an awkward and pitiful way. Being in her head was icky and uncomfortable. There was no enjoyment in trying to understand her downward spiral of delusions.

Anna is the sole witness in an accident involving a woman in a car, hitting a man on a motorcycle, and it seriously messes with her head. The woman driving the car happens to be the person she holds responsible for the destruction of her own family thirteen years earlier. The very person that disappeared and changed her identity after that tragic night. In an effort to keep tabs on this mystery woman, Anna tries to befriend the man on the motorcycle, relentlessly inserting herself in his life.

The storyline itself was interesting enough, it was the execution and feel that was off for me. Nothing irks me more than suspense being carried out with situations that are glossed over or conversations where one character doesn’t provide an answer, but instead storms off in a dramatic way. It’s a plot device that feels cheap to me and it was used a lot in this story.

When it all boils down to it, there were some twists, thrown in at the end, but again, the way it all came together didn’t work for me. Essentially the author tried to pull the wool over my eyes, but she failed. The major thing that Anna first ‘uncovered’ mid-story made the direction of things so obvious. And that ending . . . nope. Not impressed. And seriously, what was that smell? I still can’t figure that one out.

*Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Dec 03, 2016 Linda rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery-thrillers

Whoa! I feel like I've just gone through the drive-thru window at McCreepy's and ordered a Jumbo Squeamish Shake with a side order of Curl-Your-Toes fries.

And taking my order is Anna. Anna certainly doesn't reveal all the items on the menu quite yet. But you'll be turning pages quickly in order to unwrap the secrets held in that crisp white bag. Make sure you take extra napkins.....you're gonna need 'em.

Anna has just witnessed a horrible car accident involving a motorcyclist. She bolts out of he Whoa! I feel like I've just gone through the drive-thru window at McCreepy's and ordered a Jumbo Squeamish Shake with a side order of Curl-Your-Toes fries.

And taking my order is Anna. Anna certainly doesn't reveal all the items on the menu quite yet. But you'll be turning pages quickly in order to unwrap the secrets held in that crisp white bag. Make sure you take extra napkins.....you're gonna need 'em.

Anna has just witnessed a horrible car accident involving a motorcyclist. She bolts out of her vehicle and tries to give comfort to the victim who is splayed out on the pavement. The young man appears to be in serious condition and Anna refuses to leave his side. She glances over at the driver of the car involved and does a double-take. Could that be Carla who was at the center of all of Anna's heartbreak years ago? Possibly.....

Anna can't help herself. She finds out the name and address of the victim and visits him non-stop in the hospital during his recovery. She even shows up at their home. His grandmother, Ivy, insists that they don't need her presence any longer. But, oh, Anna insists.

The story weaves back and forth between Anna's home and Liam's. Anna is employed. There's a frying pan filled with workplace issues for Anna. Just wait and see. Her neighbor, elderly Mrs. Peat, also adds plenty of her own ingredients to this mix. This storyline will keep your head turning back and forth and you'll be checking under the bed for more than just dust bunnies.

K.L. Slater presents a wallop of a psychological thriller. It will tap you on the shoulder and pose the question: Are the inmates running the sanitorium? Bookouture showcases some the most talented writers that I have had the privilege to read. Does the name Angela Marsons ring a bell? Yep, you know exactly what I'm talking about here.

This is a honey of a read that switches from the present and then back to thirteen years ago. You're gonna be caught in that time warp and neither is a pleasant place to be. Booyah! Great job, K.L. Slater. We'll be back for a refill for sure. ...more

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Jan 05, 2017 Carol rated it really liked it

Shelves: kindle, netgalley, published-2016, psychological-thriller, read-2017

This novel is brimming with psychos, but just wait until you meet creepy Anna!

A motorcycle accident Anna witnesses brings back memories of what happened during the dark days 13 years ago, and as she befriends the injured party at the scene, a plan of revenge against the driver begins to materialize in her crazy mixed-up brain.

With a heavy workload at the Royal Mail Service, an elderly neighbor friend to check in on and her new secret plan of attack to carry out (combined with a bit of OCD) Anna

...more

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May 29, 2017 Mary Beth rated it liked it

I was a little disappointed in this one. I loved Blink and this one just did not do it for me. The characters in this book were not very likable. I especially hated Anna. It was so obnoxious being inside her head. Clearly, she wasn’t alright. I could never root for her or support her decisions because we know so little about her and her past. She had no right to insert herself into the Bradbury’s lives, and her intrusiveness played on my nerves. Even though there was some twists in the book the ...more

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Nov 15, 2016 Sue rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kindle-paperwhite, net-galley, psychological-thriller, debut-novel, bookouture, book-1

SAFE WITH ME is a gripping psychological thriller by a debut author, KL Slater…and definitely an author with a promising career, and published by my favourite publisher, Bookouture. Your future is set!

“Thirteen years ago someone did something very bad to Anna. Now it’s her turn to get even … “

“Anna lives a solitary existence, taking solace in order and routine. Her only friend is the lonely old lady next door. She doesn’t like to let people to get too close – she knows how much damage they can d SAFE WITH ME is a gripping psychological thriller by a debut author, KL Slater…and definitely an author with a promising career, and published by my favourite publisher, Bookouture. Your future is set!

“Thirteen years ago someone did something very bad to Anna. Now it’s her turn to get even … “

“Anna lives a solitary existence, taking solace in order and routine. Her only friend is the lonely old lady next door. She doesn’t like to let people to get too close – she knows how much damage they can do. “

Then one day Anna witnesses a disturbing road accident and recognizes the driver as Donna, the woman who ruined her life thirteen years ago. Now it’s Anna’s chance to get revenge!

But Anna realizes that she needs to have a sound plan, which first involves getting to know Liam, the man injured in the motorcycle/car accident. Anna offers Liam any help and support she can provide. But Liam lives with his nosy controlling grandmother,” Ivy”, who is unwilling to accept Anna's assistance, even though Ivy is feeble and unable to take care of her grandson. Therefore, Anna must take matters in her own hands and work out the path to make things happen her way, so she will get her revenge! It also means following the status of the police investigation, while watching and observing Donna from a distance. Anna must play her cards right…to win this time!

This novel is told from multiple perspectives, Anna's in the first-person, the others in the third. The story alternates between present day and 13 years ago as the story unfolds. I love how the author allows us to get to know Anna, slowly with all her delusions. There are lots of red herrings and this book will keep you guessing all the way through. I was totally glued to this book, as I wanted to see what was going to happen.

It is hard to believe this is a debut novel. The author did a super job of leading the reader down the wrong path, and at 88%, I loved Chapter 67. The characters in this book are creepy and disturbed, and it is difficult for the reader to guess the outcome of the book. I didn’t! I felt the author rushed the ending a little bit, and I was scrambling to keep up and put the pieces together. But everything came together in the end.

This author is very talented and has a bright future.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Bookouture for the ARC. It was my pleasure to provide an honest review.
...more

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Nov 22, 2016 Sandy *The world could end while I was reading and I would never notice* rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 5-star, netgalley-arc, 2016, new-to-me-author, author-i-want-to-read-more-of

EXCERPT: So, they're tucked up in bed at last. You take a handful of matches and you light each one, watching the burn die to a powdery black dot.

The embers in the open fireplace are dying down but there's still the white hot core, deep in the centre, still powerful enough to help you set things straight one final time.

'Two squashy seat cushions piled on the floor. Four squashy seat cushions piled on the floor.' It’s fun to sing to the tune of 'Ten Green Bottles'.

You push the chair right up ne ...more

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Nov 13, 2016 abby rated it liked it

Shelves: mystery-thriller, fiction, netgalley

Thirteen years ago, Anna's family met with tragedy. Anna knows exactly who is to blame: Carla, the school councilor who was supposed to save Anna's younger brother, Daniel, but who put him in more danger than she could have imagined. One fateful day, Anna is witness to a car accident involving a car and a motorcyclist. The driver of the car that ran the cyclist off the road is none other than Carla.

Anna is determined to expose Carla for what she is and get her arrested for her role in the accide Thirteen years ago, Anna's family met with tragedy. Anna knows exactly who is to blame: Carla, the school councilor who was supposed to save Anna's younger brother, Daniel, but who put him in more danger than she could have imagined. One fateful day, Anna is witness to a car accident involving a car and a motorcyclist. The driver of the car that ran the cyclist off the road is none other than Carla.

Anna is determined to expose Carla for what she is and get her arrested for her role in the accident. She cozies up to the victim and his grandmother, hoping to influence their interactions with the police. She just cannot understand why no one seems to be taking the situation as seriously as she does-- as seriously as they should be.

That's a problem Anna runs into a lot with other people. For instance at her workplace, the post office, where everyone just seems to rush through their shift instead of taking the time to add that extra caring touch. And sure, it takes Anna a bit longer, but she's going to catch up with delivering all that mail one day soon.

Thank goodness for Liam, the motorcyclist that horrible woman Carla nearly killed. He needs Anna and she needs him. If only his grandmother Ivy would stop blocking her efforts to help. Seriously, what is it with people being so stubborn? And then Carla starts to try to infiltrate herself into Liam's life, no doubt trying to get him not to press charges. To Anna's surprise, Liam and Ivy almost seem to be falling for Carla's shtick. But Anna isn't about to let that happen.

Unreliable narrators are not my favorite, although this book pulls off the concept reasonably well. But Anna is really creepy, in way that lacks much subtlety, and that made reading this book tough to bare at times. As much as I appreciated the dark, awkward parts of her character, I wish it were toned down a bit. This book moved slowly for me. I am glad I stuck with it, even though the ending turned out to be a big ole' bowl of crazy. There was, in my opinion, reasonable pay off, although I'm still wondering how Anna's co-worker and her caretaker sister fit into the story, and wondering why her old lady neighbor was needed as a narrator at all. This book was solidly written, but not really my style. Those who enjoy thrillers with unreliable narrators might want to give this one a go.

I received a copy of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. ...more

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Nov 03, 2017 Kelly (and the Book Boar) rated it liked it

Shelves: liburrrrrry-book, read-in-2017, nutters, mc-i-love-but-am-supposed-to-hate

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

3.5 Stars

THIS is what that waste of time The Girl on the Train should have been. At least as far as the unreliable narrator goes. Meet ~~Rachel~~ I mean Anna. Thirteen years ago a superbadawful happened to someone she loved that she hasn’t been able to get over. When by coincidence she witnesses the person from her past get in a car vs. motorbike accident she knows karma is finally working in her favor and it’s her chance to ruin someone’s ...more

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Jul 21, 2017 Lisa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: psychological-thrillers

Alarm bells rang straight away in my head on this one I just had to know what happened to Anna, although I hated her she kept the pace going at a quick rate, I despised how she worked her way into Ivy & Liam's life .I found Anna to be a disturbing character bordering on paranoia & normalcy she was such a pain in the butt for me.

What I did like was the way the author connected the characters of Carla & Amanda being twins it made the plot more believable & the concept turned out well, as for Liam ...more

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Oct 30, 2016 Gary rated it really liked it

I have read some really good novels recently and many have been published by Bookouture. This is another fine example, a debut novel by author KL Slater that is definitely going to be a success and the start of a glittering career.
The stories main character is Anna, she is a loner and her only friend is Mrs Peat who lives next door. Thirteen years ago something happened in Anna's life that she still suffers to cope with.
Now in the present day Anna witnesses a car accident and the person who caus ...more

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Dec 05, 2016 Lee rated it really liked it

This is an excellent thriller that will draw you in and keep you captivated till the end. Anna is a loner with only one friend, Mrs Peat her next door neighbour. Something terrible happened to Anna thirteen years ago, years later while she is out one day, she witnesses a car accident and is dumb struck to see that the perpetrator is the person who has made her life hell for all these years. Anna is now after revenge and she becomes completely obsessed with this person and even tries to get herse ...more

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Nov 03, 2016 Angela Marsons rated it it was amazing

I was lucky enough to receive an early copy of Safe With Me and absolutely loved it. It is a testament to the quality of this author's writing that her main character - Anna - still occupies space in my head months after I read the book. The tension was expertly built throughout the novel and from 70% my head was just spinning. There were various points at which I thought I had it all worked out but no, I was proven wrong each time and then brilliantly taken on another route. I particularly enjo ...more

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Dec 30, 2016 Zoeytron rated it really liked it

Shelves: new-fangled-e-reader, net-galley

Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review.

Watch out for this type! You know the sort, a person who latches onto you, working nonstop to insinuate herself into your life. Attempts made at quelling this bizarre interest in you are futile. She knows what you need far better than you do.

Meet Anna. She recognizes the value of routine, rote, and control. There is some OCD going on with her, essential checks she must make when she leaves her flat, all designed to make her feel safe. The p ...more

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Oct 19, 2016 Liz rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley

An odd sort of psychological thriller. It's told from multiple points of view . Initially, there are three perspectives - Anna, an overweight mail carrier who had a tragedy in her life 13 years ago, her neighbor Mrs. Peat and an unknown individual. The first two suffer from loneliness. Anna also suffers from OCD and other issues stemming from the tragedy which we come to learn involved her brother. At the start of the book, she witnesses a car accident caused by the perceived perpetrator of her ...more

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Jan 29, 2017 Kendall rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2016

I've done some pondering with fellow good readers on this one and I've decided to change my review.... I'm not sure if I am getting pickier with my novels OR if it's because I truly read so many books in the psychological thriller genre.

I have to say I was wanting more from this novel.... and it was not there for me at all.

Anna was a very delusional and dark character. I at times, felt myself getting irritated with Anna, because she truly made tons of irrational decisions (like idk giving half ...more

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Sep 13, 2016 Nicki rated it it was amazing

WOW,I'm going to have to catch up with the housework tomorrow because I have just spent the last two days devouring this jaw droppingly brilliant debut psychological thriller.

The story starts with a prologue about a arson attack by a unnamed person and then you are plunged into the scene of a car accident and introduced to Anna,Liam and Donna or is she really called Carla? who are basically the main players in this very gripping drama about mental health,mind games and deception.

The chapters fli ...more

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Nov 14, 2016 Petra rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley, thriller, psychology, uk

Safe With Me is a brilliantly disturbing psychological thriller by a debut author.
Told from multiple perspectives, Anna's in the first-person, the others in the third, the story kept twisting and turning and was totally unpredictable.
Anna witnesses a road traffic accident and recognizes the woman responsible, Donna, as somebody from her past. Anna's past was traumatic, so it's totally understandable that she offers the unfortunate accident victim, Liam, any help and support she can provide. Afte ...more

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Dec 25, 2016 Adrian Dooley rated it really liked it

Well that was one unusual read. A psychological thriller that seems to be set up as a simple revenge story but as it unravels, it becomes much much more, with some genuinely dark characters.

Anna, our central character witnesses a road accident as a young man is knocked off his motorbike by a car and seriously injured. Anna jumps out of her car to see if the young man is ok. He's seriously injured with a very bad head wound and she stays by his side as she waits for the emergency services to arr Well that was one unusual read. A psychological thriller that seems to be set up as a simple revenge story but as it unravels, it becomes much much more, with some genuinely dark characters.

Anna, our central character witnesses a road accident as a young man is knocked off his motorbike by a car and seriously injured. Anna jumps out of her car to see if the young man is ok. He's seriously injured with a very bad head wound and she stays by his side as she waits for the emergency services to arrive, trying to comfort him. As she glances up she sees the woman who was driving the car that hit him and to her horror she recognises her as Carla, a woman who apparently ruined her life 13 years ago.
Anna keeps her head low in case Carla recognises her as panic and fear grips her on seeing Carla again after such a long time.

As the young man. - Liam is brought to hospital, Anna decides that she must visit him to see how he is, but more importantly to try and garner information about the woman who knocked him down. Surely the police will have her details and Liam will know about them. She needs to exact revenge on Carla, a woman she hasn't seen in years, could never find and has now stumbled upon again. Liam is her ticket to this.
As she visits Liam she discovers that he has amnesia from the accident and as yet has no details on Carla or the accident he was in. His over bearing grandmother Ivy who he lives with,is at his side and at first thankful of Anna's visit and help at the accident scene but as Anna decides to intrude on their lives more, offering lifts to Ivy to the hospital, wanting to visit Liam at home and bring him to follow up visits to hospital, Ivy becomes more and more protective of Liam, treating him like a child and not wanting any help from Anna.

The story is told both in the present and in the past and from multiple perspectives, from Anna's point of view, in the first person and when from other characters point of view, in the third person.

As it goes back and forward in time we get little hints and crumbs of information of what happened in the past and why Anna wants revenge. We also spend a lot of time in Anna's head as she slowly unravels and we realise all is not right with her.

For a debut novel this really is an excellent piece of work. The central character and the writing of her is what makes the book for me. We know that something traumatic has happened to her in her childhood but, as we spend more and more time in her head it becomes more and more uncomfortable as we realise that all is not well with Anna. She turns into a genuinely creepy and unsettling character that you still have empathy for.

The story itself is pretty clever, if a little contrived. There are plenty of red herrings and it keeps you guessing right until the end. It's all resolved fairly quickly at the end, a little too conveniently and as I say feels a little contrived and stretches the readers tolerance in the believability and credibility stakes,but putting that aside, it is a well constructed and told story with some genuinely creepy characters, some that are obvious from the off and some not so. The writing and storytelling is of a high standard, enough perhaps to forgive the slightly outlandish finale.

Anna is undoubtably the star of this novel for me. For all it's clever and complicated storyline and vivid descriptions of the past and the intrigue that goes with it, it's the time spent with Anna where the novel really shines. Such a well written character, genuinely creepy and unnerving, but despite this you want to spend more time with her to see what makes her tick and what she may do next. She's a character I will long remember.

K.L. Slater seems a very talented writer. Bookouture seem to have a knack of finding these fantastic thriller writers and if this is the opening gambit from Ms Slater then we have much to look forward to from her.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and K.L. Slater for an Arc in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. ...more

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Oct 09, 2016 Judy D Collins rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-read-in-2016, 2016-releases, netgalley-arc, psychological-thriller, k-l-slater

K. L. Slater a major new talent, delivers a dark, mind-boggling, and twisty psychological debut thriller: SAFE WITH ME. Set aside the time, “unputdownable.”

Creepy, chilling tension builds with more twists, turns, and secrets than you can imagine combined with Anna’s escalating mental state, and dangerous obsession. No one is safe here.

As the thriller opens with stunning prose, there seems to be a fire. Sadness, fear, and someone walks away. There is a mysterious person speaking, here and aga ...more

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Sep 14, 2016 Maxine (Booklover Catlady) rated it it was amazing

Wowsers! Read this in hours. Could not put it down! Full gushing review to come!

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Mar 22, 2017 Danielle (The Blonde Likes Books) rated it it was ok

Shelves: thrillers-mystery

One normal day, Anna witnesses a car accident where a motorcycle is hit by a car. It turns out that the driver of the car is Carla, the woman who ruined her life thirteen years ago. Anna wants to exact revenge but doesn’t want to reveal herself to Carla yet. Instead, she visits the motorcycle driver, Liam, in the hospital as he’s recovering and makes friends with Liam and his grandmother.

As we learn more about Anna, we start to question whether or not her obsession with Carla is warranted or if One normal day, Anna witnesses a car accident where a motorcycle is hit by a car. It turns out that the driver of the car is Carla, the woman who ruined her life thirteen years ago. Anna wants to exact revenge but doesn’t want to reveal herself to Carla yet. Instead, she visits the motorcycle driver, Liam, in the hospital as he’s recovering and makes friends with Liam and his grandmother.

As we learn more about Anna, we start to question whether or not her obsession with Carla is warranted or if Anna herself is hiding secrets…

I have to say, I LOVED K.L. Slater’s other book, Blink, and was so excited to read this one, but was left disappointed. This was not my favorite book. I know that this was her first book, so I’m thinking since I loved Blink that her books have gotten better with time.

The story jumped back and forth between Anna in the past and Anna in the present time, but also has chapters told from the perspective of a variety of characters including Liam, Carla, a detective, Anna’s supervisor at work, and so on. This made it really difficult for me to stay engaged in the story because I was constantly having to go back and check whose point of view I was reading and in what timeline. Some of the chapters felt irrelevant to the story, too, which took me out of the main narrative.

Additionally, I felt like there were a number of loose ends that weren’t tied up to my liking. For example, Anna talks repeatedly about a bad smell that starts happening in her apartment, but it’s never uncovered what the smell was…I thought it would have relevance to the story, but NOPE. There were also some discrepancies in Anna and Carla’s ages. In the chapters set in the past, they were said to be one age, but in the present day chapters, they were said to be an age that wouldn’t add up to the 13 missing years.

I also HATED Anna as a character, and to be honest, I can’t think of a single character I did like. I felt like Anna was nuts. She was constantly making decisions and justifying them to herself when no normal sane person would make the same decisions. For example, Anna decides she needs to break into Liam’s apartment so she could “feed his cat” using a key that he doesn’t know she has. That’s already weird enough, but then she proceeds to hack into his facebook account, go through his messages, and then make a copy of his key to keep “just in case” – all of this done without her knowledge. It just left me thinking she was crazy and I was not rooting for her AT ALL.

Then the end happened, and I was left feeling like “that’s it?” I felt like there was a lot of unnecessary parts to the story – like the entire plotline where Anna can’t deliver all of her mail on time, but then the ending felt rushed and not everything was neatly wrapped up.

That said, I did enjoy the writing of the book and I feel like Slater has a great writing style and way with words that makes reading her books quick and easy. Overall, I feel like she’s learned from her first book, and her second book Blink, was much more of a win for me. I’m excited to see her continue to write and evolve as an author. I do also want to note, that Safe With Me has a lot of positive reviews, so it’s absolutely possible that I just wasn’t the right reader for this story. ...more

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Dec 25, 2016 Monnie rated it really liked it

It's rare that a book described as a "psychological thriller" really blows my mind - but this one screwed it up big-time. In fact, it's downright creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky from start to finish. That's even more astonishing given that not a single character is truly likable.

Therein is the psychological appeal; every character is flawed - demented, even; to what extent is revealed only as layers of the good, the bad and the ugly are peeled away when chapters shift from present to past a It's rare that a book described as a "psychological thriller" really blows my mind - but this one screwed it up big-time. In fact, it's downright creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky from start to finish. That's even more astonishing given that not a single character is truly likable.

Therein is the psychological appeal; every character is flawed - demented, even; to what extent is revealed only as layers of the good, the bad and the ugly are peeled away when chapters shift from present to past and from character to character. Admittedly, that can be a little hard to follow; in fact, when I first started, my reaction was, "Oh no - not another one where I not only have to keep a bundle of names and relationships straight in my head but also the time period." But in very short order, the author's expert crafting of the story made that much easier (and no doubt it helped that reading as fast as I could because I couldn't wait to see what happened next meant I had little time to forget).

Anna, a U.K. postal carrier, lives alone in her family home and is struggling to overcome something awful that happened in her life 13 years earlier. One day, she watches in horror as an oncoming car hits a motorcyclist, causing him to be seriously injured and lose memories of his past. Anna is shocked at the scene, but she's downright horrified when she recognizes the driver of the car - it's Carla, the woman behind her years-ago trauma. As Anna comforts the cyclist, Liam, she formulates a plan to ingratiate herself with him and thereby ensure that Carla gets what should have been coming to her back then.

But as one might expect, best-laid plans don't always work out smoothly. Anna must deal with Liam's elderly, very protective grandmother (with whom he lives), juggling her mail delivery duties to give her enough time to spend with Liam and staying out of the prying eyes of a next-door neighbor who befriended her as a child. Then, of course, there's Carla; now known as Amanda, she meets with Liam to apologize for causing his accident and strikes up a relationship that threatens to drive Anna over the deep end.

It's a heck of a race to see the story as it evolves through the minds of all the characters - but saying much more would mean giving too much away. If I have any disappointment, it came with the ending; perhaps I missed something, but it seemed a bit confusing even though I read it twice (hence my rating of 4 stars rather than 5). That said, I admit saying "Wow" out loud when I reached the last page. It's an awesome debut novel I'm glad I didn't miss - so many thanks to the publisher (via NetGalley) for allowing me to read it in exchange for an honest review.

And for those of you who weren't in the room with me when I finished it, I'll say it again: WOW!
...more

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Sep 12, 2016 Annika rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-to-review-arc, thriller-crime-suspense, mindfuck

Fun fact: I started this book 11 months ago and just now managed to finish it! The only other book that has ever taken me that long to get back to was Dan Brown's Angels & Demons.
The big difference is: in the end, I hated the latter but, surprisingly, really, really enjoyed this one.

In my defense, it was hard to like any of the characters in the beginning, most of all Anna herself. She was such a weirdo with utterly incomprehensible thought processes that I just couldn't and didn't want to follow. But I pushed through her rambling inner monologues and now, I couldn't be more happy about that.
So while I was reading and trying my best not to let my boredom get the better of me, the strangest thing happened: Anna started to get to me. Her reasoning and justification of her psycho stalker actions oddly made sense to me and I found myself feeling and rooting for her. I disliked whom she disliked, I wanted her to do what she was doing, and I was scared for her when it became obvious that someone wanted to cause her harm. And I didn't feel bad about it because I needed Anna to succeed and get back on track.

It was equally harsh and fascinating to witness her hatred for the women who she blames for her brother's death turn into an all-consuming obsession, and Anna gradually losing not only control over her life and the routines she's fought so hard to establish, but also her grasp on reality.

The story is told from various POVs, including flashbacks that, little by little, reveal Anna and Carla's traumatic pasts and how they're linked to each other.

Safe with me definitely deserves its label as a psychological thriller. It's a classic slow-burner, with only little action but all the more atmosphere, that had me guessing from start to finish. I had to restrain myself from jumping to the last chapter to find out what was going on, and that is always a good sign when it comes to me and thrillers.

Absolutely recommended.

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Oct 16, 2016 Sarah rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

Safe With Me is a novel that made me feel like I was actually going crazy.

The chapters are relatively short and flick between Anna present day, the past, as well as the odd chapter here and there by other characters that pop up. This is a book where you do need to keep your wits about you as otherwise you could get lost if you don’t concentrate. It is a fairly fast paced read and to be honest I found it pretty gripping stuff so was eager to turn the pages at the pace that the author had set.

Anna Safe With Me is a novel that made me feel like I was actually going crazy.

The chapters are relatively short and flick between Anna present day, the past, as well as the odd chapter here and there by other characters that pop up. This is a book where you do need to keep your wits about you as otherwise you could get lost if you don’t concentrate. It is a fairly fast paced read and to be honest I found it pretty gripping stuff so was eager to turn the pages at the pace that the author had set.

Anna is a woman with issues. She has never got over a tragedy that happened thirteen years before and she has pretty much cut herself off from everyone. She is quite a loner yet I felt sorry for her as she seems to have got herself into a rut. Her job at the Royal Mail is taking it’s toll on her, all she wants is to be able to do her job and go back to the comfort of her home. Unfortunately she is struggling with delivering the amount off mail she gets on her route and manages to get herself into a bit of a mess to say the least.

I loved the story line to do with Anna’s job. It certainly opened my eyes as to what could possibly happen to missing mail and any investigations that go on with in the company. It certainly made for an informative and enjoyable read.

Her problems at work seem to escalate alongside her involvement in witnessing an accident. Anna seems to fixate herself on the people that were involved in the accident and I couldn’t wait to find out why.

The whole story seems to build itself into a frenzy so I didn’t know whether I was coming or going or what to actually believe. As soon as I thought I had figured something out something would happen and I would be left doubting everything that I had previously believed. This author certainly knows how to play with the readers mind and not only did I think that Anna was slowly losing her mind, I thought I was as well.

Safe With Me is a very clever psychological thriller that plays with your mind and will make you feel like you have just stepped off the waltzers at a fair ground. With plenty of twists and turns this is a definite must read for fans of this genre.

My thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway. ...more

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Oct 30, 2016 Louise Wilson rated it really liked it

Anna is a loner. She has no real friends, she only has the woman next door, Mrs Peat.

Thirteen years ago something tragic happened to Anna. She still has issues from this tragic event.

In the 1st chapter Anna is witness to a car accident. We also learn that the person who caused the accident is the same person who ruined her life 13 years ago. Now it's time for Anna to seek her revenge. Anna follows the police investigation and Anna's obsession with the woman escalates. Is the woman dangerous or i ...more

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Dec 19, 2016 Karen rated it it was amazing

Safe With Me by K.L. Slater
The story begins with a prologue of burning ash and arson and I am not quite sure what this means. This psychological thriller has a unique plot, compared to the rest that I have read this year. This used to be my favorite genre, but it has changed to literary contemporary fiction. So many psychological thrillers have been closely resembling one another. Either a wife or husband goes missing or a very young child goes missing. That is what makes the plot of this one so Safe With Me by K.L. Slater
The story begins with a prologue of burning ash and arson and I am not quite sure what this means. This psychological thriller has a unique plot, compared to the rest that I have read this year. This used to be my favorite genre, but it has changed to literary contemporary fiction. So many psychological thrillers have been closely resembling one another. Either a wife or husband goes missing or a very young child goes missing. That is what makes the plot of this one so much better as it has a fresh unused before now story. It is in a league of its own. In a letter from the author in the back of the book she tells us that she went back to school at age forty. I was impressed to read that one of her support group that she thanks in the acknowledgements in the talented Angela Marsens.

In the beginning of the book there is a creepy prologue that has to due with burning ashes and I am not quite sure how that fits into the rest of the story, but read it again after you finish the book and it adds to the creepiness factor of this book. I think this is K.L. Slater's debut novel and if it is congratulations are in order for writing such a fresh, creepy novel.

Anna witnesses and accident of Liam getting knocked off his motorcycle driven by Carla Bevins, who Anna feels is responsible for a tragedy that happened thirteen years ago. The novel is told in the present day and it alternates with chapters of thirteen years ago. Anna is a loner who has OCD who works as a mail delivery person for the Royal Mail. Anna can not keep up with the volume of mail and hordes what she doesn't have time to deliver in her house. She tries to burn some of it in order to hide the fact that she is not doing her job, by having undelivered mail at the end of each of her shifts at work.

Anna really has a grudge against Carla Bevins who is driving the car that hits Liam and knocks him off his motorcycle to the pavement. Anna holds Liam's hand until the ambulance arrives to take him to the hospital. Anna can't believe her good fortune at discovering Carla as causing the accident. For thirteen years Anna has been holding a grudge against Carla who is now going by the name Amanda. Anna lives a solitary life with her cat Albert and her neighbor an older women by the name of Joan Peat. Now that Carla has hit Liam Anna can keep track of her and Anna inserts herself into Liam and his grandmother Ivy's life.

Anna wants to see Carla/Amanda prosecuted for causing the accident with Liam. Everyday Anna turns up at the hospital at Liam's bedside and asks "Have you gotten in touch with the police, yet?" Anna really can't let it go. Amanda visits Liam in the hospital to say how sorry she is about the accident and that only infuriates Anna more. To say anymore would give away spoilers and ruin your reading experience. This is a very creepy story and I knew or I thought I knew the ending but I was wrong.

Thank you to Net Galley, K.L. Slater and Bookouture for providing me with a digital copy of this book for a fair and honest review.
...more

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Sep 23, 2018 Dale Harcombe rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Anna lives a lonely existence. Her only friend is the next door neighbour, Joan, who has known Anna since she was a child. Joan knows her history and the losses Anna has suffered in her life. Anna delivers mail but when she starts getting behind in her deliveries, a few complaints roll in. How can she overcome the problem and get back on track? And then one day Anna sees an accident. The woman driving the car that hits the motor cyclist is well known to Anna. Hadn’t she destroyed Anna’s life 13 ...more

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May 23, 2017 Linda Strong rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley-2016, read-in-2017

Anna happens to see an accident happen. A young man was knocked off his motorcycle by a car that was speeding. Anna does what she can while waiting on an ambulance. The young man (Liam) reminds her so much of her brother. And the woman that hit him ... Anna knows immediately who she is even though its been 13 years since she has seen her.

That seems to be the trigger for all kinds of things. Working as a letter carrier, she can't seem to get all her deliveries done every day, so she starts taking ...more

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Nov 01, 2016 Amy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

All reviews can be found on www.novelgossip.com

I have to start by saying that I’m completely blown away by the fact that this is Slater’s debut novel. This was polished, gripping and entirely riveting. If this is what she comes up with for a debut, I can’t wait to see what she does next! This is one of those books that will be a bit hard to review because I don’t want to give up anything unintentionally, but I’ll do my best to give you a feel for the book without revealing anything pertinent.

Thi All reviews can be found on www.novelgossip.com

I have to start by saying that I’m completely blown away by the fact that this is Slater’s debut novel. This was polished, gripping and entirely riveting. If this is what she comes up with for a debut, I can’t wait to see what she does next! This is one of those books that will be a bit hard to review because I don’t want to give up anything unintentionally, but I’ll do my best to give you a feel for the book without revealing anything pertinent.

This is told from two timelines, present day and thirteen years ago. There was clearly a big tragedy in the past, but details are released slowly and methodically throughout the book until it all comes to a head with a shocking climax. When Anna witnesses a car accident and recognizes Carla, a woman who is related in some way to the tragedy, she feels like she finally has the chance to right the wrongs from the past. She swiftly and immediately inserts herself into the lives of Liam, the man injured in the accident and Ivy his grandmother.

Anna narrates and she is quite the character. I’ve never seen someone quite as detached and delusional as she is. What made her simultaneously fascinating and disturbing is the fact that she has no idea the way she behaves isn’t normal. She manages to convince herself that the insane decisions she makes are justified and that she knows what’s best for anyone and everyone. I felt like I was watching someone’s cheese slid right off of their cracker and I couldn’t look away.

This book had so many dark undercurrents running between the pages and I was unsettled and creeped out the entire time I was reading it. Anna’s cold indifference and stark paranoia really chilled me, in fact I found myself looking over my shoulder even though I read this book in the comfort of my own home. I was quite wrapped up in Anna’s sad and strange little world and was keen to find out what the tragedy was exactly so maybe I could discover why she turned out the way that she did.

The ending was the only thing that kept me from rating this higher, I just wanted a bit more and maybe some greater explanations about some of the events. I like things all neat and tidy at the end of a book, but that’s just a personal preference of mine. It was still a very good read, full of deadly obsessions, manipulations, and plenty of twists that kept me guessing. ...more

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Sep 09, 2016 Shell Baker rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reading-challenge

I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book from the moment I saw the cover reveal and read the blurb and what can I say but Holy Hell what a jaw dropper!.....Just need a moment to lift my jaw back off the floor, what a fantastic debut! Seriously I cannot believe this is a debut, you guys are in for a treat. KL Slater is most definitely one talented writer. And I do love a good psychological thriller but this is way past good this actually the best one I have read lately. I absolutely loved it. I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book from the moment I saw the cover reveal and read the blurb and what can I say but Holy Hell what a jaw dropper!.....Just need a moment to lift my jaw back off the floor, what a fantastic debut! Seriously I cannot believe this is a debut, you guys are in for a treat. KL Slater is most definitely one talented writer. And I do love a good psychological thriller but this is way past good this actually the best one I have read lately. I absolutely loved it.

This story grabs you from the start and doesn't let you go until the end. With one very intriguing and beautifully written prologue. Then the story moves forward to the present day introducing us to Anna who witnesses a road accident…...oh my god what a gripping start! Anna is a person who Keeps herself to herself and not letting people get to close to her. The only friend she has is the lonely old neighbor next door.

While Anna witnesses the accident and she recognises the driver as Carla, a woman from her past ruined her life all those years ago. Now it’s time for revenge but first she needs to get to know Liam, the man injured in the accident. She needs to follow the police investigation. She needs to watch Carla from the shadows…

Anna’s obsession with Carla soon starts to escalate and her own secrets start to unravel. Is Carla really dangerous or does Anna need to worry about someone far closer to home?

KL Stater has done a brilliant job of building up the tension throughout this story keeping the reader on tenterhooks.Then BOOM…..what a shocker, I wasn't expecting that.

Be prepared to get nothing done once you start this novel. I read it in one evening I was that sucked in I couldn't put it down this is a page turner and a half with plenty of twists and turns. This is one of those books that really gets inside your head. And without a doubt a must read. Making me want to shout from the roof tops about it! Giving it a well deserved massive 5 stars.

Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

...more

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About K.L. Slater

K.L. Slater

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Kim is the million-copy bestselling author of twelve psychological crime thrillers. THE APARTMENT, will be published in -April 2020 by Thomas and Mercer and is now available for pre-order.

Kim's titles are also published by Bookouture, Audible and are available in paperback by Sphere in the UK and Grand Central in the USA.

For many years, Kim sent her work out to literary agents and collected an im ...more

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“It always amazes me how it is so easy to appear one way to the people around you but to live inside as someone else entirely.” — 11 likes

“You could say it feels a bit like dressing up in the brightest party clothes so nobody sees how low and lost you feel underneath. You'd be surprised how easy it is to hide your true feelings with a smile and a kind word.” — 5 likes

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