Jules feels old and past it. Her husband shows no interest in her and her children are ready to fly the nest. She is particularly worried about her daughter Leah who is emotionally vulnerable after a bad break up. Leah is on the look out for a new boyfriend…
My Daughter’s Revenge is a family drama and psychological thriller set in the UK.
Jules joins an app to get some positive interactions as she feels low and unloved. A few flirty comments to bolster her ego is all she wants but she feels guilty that she can’t reach her husband emotionally. Leah is also looking for validation from a man but her latest brief relationship with Dylan is destroyed when he discovers she has lied about her age.
The book is written from the first person perspectives of both Jules and Leah. Both characters are vivdly depicted and their voices are unique and distinct from each other. Jules is sad as she feels her love is not reciprocated by her husband. Leah’s voice is very immature and selfish. She is slightly reckless and her behaviour becomes obsessive when Dylan rejects her.
As a woman in my 40s, I could identify with Jules’ preoccupation with negative comparisons and the feeling of lost youth. Meanwhile as a mother of a daughter, it felt very powerful to be reminded of the teenage years and the danger of hormones going haywire (although I also think Leah has significant mental health needs) although I could understand Leah’s desire for independence.
Both women’s characters inspire pity because they are so unhappy. Initially I also felt really sorry for Dylan. Leah lied to him and then becomes obsessed, putting his job in danger. My sympathy waned at the way he behaves later in the book. There is a lot of build up in the book which slows the pace but allows us to fully understand Jules and Leah. There were twists until the very last page.
My Daughter’s Revenge is an emotionally charged psychological thriller with strong narration.
Book blurb: My Daughter’s Revenge by Natali Simmonds
My first mistake was raising my daughter to be just like me…
His death is reported on the morning news. The man my daughter’s been dating. Dead. Gone…
I blink slowly – once, twice, three times. The hair on the back of my neck rises as I grip my coffee harder. My breath comes in short bursts.
I didn’t even know he existed until recently. Leah doesn’t tell me anything anymore. But I found the letters she hid. I know she fell head over heels for him. That he broke her heart.
And that he’s dead now.
I wish more than anything that the news is only shocking because of who it is, and what’s happened to him.
But I know my daughter too well for that.
My first mistake was raising my daughter to be just like me.
My second mistake might be what I do to protect her…
An absolutely gripping suspense thriller that will have your heart pounding. Perfect for fans of addictive page-turners like The Housemaid, The Family Across the Street and The Family Upstairs.
Natali Simmonds began her career in glossy magazines, then went on to manage marketing campaigns for big brands. She’s now a creative brand consultant, freelance writer, and fiction author, writing gritty and unflinching stories full of complex women and page-turning suspense (and sometimes a little magic).
Simmonds’ dark, feminist thriller debut, Good Girls Die Last, has been optioned for a television series by STV. As N J Simmonds, Natali penned the fantasy trilogy The Path Keeper and Son of Secrets, and in 2022 was shortlisted for the RNA Fantasy Award for the last book in the series, Children of Shadows. She’s one half of paranormal romance author duo, Caedis Knight, and has also written for manga.
When she’s not writing or consulting, she’s a columnist for Kings College London’s ‘Inspire The Mind’ magazine, and lectures for Raindance Film School. Originally from London, Natali now divides her time between Spain, the UK, and the Netherlands where she can be found drawing, reading in her hammock, or complaining about cycling in the rain.
Jules feels old and past it. Her husband shows no interest in her and her children are ready to fly the nest. She is particularly worried about her daughter Leah who is emotionally vulnerable after a bad break up. Leah is on the look out for a new boyfriend…
