The Pact is a very easy quick to read book by Dawn Goodwin. The thriller is full of suspense, family dynamics, cheating, blackmail and friendship.
Maddie is newly separated from her husband Greg, after 20 years of marriage, he has an affair with his employee, Gemma that results in a baby. Maddie moves into a new flat and becomes friends with her upstairs neighbor Jade. Jade has a young son, Ben which draws Maddie in as she is desperate for a baby.
Jade is facing a custody battle with her ex, Mark. One night after too many wines Jade jokes that they should kill each other’s exes and a pact was made; I’ll kill yours if you kill mine. Jade takes the pact seriously while fragile Maddie thinks it’s a joke.
The majority of the novel is based around Maddie’s past; her life with her husband and their high school romance, her struggles with fertility and IVF, the deceit and betrayal from Greg yet still accommodating him while he lives in the house they once shared being a happy family she longed for. Maddie makes some questionable decisions due to her naivety whilst Jade has secrets and is sly and cunning when it comes to revenge and getting what she wants. Jade speaks of the pact casually when they catch up but Maddie continues to think that nothing will come of it.
I found the novel frustrating at times; usually the beginning of a thriller there is action, suspense and whodunit moments but nothing happens until the last few chapters where the pact comes to conclusion. The characters are bearable, Maddie seemed very needy and gullible whilst Jade had some get up and go even though she seemed crazy.
If you are after a non-brainer novel for a lazy day on the couch this is a book for you!
ISBN: 9781788549356 / https://headofzeus.com/books/9781788549356
Thank you B&L and Head of Zeus for the opportunity to read this book. A selection of our Beauty and Lace Club Members are reading it with us, and they will leave their feedback in the comments section below.
My love of books started at a very young age. My mum has always been a reader and encouraged me to read, buying me endless book from classic fairy tales advancing to the world of Enid Blyton, CS Lewis, Louisa May Alcott, Kathryn Kenny, Carolyn Keene, Francine Pascal. In my adult years the list of authors is endless and every room in my house is filled with books.
One of my favourite novels is Narnia which has always has a special place in my heart. I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in 1978 and when I was given this book to read it let me escape to another world where I felt like I was in the book with all the characters, it wasfun and exciting to escape from reality and eased the ups and downs of the disease at such a young age.
In books nothing is impossible and there is endless potential and hundreds of places to explore or being taken to places that are only made up from the authors’ great minds, the past and future to navigate, characters lives you step into taking you on an emotional rollercoaster ride or being scared out of your wits. I can experience things that I can’t in real life because they’re not possible or real. It challenges my perspective and mindset expanding my worldview.
I find joy, comfort and peace with books, many people may not get it, but I know bookworms like me truly understand. Reading makes my heart happy.
Thanks to Beauty and Lace for the opportunity to read and review Dawn Goodwin’s The Pact. An interesting premise with a small cast of diverse characters.
I really felt for Maddie and the horrible experiences she had been through. Jade I just found prickly and manipulative. Greg, who seemed really lovely and his new partner the superficial and hostile Gemma, along with the neighbours in the block of flats all contribute to the ensemble. At times I found the writing a little stilted, however the premise was interesting and I wanted to know how it would end, and just how much carnage would eventuate! An easy read. Thanks again to Beauty and Lace and Head of Zeus for the opportunity.
I received a copy of The Pact by Dawn Goodwin from Head of Zeus and Beauty & Lace Book Club in return for an honest review.
I really really wanted to like this book, the blurb was fantastic, sadly the story fell short. I didn’t enjoy this book very much. The characters were very unlikeable – a naive door mat, an egotistical jerk and a manipulator – the plot was confusing at the start, unoriginal and predictable.
I had the opportunity to read my first book for months since COVID and found this rather disappointing.
It’s easy enough to read and the plot is very interesting and the topics also touch on very sensitive matters that were very relateable to me regarding infertility issues. However I found the story lacked substance and the characters unconvincing.
I only have a few chapters left and will persist as the reviews above mention the end is the most promising part of the book and I try never to leave a book unfinished.
The Pact – Dawn Goodwin
I enjoyed reading this book even though it seemed a little plain and done before, I envy writers and their skills. Maddie was a quiet character and needed to learn to stand on her own and use her own voice, I enjoyed reading this e-book and it was still a great read.
The pact is by far the best book I have a read in a really long time. I couldn’t put it down I read it start to finish and bawled my eyes out. Easy reading and keeps you guessing. Loved it!
Thanks for the opportunity to read it beauty and lace!
Thank you to Beauty and Lace and Head of Zeus for the opportunity to read this book.
The pact centres around Maddie and her relationships with her ex-husband Greg and new neighbour Jade. After befriending her neighbour on an evening in, Maddie seemingly enters into a Pact with Jade to assist both of their situations with ex-partners.
The story goes into Maddie’s past to help give a fuller picture of the character and what decisions she is to face.
An easy read with a few twists and turns, I enjoyed reading the book. My only criticism was the pace of the book, providing a build up and then a fast ending. Perhaps a bit more story in the last part would be good however it didn’t detract from the overall experience.
Thanks to Beauty and Lace and Head of Zeus for the opportunity to read and review Dawn Goodwin’s ebook novel The Pact.
Psychological suspense is a genre I have a love/hate relationship with – I hate being scared if the plot is too intense, and yet I am fascinated by the skill involved in getting into the brains of some of these characters. As psychological suspense goes The Pact was a soft example of the genre. I enjoyed the read, but didn’t find myself particularly invested in the characters or plot.
What I did find hugely frustrating, and for this I lay the blame wholly at the feet of the editor, is that sesame oil is made from seeds, not nuts. It would not cause anaphylaxis in a person with a nut allergy. It is beyond me why an editor would not fact check this!
Leaving that (more than) minor detail aside, if you are looking for an easy read with some interesting twists, then The Pact is for you.
Don’t joke about murder – a key message in the novel, The Pact by Dawn Goodwin. This was a thrilling read telling the complicated story of Maddie and the questionable relationship she still holds with ex-husband, Greg. After Maddie’s private struggles and Greg’s infidelity lead to their separation, Greg supports Maddie in securing a new apartment where she befriends neighbour, Jade. Ignoring the warning signs, Maddie continues the friendship with Jade and together they drunkenly make a pact to kill each others ex-partner. Maddie went along with the joke though as Goodwin builds the story, the reader questions how serious Jade really is, and whether Maddie would hold up her end of the deal.
Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this suspenseful page turner. While not necessarily a unique plot, this was an easy read and did have me questioning a few things throughout.
Unfortunately this is a story that has already been told a number of times, making this book predictable.
However, if this story is unknown to you, then you are in for a ride! The author weaves the charactors stories, plots, tension and unknown like a skilled weaver building a beautify tapastry. It is a book that would drive you to read ‘just one more page’ before going to sleep, only to find yourself hours later engrossed in the story. Full credit to the author in grabbing you and holding you to the very end.
Providing you dont know the story, this is a very entertaining book.