Jaye Ford

This was a great book which follows four female friends who take a vacation together in a rural area in an old barn, turned a B&B. You can tell from the beginning the tension in the air as they get ran off the road on their way and that's where they meet Matt, a cop who is on leave while helping his dad with the family business. Two are left behind to hail a taxi, which never comes, and once they finally all meet up, they end up in a bar for a few drinks. Our heroine Jodie, encounters a creep there and they all quickly leave and go to the B&B to drink some wine, to have a few laughs, and to relax.

After having a bad experience in her teens in which her friend was raped and killed while Jodie got away, she can't help but shake her gut instincts that something isn't quite right. I don't like the way her friends treated her and didn't believe her, and used her bad experience as an excuse to say she was having a mental breakdown.

She then goes to pick up her car from the mechanic, and when she gets back, two men are at the barn. She recognizes the one from the bar. Once again, her friends ticked me off and didn't come to her defense right away when she said "Hey this is the creep who tried to pick me up at the bar".

This whole book resolves around Jodie's determination to right the wrongs she felt she did to her friend all those years ago, and Matt ends up right by her side when he unexpectedly shows up at their doorstep. At this point, they must all fight for their lives.

Well, sometimes you're not strong until stong is the only option you have. The battle between good and bad seemed very long and drawn out and started about halfway into the book. You can sense both Jodie and Matt fighting their demons and each other as to who is in charge, but you can also feel the undeniable chemistry between the two of them as well.

The final scene reminds me quite a bit of the movie "Enough" in the fact that Jodie has had enough of feeling like a victim and has been training her whole life for this moment. She is going to go down fighting, just as you expect. Overall, this was a great, fast paced read. Thank you NetGalley for letting me give my honest review.… (mer)

Imagine if your worst fears came true … again.

At seventeen, Jodie Cramer survived a terrifying assault at the hands of three strangers. Now thirty-five, she is a teacher and mother, her memories of that past horror are buried deep – so when she sets out for a weekend in the country with friends, all she has in mind are a few laughs and a break from routine.

Unfortunately the weekend starts out as it means to go on -terrifyingly - with the ladies being run off the road by a big truck, at what must be the darkest part of the highway and Jodie then being accosted at the pub as they wait for a loan car. Thank goodness for Matt the handsome local garage mechanic who helps the ladies out that evening.

As the weekend progresses the friends start to argue and disagree which leads them into a dangerous situation bringing back all Jodies worst fears.

Gosh this book was intense! I really enjoyed the story, I liked Jodie, fell in love with Matt and bit my nails to the quick as their weekend unfolded.
I haven't read Jaye Ford's books before but I will be on the lookout now. Such a well written book with loads of terrifying details and heart stopping moments, with a great finish. Loved every minute!
Thank you so much to Netgalley, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles and Jaye Ford for the opportunity to read this advance copy of Beyond Fear. Another contender for best book of 2020 for me.… (mer)