What do readers think of Her by Harriet Lane? Write your own review.

This book is a page turner about supposed new friendships and old grievances (misunderstood or not). Very good way of dealing with the characters, each chapter dealing with the new main characters. We'll worth reading.

Her is a novel that grows more ominous with each chapter. I found it difficult to engage early on but the second half picked up speed. It's interesting to have the perspective of both main characters, while still maintaining some mystery about what would happen next. The ending was too vague for my liking, though I'm sure I know what happened. Would have liked another chapter or two for closure. Overall, an enjoyable read and good for book clubs.

Her is a gripping read from the first page. I thought the characters were all fleshed out and there was a realistic sense of aspects of current London life. I liked the alternating chapters with different perspectives. Throughout the book I was wondering WHY and this was even when I wasn't reading the book. It kept me eager to return to the novel. There are two major flaws. One is the "leave it in the air" conclusion which made me feel cheated at the end. There was foreshadowing so I was not totally surprised but think a definitive statement might have been better. The author should have done the work. And the second flaw is the disappointment I felt at the end with the rationale for Nina's actions throughout. Her revenge I think was unrealistic and there could have been better motivation for her behavior. There is a sense of evil which permeates the book and a creepiness which is disturbing. It is one book I will remember.

Suspense creating a mystery starts on the first page and continues until the last page! The book is easy to read and hard to put down!

The opening chapter is a bit confusing and in general the narrative contains too many adjectives.

It is also hard to believe that Emma is does not understand what is happening and that Nina takes 23 years to extract he revenge.

I enjoyed the book but believe it would appeal to women rather than men.

Fasten your seat belts and jump right into this book!! Suspense, brilliant characterization, sense of London as a place, lost then found, clues dropped like bread crumbs -- this novel has all of that and more. Harriet Lane, the author, has the uncanny ability to throw the reader off as she performs a back and forth from chapter to chapter. You'll find yourself asking "Why?" many times as you try to unravel just where the plot is leading. I guarantee you'll think about this book long after you read the last word.

What an ending!
Now, back to the beginning. "Her" is written in alternating chapters between Nina and Emma. Nina is an artist and appears to have a good and comfortable life with her husband, who is quite a bit older, and her teenage daughter, Sophie, from a previous marriage. We find out that Emma had some connection to Nina in the past. Emma is a housewife with a loving husband and two great children, Christopher and Cicely. Though not wealthy, their lives are good.
The author has an unusual way of telling their story. She repeats several chapters, first from one of the women and then the other. And of course, the stories change.
At first, this is a very ordinary story of two families interacting, especially the women but then, slowly, Nina manages to cause problems for Emma and then help solve them and thereby ingratiating herself with the family. We don't know what is driving Nina but we want to find out. There is an old cheap bracelet that comes into play. What is the meaning of it? Where did it come from? Does it's appearance cause any consequences? Will someone remember something? Who is "Her"?
I'm not going to give anything away. But it really is cleverly written. I especially like the way she fleshes out her characters. A good read for everyone. And, as I said in the beginning, what an ending!!!!!!

Nina and Emma are becoming friends. Emma can't understand why the sophisticated and elegant Nina is interested in her boring domestic life as a stay-at-home mum of two. Is it just a simple friendship or is there something sinister at play?

The book starts out slowly as Nina and Emma narrate alternating chapters. The creepy factor ratchets up nicely in this book as we try to figure out what, if anything, Nina is up to, but a cliffhanger ending keeps it from being 5 stars. The author is supposed to write the book; I shouldn't have to figure out the ending.

I found the book lacking. The characters were well developed and you had a good sense of their feelings and time of life they were experiencing. But there needed to be more substance to the storyline. I did not like the repetition in some of the chapters.
The reader needed a better ending then they received and I didn't find the story as compelling as it could have been.