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shrirex's review against another edition
1.0
0.5 star rounded yo
I don’t even know where to begin. Haven’t seen this mentioned so far, but I feel like this book needs trigger warnings for r*pe and dv!! It was gut wrenching to read some of sections where these happen.
As for the story, this is an actual line in the book - “a craven Anastasia to his cut-price Christian Grey”. I rolled my eyes to the back of my head. There is nothing redeeming about this story and my head hurts from all the whiplash, both story and writing, gave me.
I don’t even know where to begin. Haven’t seen this mentioned so far, but I feel like this book needs trigger warnings for r*pe and dv!! It was gut wrenching to read some of sections where these happen.
As for the story, this is an actual line in the book - “a craven Anastasia to his cut-price Christian Grey”. I rolled my eyes to the back of my head. There is nothing redeeming about this story and my head hurts from all the whiplash, both story and writing, gave me.
suggsygirl's review against another edition
4.0
This book made me really mad but I was invested from the start. I found the male characters deplorable and I wanted to shake the main female character pretty much all the way through the book but I was interested and I was engaged and that's what matters. I can enjoy books where I hate everyone but I can't enjoy books where I don't care what happens. Don't read this book if you are triggered by depictions of sexual assault as there's some nasty stuff in here.
readwithamey_'s review against another edition
3.0
Oh goodness.. this book was a mess! I went into this book with high expectations because of booktok and bookstagram; and I’m honestly kind of disappointed. It wasn’t my favourite read but it wasn’t awful, it was a fast paced read and had good character development which helped to drive the plot.
The characters were all truly unlikeable and I pretty much despised them. Alison… what an absolute mess, I had no sympathy for her at all and it’s so glaringly obvious that she’s an alcoholic in denial. There were some times I felt a little sympathetic to her cos she was really trying to be a better mum. Carl… honestly husband from hell, constantly picking holes and being vile to Alison.. no wonder she had an affair. Patrick.. disgustingly awful and misogynistic.
The author did a good job of making me feel incredibly uncomfortable and frustrated throughout the book.. I really did not enjoy the ending of the book, it felt abit rushed and I was actually pretty confused for a abit. Overall, it was an okay read, not my favourite.
The characters were all truly unlikeable and I pretty much despised them. Alison… what an absolute mess, I had no sympathy for her at all and it’s so glaringly obvious that she’s an alcoholic in denial. There were some times I felt a little sympathetic to her cos she was really trying to be a better mum. Carl… honestly husband from hell, constantly picking holes and being vile to Alison.. no wonder she had an affair. Patrick.. disgustingly awful and misogynistic.
The author did a good job of making me feel incredibly uncomfortable and frustrated throughout the book.. I really did not enjoy the ending of the book, it felt abit rushed and I was actually pretty confused for a abit. Overall, it was an okay read, not my favourite.
becka_jane's review against another edition
4.0
Rating: 4 stars!
This book was an interesting one. I had read a number of reviews for it before reading it myself and the range of opinions was incredible – some absolutely hated it and others called it their favourite read of 2020! It has been talked about so much that I needed to see what all the controversy was about, and boy this book did not disappoint. Even now writing this review, I am not sure where I fall on the scale of hate to love, but I am going to try to order my thoughts as best as I can here!
The book kind of deals with two parallel storylines, both with links to the protagonist, Alison. It looks at Alison’s personal life, with a doting husband, adorable kid, and great job, as well as the client Alison is defending: a woman who says she is guilty of stabbing her husband to death. But in both stories, something is deeply amiss; Alison is drinking, neglecting her family, and having an affair with a pushy and arrogant man, whilst the case seems to have more to it than the surface shows. To add to that, someone knows Alison’s secrets, and wants to make sure she pays…
I found this book to be an interesting one. I hated pretty much every single character and I usually enjoy books which have characters I can understand/empathise/sympathise with and not a single person in this book fell into that category. I found Alison to be so frustrating, constantly flipping from repentance and determination to be a better wife and mother, to sneaking away to drink herself to a stupor and to be with the man she is having an affair with. As the book is written from her perspective, the constant changes and inability to decide and pull herself together were pretty annoying. The rest of the characters were not much better; the husband was so self-righteous, the man from the affair (Patrick) was a nasty piece of work as well; in fact I think the only decent character was the poor little daughter, caught in the middle of all of this.
The redeeming quality of this book was the plot. For the first half of the book I was just annoyed with the characters and the slow pace of the narration, but after halfway it really picked up and I was gripped. It is twisty and shocking, with the two stories intersecting and weaving in and out, creating an outcome I did not predict. It was certainly a shocking ending, one which I would never have even thought of as possible, which made it a little bit unlikely for me. Saying that, it was almost so shocking and unique that I don’t care how possible it actually was! One tip I have is definitely go back and read the prologue once you finish the book – it will all make sense then!
Overall, this book was a weird one for me. Hated the characters, loved the story – how is that possible?! The subject matter in the book is not for the faint hearted – it gets pretty sexually explicit and upsetting at times, so read it with an awareness of what you might find difficult to read. I would say give it a try if you are a fan of thrillers and see if it is for you, it is certainly a decisive one in the book community!
This book was an interesting one. I had read a number of reviews for it before reading it myself and the range of opinions was incredible – some absolutely hated it and others called it their favourite read of 2020! It has been talked about so much that I needed to see what all the controversy was about, and boy this book did not disappoint. Even now writing this review, I am not sure where I fall on the scale of hate to love, but I am going to try to order my thoughts as best as I can here!
The book kind of deals with two parallel storylines, both with links to the protagonist, Alison. It looks at Alison’s personal life, with a doting husband, adorable kid, and great job, as well as the client Alison is defending: a woman who says she is guilty of stabbing her husband to death. But in both stories, something is deeply amiss; Alison is drinking, neglecting her family, and having an affair with a pushy and arrogant man, whilst the case seems to have more to it than the surface shows. To add to that, someone knows Alison’s secrets, and wants to make sure she pays…
I found this book to be an interesting one. I hated pretty much every single character and I usually enjoy books which have characters I can understand/empathise/sympathise with and not a single person in this book fell into that category. I found Alison to be so frustrating, constantly flipping from repentance and determination to be a better wife and mother, to sneaking away to drink herself to a stupor and to be with the man she is having an affair with. As the book is written from her perspective, the constant changes and inability to decide and pull herself together were pretty annoying. The rest of the characters were not much better; the husband was so self-righteous, the man from the affair (Patrick) was a nasty piece of work as well; in fact I think the only decent character was the poor little daughter, caught in the middle of all of this.
The redeeming quality of this book was the plot. For the first half of the book I was just annoyed with the characters and the slow pace of the narration, but after halfway it really picked up and I was gripped. It is twisty and shocking, with the two stories intersecting and weaving in and out, creating an outcome I did not predict. It was certainly a shocking ending, one which I would never have even thought of as possible, which made it a little bit unlikely for me. Saying that, it was almost so shocking and unique that I don’t care how possible it actually was! One tip I have is definitely go back and read the prologue once you finish the book – it will all make sense then!
Overall, this book was a weird one for me. Hated the characters, loved the story – how is that possible?! The subject matter in the book is not for the faint hearted – it gets pretty sexually explicit and upsetting at times, so read it with an awareness of what you might find difficult to read. I would say give it a try if you are a fan of thrillers and see if it is for you, it is certainly a decisive one in the book community!
brannytime's review against another edition
4.0
This domestic noir thriller had me gripped from start to finish!!
dianelaw's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kimberlyb1995's review against another edition
4.0
Fast paced, with a very surprising ending! Would definitely recommend for a read between ‘heavier’ books.
downtogetthefictionon's review against another edition
4.0
Synopsis - Alison is a barrister and when she’s given her first murder case, she feels that she's starting to get ahead at work while her life is slowly falling apart at home.
Alison was a mess - girlfriend liked her happy hours. She started off as another unreliable female narrator that was a little irritating and I feared I was going to hate her but as the book went on I grew to like her much more. The book had a lot of different elements and story lines that kept me guessing. I liked this one and think if you like domestic drama/thrillers you should read it. Loved the legal aspect of the book. I am a sucker for barristers, solicitors, and the wigs oh I hope they never get rid of the wigs - basically anything dealing British law or crime dramas.
Alison was a mess - girlfriend liked her happy hours. She started off as another unreliable female narrator that was a little irritating and I feared I was going to hate her but as the book went on I grew to like her much more. The book had a lot of different elements and story lines that kept me guessing. I liked this one and think if you like domestic drama/thrillers you should read it. Loved the legal aspect of the book. I am a sucker for barristers, solicitors, and the wigs oh I hope they never get rid of the wigs - basically anything dealing British law or crime dramas.