User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
Imagine you’re looking at a painting of a happy family. It looks so lovely, soft focus, perfect, right down to the goofy Golden Labrador. Then the author passes you high definition spectacles, and suddenly it’s all in sharp focus!
A business trip, and a one night stand in Tokyo, far away from home - something that’s forgotten when you’re back with your loving husband Christian, beautiful 5 year old son Marlon and Buddy the dog right? Well if that’s what Tara Carver thought then she’s sadly mistaken.That one night stand will have unforeseen consequences, that will take a sledgehammer, not just to Tara’s life but to her whole family’s life too, and in the process, it will smash that happy painting into tiny pieces!
Tara appears to have it all, she’s really driven, and has a successful and rewarding business, one that she started completely from scratch. She and Christian (a stay at home Dad) have a loving relationship, and Marlon is the light of both their lives. This little family were a tight unit, they only needed each other to make their lives complete. However, after Tara’s night of complete abandonment, her perfect life ends, when the married man she spent the night with, decides that he wants her permanently in his life, and constantly calls, texts and even shows up at her place of work. This is definitely stalker territory! She can’t get through to him that it was a one off, he just won’t let it go. There’s only one way to get rid of him before he destroys everything she holds dear - and that’s to get rid of him permanently!
This was a really gripping psychological thriller, that also manages to portray how a loving family unit, is left straining under revelations that can no longer be ignored, can no longer be put back in the box. The backlash isn’t pretty, but it made for a riveting read.
* Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
Rating: really liked it
EXCERPT: They call it shopping for pain.
My husband leaves the room with our son in his arms and I snatch up the phone he has left on the coffee table and I start scrolling through all the secret corners of his life.
His text messages. His WhatsApp. His email. I quickly ransack them all. The possibility of pain - real life-wrecking, heartbreaking, how-could-you, tears-of-rage pain - is everywhere. There are so many places now for him to leave the evidence of betrayal. Or the thought of betrayal. Or the flirtatious foreplay of betrayal. Or the sordid sweet nothings of real betrayal. All the damning, undeniable proof of his secret life.
ABOUT 'YOUR NEIGHBOUR'S WIFE': Tara Carver seems to have the perfect life. A loving mother and wife, and a business woman who runs her own company, she's the sort of person you'd want to live next door to, who might even become your best friend.
But what sort of person is she really?
Because in one night of madness, on a work trip far from home, she puts all this at risk. And suddenly her dream life becomes a living nightmare when the married man she spent one night with tells her he wants a serious relationship with her. And that he won't leave her or her precious family alone until she agrees.
There seems to be only one way out.
And it involves murder ...
MY THOUGHTS: I read Your Neighbour's Wife in less than twenty four hours. This is the fifth of Tony Parsons books that I have read, and the fifth five star rating. This is very different to his Max Wolfe series, but every bit as compelling, as good, if not better. This is a gripping story of love, family, friendship, marriage and infidelity.
The story is told from the points of view of Tara and her husband Christian.
Tara has a one night stand when she is away on a business trip, one that just won't lie down and die. Tara regrets her actions and wants to forget that it ever happened. James has no intention of letting Tara forget. He wants more of Tara, all of Tara, and will go to any length to get what he wants.
Your Neighbour's Wife is absolutely terrifying in its plausibility. If anyone is considering infidelity, I strongly urge them to read Parsons book first.
Gripping. Compelling. Plausible. And full of twists that I could never have predicted. Just read this.
The only thing that I don't get is the title. But who cares? It could be called 'Hot Buttered Toast' and it would still be a five star read.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'We spend our youth looking for love and sex and then we spend our married lives trying to avoid it.'
THE AUTHOR: Tony Parsons (born 6 November 1953) is a British journalist broadcaster and author. He began his career as a music journalist on the NME, writing about punk music. Later, he wrote for The Daily Telegraph, before going on to write his current column for the Daily Mirror. Parsons was for a time a regular guest on the BBC Two arts review programme The Late Show, and still appears infrequently on the successor Newsnight Review; he also briefly hosted a series on Channel 4 called Big Mouth.
His novels typically deal with relationship problems, emotional dramas and the traumas of men and women in our time. He describes his writing as 'Men Lit', as opposed to the rising popularity of 'Chick Lit'.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone, Century for providing a digital ARC of Your Neighbour's Wife by Tony Parsons for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
Rating: really liked it
Tara Carver is a successful owner of an online dating app, she’s happily married to Christian and they have a son, Marlon. Whilst in Japan on business she makes a split second decision to ‘stray’, a very bad choice in more ways than one as it causes her lovely comfortable life to implode.
The book starts extremely well and pulls you in to the gritty storyline which is told alternately by Tara and Christian. It rapidly becomes extremely creepy and scary as Tara has a stalker who makes provocative threats and rapidly becomes a bloodsucking manipulative and controlling leech. This part of the story is dark and done very realistically. The pace is fast for the most part although there are places where I feel it’s a bit drawn out. There are some very good twists although I’m not entirely convinced a police team would have bought one of them but hey, this is fiction! The characters are good, they’re mostly flawed with the exception of the delightfully gentle Marlon whose choice of reading materials earns a round of applause. Whilst I really like the ‘ties it all up with a bow’ ending I’m not sure it entirely matches the preceding storyline???
Overall, a really good and enjoyable psychological thriller that examines bad choices, harsh life lessons and bitter regrets and loss.
With thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone (Century) for the arc for an honest review.
Rating: really liked it
I think my "awesome book streak" for this week finally came to an end with this one.
This left me feeling annoyed and completely pissed off! It's so upsetting how the events in the plot played out, probably so I could have some sympathy for a lying-cheating-mess of a woman like Tara. Damn. The outcome of this book was so unfair. I didn't like it. It took me a ton of patience to finish this. I hate Tara. I hate how the other characters were written and portrayed to be shallow fillers and diversions.
I would've wanted for one specific character to be left untainted, you know. But nah, the author had to contaminate that person's virtue in order for the protagonist's sin to be taken a little bit lightly, almost justified. What the? Must be nice to have everything and everyone crawl at your feet while you take them all for granted! Really nicely done, Tara.
This review is a personal attack on the main character, I know. I am being petty but the whole 8 hours of reading this was painfully vexing.
Rating: really liked it
Yes, this is written by the same Tony Parsons who brought us the most enjoyable Max Wolfe crime series. But I had to check because this book is so very different! This book is about life, love, loss, infidelity and, yes, murder. Oh, and the benefits of not ignoring your friends.
Tara is happily married to Christian. They have a 5 year old son, Marlon, and Christian is a stay at home dad. Tara started and now manages an online dating agency called Angel Eyes. She goes to a conference in a Tokyo and, it’s the oldest cliché in the book, she meets and sleeps with one of the other attendees - James Caine, an investment banker. By the time Tara leaves his room in the morning she realises she’s made a mistake but thinks if she can avoid him for the remainder of the conference all will be well and they will never have to see each other again - right? Wrong!
James is not given the flick so easily. In fact he aggressively pursues Tara and she becomes quite frightened for herself, her family and her business. She goes as far as to ask her friend Ginger if her husband, Spike, could help - like he helped deter Omar from stalking Ginger. No, forget it it’s too much. Ginger and Tara end up deciding to go together to the hotel where James stays in London to give him an ultimatum. But when they arrive they find him dead on the floor, his skull bashed in. And now everyone is a suspect.
I really quite enjoyed this story. It flowed really well and, although not strictly speaking a thriller, it was certainly a page turner. James was horrible, no question, but by the end of the book I thought none of the characters were blameless. I suppose that’s life, we’ve all done some things were not proud of. But I will leave you with this one thought - if you are going to cheat on your partner, it pays to do your homework first! This book will appeal to those who enjoy psychological thrillers and domestic noir. My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and Tony Parsons for proving a copy for me to review. My opinions are my own. 3.5 stars rounded up.
Rating: really liked it
Superb! Read it....is that enough for a review? 😊
This is a emotion charged read, based around what happens when a wife, for no real reason she can say except she had the chance, has a one night stand with someone she meets in Tokyo at a hotel bar, confident this is a blip in her happy family life and not wanting it to be anymore than that and genuinely not doing it for any motive, she loves her husband, son, career and life, it really is a spur of the moment rash decision that wont haunt her
How wrong she is, as she returns to her family the man follows her, and he follows her into every bit of her life, she is horrified and as his manipulation increases so do the stakes for Tara, and then, well, then the book really starts..
Immersive and frantic yet at times reflective and poignant this book is everything I didn’’t expect mingled with a host of characters that I didn’t really like ( inc Tara ) but for once this didn’t hinder the read it enhanced it
I cant quite explain the brutality yet tenderness of this book at different times but can say it will stay with you and its one of my top reads of the year.
Maybe Superb....read it really does sum it up better!
10/10
5 Stars
Rating: really liked it
I am a huge fan of all of Tony Parsons novels but this one takes the cake, absolutely his best work. I recommend you get this one in your hands or on your tablet asap! Tony writes so well and always is able to draw you in and keep you attentive and on the edge of your seat. This one is no exception.
A wife makes a terrible mistake. There is no going back. Life is never going to be the same again and chaos flows. You have to read it to believe it. From one bad choice how many ripples impact her world will be regretted and as a reader even I did not see what was coming.
This is a taut psychological thriller that intrigues and left me panting for the final ending. Each twist and turn was deftly done and takes the reader on a crazy ride. I felt that the characters were really well done and the storyline smooth, I didn't miss a beat reading this over a few hours cover to cover.
In one night, one bad decision to stray from her husband. Nobody gets hurt right? Wrong...her one-night stand is not willing to let her go and he is coming into her world whether she likes it or not. This is stalker territory at it's worst. How can she protect her world from what she has done? It's not going to end pretty. Tony portrayed our stalker very darkly and I could imagine the emotions Tara was experiencing as he infiltrates her world and plays games with everything she holds dear.
A brilliant psychological thriller that delivers everything a good novel should. A big five stars from me!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. All opinions are my own and totally unbiased. Thanks for reading my review! Join me as a friend or follower and feel free to browse my shelves for your next great book!
You will always get very honest reviews from me. Remember..a book a day keeps brain fog away. 😻
Rating: really liked it
Tara Carver is a successful business woman, she created an online dating app. She is happily married to Christian and they have a 5 year old son Marlon.
Life is rosy until she goes to Japan for a business meeting and in the spur of the moment, makes a rash decision to sleep with a stranger. But what happens in Tokyo does not stay in Tokyo as she soon finds out!!
She returns home hoping to put this mistake behind her, she loves her husband, they have a great life together and she does not want to jeopardise their marriage .. but the damage is already done!!
Her one night stand wants more from her and will not take no for an answer. He is following and manipulating Tara and she is terrified her shocking secret will destroy her and her families lives.
A gripping read that is full of twists. An excellent psychological thriller that I would 100% recommend.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
Rating: really liked it
Tony Parsons is the well known author of the Sunday Times bestselling crime series Max Wolfe and the multi million selling novel “Man and Boy”.
Parson’s latest novel is a gripping stand-alone thriller. “Your Neighbour’s Wife” is a love story and a murder story all wrapped up in a psychological thriller, that the author has executed perfectly. It’s obvious this novel has been written with passion and as he admits himself, not all good stories can be written within the one genre. This book is a prime example of that and with clever writing, intriguing characters and a twisty, turning plot, it’s so easy to become engrossed in this page-turning thriller.
Having the perfect life, Tara Carver a loving mother and wife with her own successful business, makes the biggest mistake of her life. After sleeping with a married man whilst on a business trip in Tokyo, she’s unable to shake the one night off when the man insists on a serious relationship with her. On returning home, he won’t leave her or her loving family alone until she agrees. How will she escape his clutches?And will it involve murder?
This book was very difficult to put down and explores the very realistic devastation an illicit one night stand can cause and it’s consequences. I could picture each scene clearly due to the excellent storytelling and I’m sure this would make a fabulous movie. Happily recommended and I look forward to reading the Max Wolfe series, that I already have to read.
4 stars
Rating: really liked it
What do you do when your perfect life spins out of control. Tara Carver seems to have the perfect life. She's a loving mother, wife and a business woman who runs her own company. Bur what sor of woman is she really? Because in one night of maness, she puts all this at risk. Suddenly her dream life becomes becomes a living nightmare.
The first half of this bok was gripping but it seemed a little far fetched in the second half. Tara ia a sucessful business woman while her husband, Christian, becomes a house husband. Tara goes away on a business trip and makes a huge mistake by having a one night stand. Some but not all of the story was predictabe. The characters were flawed. There's a few red herrings thrown in to try and keep you off the scent. The pace is fast in the first part of the book then it dips a bit in the middle. Thankfully it picks back up it picks back up again as we race towards the end.
I wold like to thank #NetGalley, #RandomhousUK #Cornerstone and the author #TonyParsons for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: really liked it
Oh my goodness what a great, thrilling book. I’ve read Tony Parson’s books before and devoured them in a day this one although completely different from his usual D C Wolf series was just as good if not better. It had twists and turns and at times was creepy. This would make a great film. At times I got exasperated with Tara as she was so lame and a little spoilt but, on the whole the book just gave me everything in a thriller.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.
Rating: really liked it
Your Neighbour’s Wife is the latest standalone psychological thriller from bestseller Tony Parsons and details the trials and tribulations of a once-happy family after infidelity. Tara Carver and her husband Christian are seemingly happily married thirty-something's who met as young, passionate music journalists who bagged their job due to being good at stringing sentences together and looking cool in a leather jacket, but by twenty-five Tara found that the work all but dried up with the inevitable decline in print media and she found a way to reinvent the wheel. This shift away from traditional printing also happened to coincide with the rise of internet dating sites and using her instincts Tara ploughed everything into making her site, Angel Eyes, a successful online dating company and app while Christian was the one who chose to become a stay at home dad to their five-year-old son Marlon and their energetic yellow Labrador Buddy. She soon comes to the realisation that it's all merely a facade and during a business trip to Tokyo, Japan, to attend a conference she let's a moment of weakness overcome her. Her British Airways ticket had been paid for by the organisers as had the two night stay in a junior suite at the Park Hyatt Hotel and after her presentation is over she ends up sleeping with James Caine, and of all the men she could have chosen to be indiscreet with she couldn't have picked anyone worse.
Caine is an arrogant, obnoxious, wealthy and powerful older man who is a narcissistic manipulator and who wouldn't bat an eyelid if he felt like informing Christian of her misdeeds and wrecking a family. She's constantly on edge worried about what he might reveal and when, and that's all before the problem she has with a newly-started blog whose readership is growing exponentially and their sole topic of conversation happens to be about all of the toxic men that women have met via her site and app, which is hitting her squarely in the pocket. It all culminates in a body being found and the trail leading right to Tara's door. Who is it and who exactly has it in for her and her family this much they would go to these lengths? This is a riveting and compulsive domestic thriller that is not done justice by the synopsis; it sounds a lot like many other family-based dramas, but don't let that fool you as it is far superior. Parsons's intricate details make this a spine-chilling read with enough intensity, action, twists and emotion to keep you reading until the sun comes up and his ability to pull the wool over your eyes as you're reading was astonishing and a real pleasure. It's very much a character-driven tale that moves at a rapid pace with the tension gradually rising as the pages turn. I can genuinely say that when it started to all unravel I didn't see what was coming until it actually blindsided me. An epic must read for crime fans. Highly recommended.
Rating: really liked it
This is definitely a 50/50 review, as in I sort of enjoyed the first half but less so the second half!
The first half was well paced and had twists and turns that kept me intrigued and interested but the second half seemed to lose all momentum.
I couldnt connect or understand the motives of the family. As a mother why in the hell would she put her family at risk? I also felt that there were too many 'filler' characters, just placed there for random plot reasons. The characters if anything just irritated me.
I've always enjoyed Tony Parsons previous books but this just didnt hit the notes I was expecting sadly.
Thanks to netgalley and Random House UK/Cornerstone for the ARC.
Rating: really liked it
Tara Carver seems to have the perfect life. A loving mother and wife, and a business woman who runs her own company. But, one night of madness, on a work trip far from home, she puts all this at risk.
And suddenly her dream life becomes a living nightmare when the married man she spent one night with tells her he wants a serious relationship with her. And that he won’t leave her or her precious family alone until she agrees.
There seems to be only one way out. And it involves murder.
It was good read but I am actually confused about how I feel about it as a whole.
Initially I was engrossed in the plot because it was intriguing. Tara is happily married but that doesn’t stop her from having a one-night stand with a complete stranger who then becomes her worst nightmare. James Caine is one of the creepiest stalkers I have read about. He has no problem in wrecking Tara’s life to achieve what he wants, i.e., Tara.
I went on reading because I was eager to find out how Tara would deal with James to protect her family and career and also to what extent James would go to destroy it all. It was definitely tension filled.
But once I finished reading the book, I found myself ending up finding too many loopholes in the plot. I started to question the actions of most of characters especially James’s wife, she was one weird lady. Also, I didn’t quite understand the ending.
So, the plot, in spite of having some good twists it did lack a bit of reality.
Thank You NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for this ARC!
Rating: really liked it
Tara has the perfect family, the perfect husband, the perfect job, the perfect life. One moment of passion threatens to change this forever, when they don't want to let Tara go. Now Tara has to decide, how far is she willing to go, to protect her family from her mistakes?
This is the first I have read by this author, and what a fantastic first one to read! I loved the twists, the pages that just oozed tension and kept me gripped. I can't say too much, as I don't want to give anything away that could spoil this book and make it have a less impact. Definitely read this book!
