Meilužės kerštas

by Tamar Cohen, Violeta Karpavičienė (Translator)

Penkerius metus Selė ir Klaivas mėgaujasi slaptais ir aistringais susitikimais, apie kuriuos nieko neįtaria nei Selės gyvenimo draugas, nei Klaivo žmona. Tačiau vieną dieną Klaivas nusprendžia, kad jam per sunku apgaudinėti mylinčią žmoną, todėl slaptų pasimatymų daugiau nebebus. Nuo šiol jis atsiduos tik žmonai ir šeimai. Bus geriausia, jei taip padarys ir Selė.

Bet šios žinios priblokštos Selės planai šiek tiek kitokie. Iš pradžių ji „visai atsitiktinai“ atsiduria prie Klaivo namų, paskui lyg tarp kitko užsuka į kavinę, kurioje dirba jo sūnus, galiausiai labai susibičiuliauja su buvusio meilužio žmona ir dukra.

Bet čia juk nieko tokio? Tai tik nekaltas bendravimas? O galiausiai kaip pačios Selės šeima?

Klaivo grįžimu į šeimą turėjusi pasibaigti slaptų meilužių istorija sulaukia tęsinio, o jos pabaiga bus labai netikėta...

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Romance, Thriller, Womens Fiction, Book Club

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Tamar Cohen is a freelance journalist who lives in London with her partner and three teenage children.

Reviews

[Maxine (Booklover Catlady) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this was a surprise! After very mixed reviews I was expecting a mediocre book, but no, this is a clever, dark and brilliant book. I loved it. The ending was mind blowing too.

Sally is the female protagonist and the entire book is written from her perspective, I loved getting into her mind, I liked the book format unlike others. It doesn't have chapters either, just section breaks but I didn't care, I was hooked.

Sally and Clive are both married and had an affair for years then it ended. The book focuses on Sally's journey psychologically and in the world of how she copes (or not) with the end of the affair. The book is so honest, tackling very real issues surrounding marriage, infidelity, consequences, revenge, mental health and human nature.

I loved reading her journey, at times shocking, others times subtle, as a reader I had mixed feelings towards her. Her life is in free fall, it's a bit of a train wreck but she carries on.

It's worth pushing past the first quarter of this book which was good, but when it really gets going it just sucks you in. The ending I did not see coming, not once.

If you like a book with a lot of psychological twists and are an avid lover of books that tackle everyday issues in a brutally honest way then you'd like this. I think the writing was clever and slick and engaging. 4.5 stars.

[Jan Norton · Rating 1 out of 5]

I sooooo wanted to like this book. I was so excited when I got a pre release copy and eagerly awaited it's delivery. The description on the back cover sounded great - just the kind of book I enjoy. However, it just didn't deliver.

The book is written from the point of Sally "the mistress" in an affair that has just ended. The book is her journal and is written from her point of view. Sally is a sad, unlikeable, pathetic, self-centered character who drones on and on about herself. Clive, the married man who jilted her, is equally unlikeable. When he breaks up with Sally, he has no idea that she won't just let him go, as his previous affairs have. As she spirals out of control, he threatens her and tries to destroy her in order to get her to leave him alone. The more he does, the more pathetic Sally becomes, to the point of not bathing, not cleaning her home, and emotionally & financially destroying her own family and those who loved her.

In the end she ends up being admitted to a mental facility, and Clive ends up in prison. The end was nearly as depressing as all the proceeding pages.

I actually liked the authors writing style, descriptions and believe she has a great talent as an author. I just don't think anyone wants to read a book where none of the people in the story have any redeeming character.

[Cher 'N Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars - It was alright, an average book.

An interesting character study in which you essentially follow the main character's descent into mental instability due to heartbreak and depression following the after effects of poor choices.

I found it rather insightful regarding why people may do "crazy things" after break-ups, as you see why the MC does the things she does and her reasoning (often irrational) for such.

On the other hand, there is much bitterness and vitriol in the book which makes it unpleasant at times to read. The beginning was great, but the rest of the book felt a bit slow, as if the inevitable ending was being drug out for as long as possible. All in all, a worthwhile, but mixed reading experience. I think this would have been an excellent short story or novella, but was a bit too drawn out and incessantly depressing for novel length.

-------------------------------------------
Favorite Quote: People don't change. The world carries on spinning inexorably around but people don't spin with it. They dig their heels into the shifting sand and cling on for dear life.

First Sentence: Let me start by explaining.

[Yvonne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although both Sally and Clive have partners and children, they embark on a five-year elicit love affair. When Clive ends the relationship, Sally doesn’t want to let go. She becomes so obsessed, she allows her whole life to crumble.

I couldn’t help but wonder if this was going to be just another formulaic female stalker novel, à la Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction. Other than being told in the first person through Sally’s journal entries, would The Mistress’s Revenge have anything new to offer?

The writing was good, though sometimes confusing as Sally loses her grip, yet the story was intriguing enough that I found myself wanting to know how it ended. I have to admit I had a hard time connecting with the main character -- yeah, she had a pretty good sense-of-humor, but she was way too selfish for me to invest in/care about. But the book did have a twist surprise ending that I never saw coming, which is always a good thing, in my opinion.

This is Ms. Cohen’s first novel and her work has lots of potential. I just hope her next book has characters I actually like. A better title would be good too.

2 1/2 stars

[Tracy Fenton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very difficult book to review... whilst I found the writing wonderful and the humour was great - this is a book with a central character I just did not like at all. Unhinged and selfish but nevertheless I could not put this down. It's one of those books that you read with dread and butterflies in your tummy as you know something bad will happen. I will definitely be reading her other books soon.

[Cathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

The actual story was nothing like the book cover described! This made it seem light-hearted, perhaps humor peppered throughout. What it should have said-this book follows a mistress that was dumped after a 5 year affair, suffering from severe depression through the entire book. She did not extract any revenge, just a few desperate attempts to stay in his life. He extracted revenge against her, systematically destroying her life after breaking her heart. Kept thinking she was going to pull herself up and take charge. Also, you have to enjoy English authors, and the phrases used, eg-she lived in a terrace.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book & was thrilled...and what a great read it was. Very different story line loved how it was written by the 'scorned' woman Sally,what a bunny boiler!!! She made me so angry how she neglected her kids-every mother reading this will feel the same. Very unexpected twist at the end which I couldn't put down until I'd finished-resulting in me neglecting my kids breakfast!lol!
Very well done Tamar-cracking book I strongly recommend :0))

[Jadaloves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow…REALLY!? Just WOW! I totally and completely enjoyed this book and found myself immersed in it from the very first word. I must have hit the different book jackpot because The Mistress’s Revenge is also unique in that it is told completely through Sally’s journals. And her journal entries took on the form of letters to Clive Gooding, the man she was having a long term affair with.

From the beginning Sally pulls you into her head and takes you on a gripping and intense ride through her life as she slowly but surely becomes unhinged. Clive promises Sally the world, as people tend to do when having an affair, and renigs on everything after five years, saying his wife deserves another chance and he wants to make it work. Sally can’t fathom he means it and slowly begins to insert herself in his life in ways he never dreamed. At first it seems its just a game. A situation or circumstance to use to try and draw Clive back to her or have contact with him in anyway she can. Even if he only reaches out in exasperation, fear, or anger. But eventually Sally loses her already wavering grasp on reality and has convinced herself of certain things that couldn’t be further from the truth. Though she seems to have all her faculties, Sally is slowly unraveling.

She becomes delusional and beyond obsessed to the point where everyone and everything becomes a non-entity. She severely neglects her children and life mate, she no longer works, lets her bills pile up, and lets the misery wash over her like a wave. It was really quite sad and heart wrenching to read. On one hand you feel sorry for her, but on the other you’re like, this is the spoils of dating and falling for a married man. He was never really yours to begin with. She becomes completely self-absorbed and selfish. There were quite a few times I wanted slap her or shake her and scream for her to WAKE UP! It was like she got to know everything about Clive to eventually find that she never really knew him at all.

I never thought I’d be able to know all the characters so intimately through just the warped mind of Sally. But even though she becomes increasingly unstable, she’s actually still very intelligent, thoughtful, and observant. I got a good sense of each and every character, all told through the mind of one Sally Islip. The book was really beautifully written and excellently crafted and put together by Cohen. And it is written in such a way that you have to know what Sally will do next.

Even the ending is an intense surprise. I dare say it did not end the way I expected, or even the way the reader is sort of led to believe. There is a nice little twist that I think the readers will enjoy, and I especially love how everything comes full circle. This was an absolutely STUNNING debut novel for Cohen, and it is definitely worth a read. Go get your copy today!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a title like The Mistress's Revenge, I really wasn't sure what to expect - the title reminds me of the pile of Mills and Boons that my Mum would have stacked by her bed when I was growing up. Please, don't be put off by the title!! This is as far away from mushy romance as you can get.
The story is narrated by Sally - it's a rambling narrative and she is speaking directly to Clive, her ex-lover. Sally and Clive have been having an affair for five years, he's married and a TV presenter, she lives with her long-term partner Daniel and their two children.
At first I found the style and the content very difficult to get into, I just couldn't connect with Sally at all and just got annoyed by her incessant pestering of Clive, her obsession with him and her neglect of her family. Gradually though I felt myself being pulled into her life and by the middle of the book I was hooked and just couldn't stop reading.
Sally's whole life begins to fall apart around her, she watches Clive and his family via the Internet, friending his wife and daughter on Facebook and 'accidentally' bumping into his son. There is an air of desperation around Sally - she can't see a life without Clive and can't understand why he no longer wants anything to do with her - didn't he tell her he loved her? Didn't they spend many many hours in nondescript hotel rooms?
As Sally becomes more obsessed with Clive, she spends less and less time caring for her family, her children are abandoned, her partner has no idea what is happening to her, her work dries up and she becomes more and more dependent on tablets just to get her through each day.
Sally watches Clive and his wife Susan renew their wedding vows, she manages to get an invitation to his daughter's baby shower, she just can't stay away from them.
This is an extraordinary novel, unique in style and a compelling read - Sally and Clive are both pretty obnoxious characters at times, but even so I needed to know how this sad and sordid relationship was going to end. And it's the end of the novel that bring that 'jaw-dropping' moment - just when you think you've worked it all out, it all turns upside down - shocking and unexpected and a fabulous finale.
Tamar Cohen has produced a quirky, original novel and I'm hoping that this is just the start of a successful career as a fiction author for her.

[l · Rating 1 out of 5]

For more reviews check out my blog, Thoughts of a Fashionista!

I can honestly say that this book was like nothing I'd ever read before...and I'm not sure if that was a good thing. No matter how much Sally empathized with the people in the world around her, I could never form any type of connection with the main character. The journal-like format of the book forces the reader to spend too much time in Sally's head and, for me personally, this close connection forged a relationship of annoyance on my part towards the spineless woman who defined her life around the approval of a man. Gag!

Narration would have been a welcome break--as would chapters. This entire book was void of chapters. I couldn't stand it. Even date headings would have sufficed. I felt that I was back in school, forced to muscle my through books that failed to hold my interest. Since I was given the ARC, I felt obligated to finish the book. Towards the end, I was pleasantly surprised because it got interesting and dramatic. I actually wanted to know what was going to happen next. The book was turning into a bit of a modern day version of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper. At that point, I thought the book was going the more literary merit route rather mass pleasing route, which I appreciated.

But unfortunately, I was disappointed. I felt that at the very end Cohen tried to please the masses and it didn't work. I felt that the "revenge" in this novel was a let down and uninspired. And rather than actively seeking her revenge, which is what I assumed the novel would be about from the title, this book is more about Sally wallowing in her emotions while annoying the heck out of Clive, his family, and ME.

Maybe I'm being a bit harsh but I really didn't like this book. I wouldn't have purchased this book with my own money. I know that some people liked it, comparing it to Fatal Attraction, but personally it wasn't my cup of tea. I'd rather read something that made me laugh or cry. Or at least something that will make me not want to rip my hair out in boredom.

[Cleopatra Pullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tamar Cohen's debut is written with real style and some very dark humour. The story is that of a married woman who has recently been dumped by her married lover, she starts a journal on her therapist's advice that she should be "journalling her emotions" Sally's aside is "Did you know journal is a verb now?"
The journal follows Sally through her steady descent into madness as she obsesses over the things Clive said to her and his responses (he does respond to her desperate efforts to get in touch, sometimes.) "I meant everything I said to you. At the time"!! Sally's reflections are darkly funny because we have all heard these phrases either first or second hand.

As I read the journal I was transported to many conversations with friends over the years, the need to go over every word said, every look interpreted etc. etc.

As the journal continues Sally meets up with Clive's wife and daughter and these meetings and conversations are mulled over along with how she imagines Clive will react to hearing about the meetings. Sally builds up to tracking Clive's children and his wife as covertly as possible including checking their facebook status updates constantly.

Sally is so obsessed with Clive and his life that she becomes increasingly distanced from her husband, and more shockingly, her children, she just doesn't comprehend how ridiculously she is behaving.

I did feel that this book could have been just a fraction shorter but I loved the ending! I won't spoil it but again the author had captured the difference time can make to feelings.

Tamar Cohen's debut novel is well worth the read, I will miss the freshness of the writing. This isn't fatal attraction, it is far more subtle and clever than that was.

I received a copy of this book from Amazon Vine in return for an honest review.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sally and Clive had an affair for five years. Sally can remember the night that Clive told her that the affair was over. She had arrived at the restaurant for dinner and she had barely one arm out of her sleeve when Clive informed her that he was giving his wife another chance. Things just go from bad to worse Sally writes Clive and than she becomes friends on facebook with Clive’s wife and daughter. As if that was not bad enough, Sally even goes to the coffee shop that Clive’s son works at. Soon, Sally is having lunch with Clive’s wife and daughter. She even learns that Clive’s daughter is expecting her first child. How do you stop someone, who is bent on destroying you?

This book is told in the first person by Sally. She tells everything as if she was writing journal entries and explaining why she does the things she does. While I found this book to be creepy in a good way, I didn’t like Clive anyways and thus did not care what Sally did to him or his family. His wife was self centered and deserved Clive. I could kind of understand why Sally felt the way she did and her actions. Five years to be seeing someone, only to have them drop you would be heart breaking. Though, I saw nothing in Clive that made him appealing for Sally to keep stalking his family and him. The Mistress’s Revenge is the first book from author, Tamar Cohen. I did find this book to be the best revenge that could have ever happened to a nicer guy. Be careful what you sow!

[Amanda J · Rating 2 out of 5]

Billed as "fiery, passionate, [and] engrossing" I couldn't help but think this would be a fast paced provocative read about a mistress who takes revenge on the man with whom she had an illicit affair. Unfortunately the most captivating writing is the blurb on the back cover. The title "The Mistress's Revenge" implies that there will be plenty of vengeful action - but this book is actually about inaction, the inability to move on from a bad relationship, rather to wallow in its shattered remains. Page after page is filled with the epistolary rantings of a jilted lover spiraling into a deep depression. It is true that the author takes the reader on a journey inside the mind of obsessed mistress, but that is not a place one wants to inhabit with no escape for over 250 pages. The reader - like the protagonist - is seemingly trapped in an endless exploration of the emotions associated with unrequited love.


In compliance with FTC guidelines, I am required to disclose that I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads Program.

[Donna McBroom-Theriot · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a book begins the way this one did, you begin to feel the suspense on the very first page. By the end of the first page, (see quotes above) I could hear eerie music playing in my mind and the beating of my heart in my ears. I was starting to hear the voice of Glenn Close as Sally and Kirk Douglas as Clive. In fact, the more I read, the more I could hear the matter of fact voice of Glenn Close speaking to me. I found myself holding my breath as I was reading so I did not miss anything.
I am going to be overusing the word “wicked” in this review. This book was wicked, wicked, wicked! I only watched Fatal Attraction one time (believe me, that was enough for my VERY active imagination) and it scared me witless. This book did the same thing. It is scary to think of all the ways we can stalk a person today.It used to be if you were stalking someone, you would just follow him or her around and hope they didn’t turn around and see you. Now, we have Face book and Twitter, there are book review sites and blogs, the list is endless. Someone could stalk you and unless the peson reached out and threatened you, you may never find out.
I love to read memoirs and although this book is fiction, it could be a memoir. Sally tells her story in first person as though she were having a conversation with Clive. The story derives from the journals her therapist suggests she start to help her overcome her feelings and put the past to rest. Instead of propelling Sally down the path to recovery, the journals accelerate her voyage into depression and obsession. She becomes consumed with anger and love for Clive. She channels her obsession with him into friendship with his wife and daughter, involving herself in their lives as much as possible, while ignoring her own family.
Sally is so distracted by her obsession and grief that she is blind to the destruction and havoc she is wreaking on her own children and life-partner. Her selfishness is uncanny.
While we rarely hear of a woman breaking off an affair, men suddenly seem to have a need to clear their conscience and appear to have no problem ending an affair. Maybe it is the need to clear their lives of clutter to be free to engage in other affairs. This seems to be Clive’s pattern. The question of does the person breaking off the relationship ever take the time to think of how it will affect the other person who has invested so much of themselves? This book brings to light not only the “upside” if you will, but also the downside of affairs.
I loved that the characters and their spouses were friends. This little tidbit led to the enjoyment of making Clive squirm when forced to attend functions with Siiiillllllyyyyy Saaalllllyyyy, as Sally refers to herself throughout the book. It is eerie to follow Sally’s slip from reality as we see how far she goes to justify her actions to remain in Clive’s life.
It is frightening to see a normally clever and intelligent woman loose her grip on reality. It leaves you wondering if you would react in the same way if you were in her position. Would you lose your grip on reality like Sally does or are you stronger? The mind is a precarious thing and sometimes our actions astonish us.
The book’s ending was a complete surprise and I have to admit that I jumped to the end at one point. I am ashamed to admit I did that (I had finally broken the habit) but after doing so, I had to finish the book to see how the ending came about.
I have toyed with the idea of writing my memoir but I am not good at dialogue. This book has given me an idea of how to write it. Sally journals her thoughts and her stories and therefore does not need actual dialogue; and this is the way I write. I think it is time for me to finish this review and begin my own story. Thanks Tamar for not only a tantalizing book but for the writing lesson it revealed to me.

[Book Him Danno · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started this book and then immediately did not like the way it was written. It reminded me of how someone talks when they do not want to be interrupted or answered: they just want you to listen to their woes. Their talking is annoying and self satisfying only, that is the kind of individual that I would not choose to be friends with for any length of time. But, as I read further the writing annoyed me less and less. I realized it was letters she was writing, but come on it was annoying.

*Spoiler Alert * The story itself was depressing and sad, how many lives were damaged by this affair? I realize that Sally had a mental breakdown and that is what was ruining her life and those lives around her, but Clive was no better. Clive had had countless affairs and broken many hearts, thank heaven one finally caught up with him. How much damage can one person do?

The families that were hurt made me sad, I didn’t care for the story and the problems Sally encountered. She was her own worst enemy. Fatal attraction was never one of my favorite movies so I’m not surprised I didn’t really care for this book. Like I said before, the writing turned me off at the start but improved with time. I did find it interesting how easy it would be to stalk someone now days with all the social networking we all do.

Revenge is a dish best served cold, or so I’ve heard and Sally is quite cold in this book.

[Bonnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was definitely a strange one.

Written in journal form (first-person) this was difficult to get into at first because since it's from Sally's point of view and Sally is literally going insane and you can't help but want to slap some sense into her it's a bit rough going at first. At least it was for me.

So, the gist of the story is Sally was having an affair with this guy Clive for the past 5 years but as this type of story typically goes, Clive dumps her to spend more time and focus on his real family. That's about the time when she starts losing her marbles. She pretty much starts stalking him in real-life and on Facebook as well and I realize it's supposed to be sardonic but it was bordering on pathetic.

The thing that bothered me the most about this was that if you had asked me after I had read the summary how old I think the main character is I would easily say late 20's/early 30's. The type of thinking that she's lost her only chance at happiness was quite immature. Well, I would have been wrong. Dead wrong. Sally is in her mid-40's. She has kids and a devoted partner and pretty much neglected them all and spent all her free time plotting revenge. I understand this is meant to be 'dark humor' but it was sad and I really felt sorry for the poor woman. I sure hope that when I'm in my mid-40's I have a higher sense of self-worth than she did.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sally has a problem and her therapist thinks that "journaling" about is will help. Her problem is that after five years, Clive has ended their affair. He wants to give his marriage and family another try. But, Sally can't let it go. It didn't matter that her affair overlapped her relationship with Daniel, or that Clive was a married man with children. He left her, deserted her, and she needed resolution. She couldn't be the only one feeling this pain. So, Sally begins to ingratiate herself into Clive's family with things like going to his son's place of employment, having lunch with his wife and daughter, and using Facebook. Will Sally resolve her feelings before hurting others? What happened to Daniel? What will be the resolution to the stalking? Come read Sally's journal and find out.

I really didn't enjoy this book very much. It was creepy and I felt like I was eavesdropping on Sally's journey to losing her mind. The choices made by the adults affected the children just as it happens in real life, yet the wrong choices kept being made. Ms. Cohen definitely has a wonderful way with words and I will be watching for more of her work. This is just not the book for me. I received my free copy from her publisher, Simon and Schuster, and thank them for it.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this through the Advanced Readers. This one was a tough for me to get through. I really like the ending, but I found the book to be a little slow. It wasn't really the page turner I was expecting. I found it a little slow and kinda painful because I like to emerse myself in the main character, but this one I really couldn't. I have never had that kind of obsessive love and it was painful for me to feel it through the main character. I wanted there to be SOOOO much more Revenge than just what was at the end. Sally tormented him in small tiny ways... I really wanted her to make it a full out revenge. I wanted her to use his pain as her "gain" (help dig herself out) but she really just kept falling deeper and deeper into her own depression. I truly felt sorry for her for believing such an obvious a88hole.
I gave the book 3 stars because although this wasn't the book for me, I think there are a lot of women that will love it, and will truly sympathize with Sally. I like the ending and truly like the writing style of letters/diary to the ex-lover.

[Tmstprc]

DNF at 10%. Her journal style was too convoluted for me.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recieved this book as an ARC giveaway from Goodreads/Simon & Schuster.
Starting the novel I knew I would have absolutely no sympathy for Sally. She has an affair with a married man with three children - while she was living for several years with her two children and their father. The couples were friends socially. I had a little difficulty getting into the flow of the "letter" style, but was comfortable after several pages.
Reading this novel was like watching a train you knew was going to derail, but you couldn't look away! The trauma just got worse and worse. Sally was seeing a therapist and quickly learned to say exactly what the therapist wanted to hear. She was given anti-depressants, and dutifully returned to the Dr. for higher and higher doses. Adding alcohol and medications from "friends" was the beginning of her slide . Sally fell deeper and deeper into the tunnel of despair. A quote I thought was very telling was "Just when I think your done taking everything from me, you take more".
Sally becomes totally detached from herself, and her family. Will not do "spoilers" but the ending has quite a twist. Another quote that foretold what was to come, "I only want whats mine. If I can't have whats mine, I'll take yours".
I'm grateful to Goodreads and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this book. I probably would not have chosen it on my own. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and even resented that we were going to a friends house for dinner and couldn't finish it. I was totally taken with the story and would recommend it.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I almost gave up on this book but I felt that I should continue to read it because it was a first reads giveaway. The writing style was annoying pretty much from the start. It is a story about a woman who is dumped by her married lover after a five year affair. The story is written as a journal that the main character is keeping to help with her recovery during therapy. She rambles too much and fills her journal with snide little asides that became distracting after a while. I would have enjoyed the story more if it was written as a standard narrative. Sally was a horrible, selfish, self-centered, destructive woman and Clive wasn't any better. Basically, they deserved each other. I gave it two stars instead of one because, even though I really didn't like the book, I did finally get pulled in enough to finish. It was like a bus crash where you just keep rubber-necking to see as much blood as possible.

[Allison · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was so incredibly boring I could barely get through it. Page after page of the main character babbling on an on about her obsession with a man only to find there's never actually any revenge happening, as the title lead me to believe.
The journal style made it impossible to get a break from the main character, Sally, who was surprisingly UNlikable. I kept forging ahead waiting for the "twist" ending I read about in other reviews, but was disappointed. Veeery disappointed. I struggle to even call it a twist. I had tons of theories about what could be coming and sadly all of them would have been better than the actual ending.
I'm writing this review mostly to remind myself to never accidentally read this book second time.

[Heather W · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars - I audiobooked this one, and felt tht it translated well to an audio book and I would have found it difficult to read as a physical book. I really felt for Sally throughout, as I felt that she was treated badly by Clive. The reveals about Clive's personality and behaviours were not surprising but still shocking. I also felt for Daniel and was glad about the ending to his character arc. I loved Susan as a character (she could do so much better than Clive) and felt sorry for her throughout as well. The twist at the end was brilliant and I loved it. I love this author and really enjoyed this book. Highly recommend

[Katie Pesznecker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Narrator Sally completely unravels after her lover calls off their 5-year affair to refocus on his marriage. But I struggled to care. Sally is unsympathetic, narcissistic, totally disassociated from the impact her actions have had on her husband and kids. If she'd been just a shred more relatable, this could have been a really good book -- about how a logical person can become completely irrational and obsessed when passion is yanked out from under his/her feet. But I found it really hard to care about where it all ended up because she was just such an unlikable person.

[Sara Eames · Rating 5 out of 5]

A roller-coaster of a thriller with a twist that, for once, I really didn't see coming. Be warned, however, certain aspects of this book are not for the faint-hearted (in particular, the scene with the banana - which will take me a long time to get over ;) ) and there is an awful lot of strong swearing (which I don't like). The book really lends itself to an audio book as it is mainly an woman's journal - which works well being read out loud. Apart from the previous points, I would recommend this book to any fans of Tamar Cohen and anyone who enjoys a good thriller.

[christine spurrier · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book to be ok but not great I found it weird that it didn’t have chapters and was just continuous I started getting a bit more into it just over halfway through but it wasn’t one of my favourite books

[Roxanne Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent enough thriller. Perhaps a little predictable. My main issue was the fact it had no chapters! Definitely a distraction and point of annoyance for me personally.

[Lainy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 346

Publisher - Black Swan

Blurb from Goodreads

You think you are rid of me. You think you have drawn a line under the whole affair. You are so, so wrong.

For five years, Sally and Clive have been lost in a passionate affair. Now he has dumped her, to devote himself to his wife and family, and Sally is left in freefall.

It starts with a casual stroll past his house, and popping into the brasserie where his son works. Then Sally befriends Clive's wife and daughter on Facebook. But that's all right, isn't it? I mean, they are perfectly normal things to do. Aren't they?

Not since Fatal Attraction has the fallout from an illicit affair been exposed in such a sharp, darkly funny and disturbing way. After all, who doesn't know a normal, perfectly sane woman who has gone a little crazy when her heart was broken?


My Review

Silly Sally, thats what Clive called her. Clive whom she embarked upon a five year affair with, both married, both have children, both linked in each others circles. Now Clive has called time on the affair, Sally is seeing a therapist and keeping diary entries cataloging the affair and how she saw it all. Clive has moved on, Sally just can't let go and this is her story, of her fall from a loving mum, wife and career woman to one who is fully obsessed with her ex and her world is crumbling around her.

Firstly, there are no chapters in this book, there are page breaks, however it is almost a continuous monologue. Told in first person, Sally speaks clearly to Clive in her entries, there are no dates, she just launches in as if she is having a conversation, all one sided of course. Whilst this isn't my favourite type of layout, I think it serves its purpose, casting light onto just another aspect of how obsessive Sally is/has become.

I can't say I liked any of the characters, Sally is hard to like at all, selfish, obsessed, her behaviour and all consuming affair takes over everything. It is hard for the reader to witness the destruction to those around her, and Sally, whilst she is oblivious. I think this was smartly done in that these kind of situations you see the actions but not the insight of the mind or rational of the individual.

Whilst this was hard to read in parts it was hard to put down, understanding just how Clive managed to get Sally to that state, by manipulation and his actions was quite an insight. Whilst this is a work of fiction I am sure people can identify seeing behaviours like this with friends or family. Going by reviews, this is a marmite book, I think it was very well done however with such unlikeable characters one may require something lighter after finishing this. 4/5 for me this time, I have read Cohen before and I would read her again.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book through the Good Reads First Reads contest.

As I was heading out the door to a dentist appointment this morning, I decided to grab this to read while I was in the waiting room. Little did I know that I would end up spending my entire reading this book since I couldn't put it down once I was drawn into the demented world of a scorned woman as she begins to insinuate herself into her ex-lover's life.

Sally, though she has her mate Daniel and two children, is willing to give up everything she has just to have Clive in her life. For the last 5 years, her and Clive have been having an affair right underneath everyone's noses. But when Clive ends the affair, claiming he could not continue to hurt Susan (his wife), Sally refuses to let him cut her out of his life, even though her therapist tries to get Sally to sever those ties.

As part of her therapy, Sally begins journaling her thoughts, and her journal is written as if she is speaking to "Clive", just like old times, except instead of emailing him these thoughts, she is writing them in a journal. As she writes, we, as readers, can see her spiraling out of control as she starts insinuating herself into the lifes of his wife Susan, then his daughter, then his son, all in an attempt to get some sort of reaction out of Clive. The blurb calls this the Fatal Attraction of the Facebook era, and that is probably the closest comparrison that I could come up with to explain what type of story this is. It really isn't a "romance", its more of an 'after the romance', it really isn't a 'thriller' where there is tons of intense action - but definately a psychological thriller.

I gave this a 4 out of 5 rating. While I loved the premise for the book and the storyline kept me turning the pages over and over again, I was somewhat confused at the end and kept wondering if I missed something as it just seems to jump, but doesn't really explain all that much about what exactly happened - so I feel as if there is something there that I missed.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

At the first few pages, I wasn't sure I was going to like this book. I tend to read books about people my own age. However, it turned out to be really interesting. I loved the story itself, but I absolutely hated the characters.

Clive is a cheating husband. I disliked him so much. Sally went on about how much she loved him, but I had no idea why she was so obsessed. He wasn't at all physically attractive and he was a terrible person— self absorbed, unfaithful, etc. He'd go on for pages about how he wanted Sally to leave him alone and then sleep with her.

Sally is a woman that's been dumped by her married 'boyfriend'. At first, I felt sorry for her. I really did. Even though she was a home-wrecker, she had been unceremoniously dumped after a five year affair. After a while though, her self-pity became grating. Anyone who's dumped has the right to cry and feel terrible, but eventually you HAVE to move on. Clive obviously wanted nothing to do with her, yet she continued to harrass him, convinced that he still wanted to be with her. She went from normal post dumping mourning to full-out stalker behavior. She started befriending his wife, Susan. Then she facebooked his kids. And next thing you know she was standing outside his house during the night. I just wanted to smack her and say 'get over him already'. It was just pathetic how out of control her life spiraled. I felt even worse for Sally's boyfriend Daniel and their two kids. She was so obsessed with Clive the man-ho tv reporter that she didn't realize how much her own family was suffering.