Mad About You

Emma Hamilton #4

by Sinéad Moriarty

Emma and James Hamilton have weathered lots of storms in their ten-year marriage. From the heartbreak of infertility, to the craziness of then becoming parents to two babies in one year, to coping with James losing his job, somehow they have always worked as a team.

However, the pressure of moving from Dublin to London for James's new job - away from familiar surroundings and the family Emma loves - puts them under stress like never before. So when James starts getting texts from a stranger - texts that show startling insights into their lives - Emma is not sure what to think. She is far from home, isolated and before long finds herself questioning everything about their relationship.

Maybe those texts are telling her the truth and the life she believed to be solid and secure is just a mirage. Somehow she has to get a grip, but how can she do that when a stranger is set on driving Emma out of her home and her marriage?

Genres: Chick Lit, Contemporary, Fiction, Romance, Mystery, Adult, Family

400 pages, Paperback

First published July 25, 2013

About the author

Sinéad was born and raised in Dublin where she grew up surrounded by books. Her mother is an author of children’s books. Growing up, Sinead says she was inspired by watching her mother writing at the kitchen table and then being published. From that moment on, her childhood dream was to write a novel.

After university, she went to live in Paris and then London. It was at the age of thirty, while working as a journalist in London that she began to write creatively in her spare time – after work, at lunch times … and, truth be told, during work hours.

After a couple of years toying with ideas, she joined a creative writing group and began to write The Baby Trail. The bitter-sweet comedy of a couple struggling to conceive hit a nerve in publishing circles. It was snapped up by Penguin Publishing in the UK and Ireland and has, to date, been translated into twenty languages.

Since writing The Baby Trail, Sinead has moved back to Dublin where she lives with her husband, two sons and baby girl.

Her second book A Perfect Match has been published worldwide. The US version of A Perfect Match is called The Right Fit. Her third novel – From Here to Maternity – is the third installment of the Emma Hamilton series. Her fourth book – In My Sister’s Shoes – is about two sisters who help save each other. Her fifth book has been published under two different titles: Whose Life Is It Anyway? in Ireland and Keeping it in the Family in the UK.

Her sixth book, Pieces of my Heart, about a family dealing with a terrible crisis, went straight in at number 1 in the Irish charts and was nominated for an Irish Book Award.

Her seventh book – Me and My Sisters – went straight in at number 1 in the Irish charts and was nominated for an Irish Book Award.

Her most recent novel Mad About You is the fourth novel in the Emma Hamilton Series.

Reviews

[Aditi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emma and James Hamilton are one of those couple who are very much going through their mid-life crisis, but fortunately, no matter how bad the storm gets, they won't let their ship sink to the bottom of the ocean. Their spirit and determination to keep the broken ship afloat amidst of all the wild tsunami in the ocean is remarkable and it gives us a lesson to make it work and hold on to each other even in the worst time of our lives. James's elder brother, Henry, thinks that we are not entitled to the terms of husband and wife in our marriages, instead there is no wife or husband, there is just one thing called friend-Marriage is friendship between two friends- a man and a woman and they always trust and love each other till death makes them apart.

Sinéad Moriarty, a bestselling Irish author, in her ninth novel, Mad About You is all about Emma and James Hamilton's not-so-perfect marriage and how they cling on to each other even in the darkest period of their lives and how stalking can sometimes ruin your life. Sinéad Moriarty's writing style is emphatic and simple. Firstly, her well-developed plot is enthralling enough to keep us engaged till the very end.

Emma and James move from Ireland to London for James's new job as a coach of a rugby team. James and Emma have two kids, Yuri, adoptive son and Lara, biological daughter. Soon Emma bags a job as a make-up artist at her sister, Bab's TV show. James goes on to prove himself on his team after his fiasco in Ireland, thereby almost getting no time to spend with his wife and kids. Emma leans on a nanny, named Claire, to help her juggle her long work-hours and her kids. Eventually James and Emma drift apart in their marriage, but when James started getting sex texts and sex toys, Emma started to question James loyalty and her trust slowly starts to fade away. Their marriage almost falls apart while James and Emma try to unravel the identity of this stalker.

Depending on the fact that there is a mystery to be solved amidst of James and Emma's marriage, the plot gets very deep and rich with emotions running high which are almost verging to the break-out point. But unfortunately, this mystery couldn't light up any spark in my mind, because the author got loose while mentioning about this stalker, she left a lot of loose ends, thereby when the first whiff of the stalker is fed, I instantaneously, guessed out who the stalker can be, so all the while, when Emma was trying to put the pieces of puzzle of this mystery, I was constantly praying that why Emma wasn't pointing her finger on that particular person, and that made me almost hate Emma. Any smart or insane person could easily figure out the mystery.

Anyways, other than the poorly mentioned mystery, the plot is very articulate. The characters like say, Emma, is a typical mid-aged woman, who just stepped into her 40s, very vulnerable to make a slip to overcome her mid-life crisis, and is also very annoying most of the time, short-tempered and love her children like crazy. Babs, Emma's sister is full of attitude and ego and trust me, I've never seen such a rude woman like her ever, well there's no doubt that she talks way too honestly, even when you don't want her to and she is an almost diva. James is way too handsome, who is a coach and a husband, and is devoted towards his wife and kids but he gets too obsessed in proving himself, thereby living them alone on their own. Lara and Yuri are adorable and sweet, who really love their mommy and daddy and the way they talks will make you fall in love with them. I consider them as the gem of this book. And rest of the lot is too very appealing and striking. The backdrop is not too dramatic or glittery, they used to live in a quiet suburb in London, they had friendly neighbors, one was Eco-freak and another one was way too bold on her own. This book is a total crazy mixture of so many different kinds of characters who are very alluring and at times they might go ROFL.

So don't deter yourself from reading this cool and beautiful novel, it might amaze you at how well the author has vividly described the confusing and messy lifestyle of Emma, so after reading the book, it might make you wonder that you know Emma so closely. Emma's marriage with James is what you need when you are feeling dull and gloomy in those long, hot summer afternoons!!

Thanks to Penguin Ireland for the review copy.

[Lauri · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is classic chick-lit, set in a suburb of London. The thing I didn't like about it was that it felt very predictable. Emma, mom of two, moves with her rugby-coach husband from Ireland to London. She has all the stresses you would expect: trying to make their rental feel like a home after the move, getting her two young children settled into a new school, finding a job (easy, thanks to her sister Babs), finding a nanny/babysitter (again, surprisingly easy after a referral from a neighbor). But then someone starts stalking Emma through text messages and inappropriate packages and convinces her that her husband is having an affair - despite the fact that the man seems to be completely likable and loyal. Very early on, I figured out who the stalker must be. All the feminist themes are here: the way men are expected to spend long hours at work while their wives pick up the family slack, how difficult it is when those tables are turned (as Emma's best friend Lucy is completely involved in her career rather than home with her family), the way women are supposed to present themselves, etc. It's well-written, but overall, pretty forgettable.

[Philomena Callan Cheekypee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m really enjoying this authors stories. My teenage years was spent reading chic reads by irish authors and I’ve added Sinead to that list.

Like Emma I found myself leaving Ireland to live in the uk with my kids. Away from my family and everything I know I found myself insecure at times so I did feel for Emma.

Great storyline. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was great to catch up with the character Emma Hamilton and her family again. I hope Sinead Motiarty will decide to re-visit these characters to see what they are up to today.
I really enjoyed the stalker storyline. I did guess early on who it was but the characters are so engaging, it doesn't spoil the enjoyment.

[Fatma · Rating 1 out of 5]

If not for Richard and judy book club, I wouldn't read this book. very slow to get into it ,Emma is irritating character she was judging her friend for working hard and same time judging her neighbour for being a stay home mom .
"But Lucy was different . She was quite masculine in the way she able to separate work from parenthood."
I don't want to be harsh but this book is... , I love to read books with twist and real life problem , but I would like to love the main character , not dislike her . Emma was hysteric lady , of course the husband didn't help .. Oh and other character were very selfish ( the sister and the best friend).

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was was a nice surprise when I heard about it as I didn't know another book for the Emma Hamilton series was in progress. I did like it, but found it to be w bit lacking the passion and entertainment value as much as the last three books. I look forward to more from Sinead.

Thanks goes to net galley for providing a copy in exchange do an honest review.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book I have read by Sinead Moriarty and I cannot believe this is her ninth book! Where have I been?

Once I started reading this book I realised that it was from a series of four, this being the latest book. This however did not take away my enjoyment of the book, and if there was going to be another story in this series I would like to read it.

This is a story about Emma and James, they have two small children and move from Ireland to London for James' job. He is the coach of the London Irish Rugby club and has been head hunted from Ireland to help bring the level of the club up. Emma reluctantly agrees to go, she knows she will miss Ireland immensely but understands that in a marriage you need to compromise and give up things for your husband.

Once in London James' cracks on with going to work, leaving Emma to sort out the kids and figure things out. Luckily Emma's sister Bab's lives in London, only round the corner and regularly spends time with her, helping her settle in. Bab's encourages Emma to go back to work and helps her by offering her a job. Emma has to hire a nanny to look after the children in order to take the job, but Emma likes to work and feels this will help her settle in.

After a few weeks Jame's begins to receive sextexts on his phone, who thinks its some of the lads at work having a laugh. Emma then begins to receive some too from the same person and then presents start arriving at her house.

I really, really enjoyed this book, I think the way that Moriarty writes is brilliant. The language flows so well and the book was such a quick read as I really got into it. The only down side of the book and the reason I have given 4 stars instead of 5 is because I guessed just a little under half way through the book. Because of the way the book was written and I was enjoying it so much I continued to like the book.

All the characters were written extremely well, I particularly loved Imogen, Emma's sister in law, who is stuck up and thinks she is perfect. I loved the banter that goes on between her and Lara, the daughter and Bab's.

Bab's is another character I loved and actually at times I preferred her story that was going on in the story. I really felt that I could connect to her, I feel if I was an auntie I would be like ha ha!


I feel that this is not your usual chick lit and offers something a little bit different. I only wish I had read the others in the series before this one and I would have liked to have read them in order. This book however does not need to be read in a series, just I enjoyed her writing style so much that I would have liked more.

I was really pleased I had the opportunity to read this story and I do hope I can read more from Moriarty in the future.

I would like to thank the publisher for supplying me with a copy in exchange for a honest review.

[Bookevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mad About You starts off when Emma and her family leaves to London for her husband, James’s new job. Settling in is a huge challenge for Emma and her children, Yuri and Lara and to top it off, the mums at their school gate aren’t exactly very friendly. Suddenly, James and Emma receive strange, explicit texts from an unknown number which seem to want to drive them apart but coincidentally, these texts are a bit too personal, but who would want to destroy Emma’s family?

As I’ve mentioned, Mad About You is my first Sinead Moriarty book and I went into it without much expectations, that’s the best thing about reading books from authors you’ve not read before – the thrill and excitement really gets to me! OK, I’ll get to the point. I really enjoyed Mad About You. It’s gripping and engaging. The characters are well-written and I really liked Emma, she’s kind, funny and a lovely mother.

I’ll be honest, the intrigue of the mysterious sextexts really got to me and I was really determined to find out who it was. Though, halfway through the book, I had a niggling feeling of the person behind it, but I kept going because I wanted to know why. Mad About You definitely kept me awake at the night, flipping pages faster than I could read the words. It’s got mystery, intrigue and ultimately, betrayal.

I warmed up to Sinead Moriarty’s style of writing almost immediately and it’s easy to read and understand. She describes with such familiarity, that you couldn’t help but enjoy reading the story through Emma’s narrative. It’s funny, crisp and sometimes really sharp. I really felt for Emma when she struggled to adapt to the different surroundings and how she dealt with her crumbling marriage. The plot flowed pretty well and it kept me engaged.

Mad About You in three words? Emotional, heartfelt, compelling. I couldn’t stop reading it and I really enjoyed the company of the characters, especially Emma’s adorable children! I wouldn’t say this is funny and light, but it’s definitely on the darker side of chick lit.

Rating: 8/10

[Novelle Novels · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 out of 5 stars
Oh I so wanted to love this book but unfortunately for me it’s my least favourite sinead moriarty book. I picked this up little realising it’s the 4th book in the series about Emma and James. In this book they are moving to London for James career and it’s the start of things taking a downward turn. James has to work long hours and Emma is lonely so she gets a job which then means they hire a nanny. When they both start getting rude messages that imply James is having an affair and emma gets stalked rather than get closer they grow apart. What really let this down for me was that I picked the stalker very early on. The character of Emma’s sister babs was my all time favourite and the author did create some other sub characters well. Maybe if I would have read the other books in the series then it could have been better. All I will say is if you want to read this please read the rest of the series first.

[Alina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable book , predictable plot. A husband caught flirting multiple times, a wife worried about getting old and getting into mid-life crisis, two kids who wants a young sexy girl as a nanny.The moment Emma hired Claire I knew where the action is going to lead and eventually the end of it.

On the other hand , the book is easy to read and I really liked Moriarty's writing style. My favorite character remains Barbara because she was the only one who was interesting and who actually animated the story and brought some colors and fun to it.

[Trish at Between My Lines · Rating 3 out of 5]

All posted on http://www.betweenmylines.com/2013/08...

3.5 stars.

Mad About You is a funny chick-lit full to the brim with zany characters. Hidden beneath the humour though is the serious theme of trust and how easy it is to shatter it.

My Recap:

This is the forth book about Emma and James however each one can be read as a standalone. Previous books covered their battle with infertility, an adoption journey, the stress of parenting two young children. And now in this one they face yet another upheaval as they have to up sticks and move to England for James’s new job. Isolated, lonely and facing an outside threat to their marriage, this could be their toughest challenge yet.

My thoughts:

I have loved the previous books by Sinead especially the first two in this series as they have mirrored my life to a certain extent. I understood the pain and heartbreak that Emma and James went through and this has given me a strong attachment to both characters. However the main reason I love these books is for the humour, they take a sad theme and turn it on its head. These books just make me giggle out loud at Emma’s ridiculous antics.

Emma is a character that it is hard not to like. She is impulsive, feisty, blundering and often suffers from verbal diarrhoea. James is solid as rock and is the ying to Emma’s yang. However in this book, Emma starts getting texts and messages that make her doubt everything that she thought she knew about James. The theme of trust and how quickly trust can be shattered is a theme that makes you stop and think how you would react in a similar situation.

It is always fun to spend time with Emma’s mother. She is a typical Irish mammy – bossy, interfering, full of contradictory advise and with a heart of gold. You want to strangle her and hug her all at the same time.

Emma’s sister Babs is featured in this book a lot as she is Emma’s only family (apart from in-laws) in England. As always Babs is a character that annoys me – she is selfish, self absorbed, self centred. She has her moments of seeming human but never enough to win me over. She has her own problems to cope with in this book so for a few short minutes I did manage some sympathy for her but only a few minutes as it wasn't long before she was rubbing me up the wrong way again.

Mad About You is great fun and perfect for a few hours escapism. The characters bubble with life and you won’t forget about them easily. The pace holds up well and it keeps you eager to keep reading. Fun and silly but with moments of sadness, confusion and introspection, it really kept my attention.

However I do feel at times, that it gets a bit OTT. Like the comments Barbara makes on her reality show, it just feels too much. It borders on the ridiculous and while it’s fun, I would like to rein it in a bit. Don’t get me wrong, I still really enjoyed the book but this issue stops it being a great book for me.

Who should read this book?

If you like chick-lit that is heavy on humour then you should like this one. Fans of Marian Keyes, Sophie Kinsella, Sheila Flanagan would also enjoy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books (UK) for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Sinéad Moriarty's ninth novel, Mad About You, she revisits Emma Hamilton and her family. First introduced in The Baby Trail, we followed Emma and her husband James in their quest to become parents in A Perfect Match and then From Here to Maternity. In their ten year marriage, Emma and James have weathered the heart break of infertility, the joy of new parenthood and the stress of unemployment but when the family is forced to move from Ireland to London cracks begin to form. James is working all the time and Emma is lonely, despite finding a job with her sister, so when James begins to receive racy texts, and Emma threatening messages, Emma grows increasingly suspicious of her husband and their marriage begins to buckle under the strain.

The tension in the novel isn't sustained by identifying the stalker but by the question of if the marriage can survive the suspicion and mistrust that eats away at Emma. Who is responsible for the texts, notes and packages is glaringly obvious from the moment the perpetrator is introduced into the storyline. I found that disappointing to be honest since it renders the plot entirely predictable even if it makes sense that she is the one person Emma would overlook.

I liked Emma more in the previous novels than in Mad About You. Here she tends to be a little self righteous, especially when she lectures Lacey and Babs about their choices, and later becomes rather shrill and hysterical in response to the stalker's harassment. I understand her distress but Emma seems determined to believe the worst of James.

The novel also addresses the challenges of motherhood, especially in regards to juggling the needs and demands of children with individual desires and career ambition. The marriage of Emma's best friend Lacey to Donal is disintegrating under Lacey's indifference to motherhood and the satisfaction she gains from her demanding job. Babs, Emma's sister, ends a pregnancy that could derail her career. Emma is slightly horrified by her neighbour's choice to never use babysitters, something that Emma has no qualms about whether it is to provide care for her children while she is at work, give her time alone with James or just a few hours to herself.

I did enjoy Mad About You, it was a pleasant day's distraction and an easy read though ultimately offered nothing particularly memorable.

[ReadAlongWithSue ★⋆. ࿐࿔catching up · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to give this top marks. Its a fabulous book.

There is so much happening in this book, and so all ties in together nicely.

Emma and James have been through so much together, fertility problems. They now have a lovely sweet daughter and an adopted son. They adopted him from an orphanage, he wasn't well taken care of and hes tiny in his stature but I love us Moms, how we make sure our children have confidence in themselves. And that is exactly how Emma is with her children.

They have had to undergo an upheaval, James lost his job, and had now had to move to London from Dublin their hometown to secure a coach job. He is very focused as he wants to give a good impression.

Emma is feeling the strains of moving into a new town, it seems the area they are living in has a few snobs, having botox, having their nails done, spending money on their children on a packed agenda of after school activities and making excuses for their behaviour. Emma is well out of her comfort zone.

Babs, she is her sister, what a character! I loved Babs to bits. She was the host and star of the TV show that give make overs to women, she is blunt in her approach and many times I laughed out loud at her honesty. Babs life and her experiences all come out in the book, chapter by chapter alongside Emma and James life.

Then there is Lucy and her husband, her little boy, it all mixes up nicely to become one enormous gripping unputdownable read.

Babs make up artist leaves, this makes an opening for Emma who has the qualifications to jump right in and work alongside her sister.

Now they need to find a nanny, someone to look after the kids, wash, iron and do some cooking. They find Claire, she's a timid, shy young girl, but seems just the sort of person that would interact with their two children.

She looks after them very well, and cooks well, everything seems to be going along nicely........
Until, text messages come James way, sextexts messages, then later to Emmas's phone, then things start arriving in the post.

Emma is a little unsure of herself anyway, so this is all she needs. She sees James as an attractive middle aged man, sexy, and although deep down she knows he wouldn't stray.........or would he.

Its got a lot in the book, its family, its friendships, its a thriller of sorts, its conversational. I just LOVED IT.

I would like to thank Penguin Books (UK) for allowing me to read and review this book via Net Galley.

[Anne Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot involving the mad nanny really needs to be put to sleep now, on a permanent basis - it's very 1980s and very dull. And actually, I have no idea why it appears as such a main item in this book as it doesn't need it - I had the feeling that Moriarty was trying too hard to jazz the chick lit genre up a little, but adding a (boring) thriller element to it just isn't the answer.

It was also strange that all the characters are dull, flat and whine a lot up until p242 (in my paperback copy) when something exciting and funny happens, hurrah! The scene here with new friend Poppy telling the gals how honest she's been with her new man is hysterical and very satisfying indeed - why can't Poppy be the main character? That would be a wonderful read for sure!

Anyway, after the marvellous page 242, it was as if the author suddenly work up and starting giving us a decent story - well apart from the crazed nanny thing (yawn) and our super-shallow irritating heroine. More than that, the minor characters start to feel real for the first time and I even began to fall in love with the 'in your face' sister Babs, from a position of absolutely hating her at the beginning! Now, give me a novel with Poppy and Babs in and I'm definitely buying it ...

So, something of a mishmash but with some good characters in secondary roles, once the author got round to writing them. 5 out of 10.

[Kathrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of the book.

The book is about Emma who moves with her family to London for her husband's new job. The whole family encounters quite a lot of difficulties when they try to settle in and suddenly things start to get worse.

I was really intrigued by the story although I expected a slightly different outcome. I also moved to a foreign country and know what kind of problems are connected with such a decision - this made the book even more interesting for me.

I've fallen in love with the characters. They are very well-written and it was great to get to know them. I kind of lost contact to the character of Emma in the last part of the book because I couldn't understand her actions but apart from that I really enjoyed the characterization.

The suspense of the book really got me although I had a strong feeling for who was behind the stalking a good part before the end of the book. Nevertheless, I wanted to find out the reason for this behavior and that kept me going.

I would recommend this book to a friend who likes contemporary literature. It was a great read and he/she would probably enjoy it as much as I did.

[Zita H. K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

---I received a free copy of this book from Penguin Ireland.---

First of all, I suprisingly really like Sinead´s writing style, because I sometimes have problems with it in other contemporary books, - it is light and nimble.

Mad About You is about Emma and her family, when they moved to London because James has new job there. They have little bit a hard time get used to new place, new people and new challenges. And when they become slightly acclimatized, then there occur strange texts from number they don´t know…so there come suspense and mystery. I like second half of the book better, probably for stalking puzzle…I just want to know who doing it and why.

This book is packed with emotions, classical family problems, realistic „mystery“ and much more. Characters are well written, interesting, and there is huge backstory of Emma´s marriage, but sometimes I can´t understand why Emma acts like she is.

I enjoy reading it, it is quite good contemporary novel, and I think it´ll easily grab you.

[Jean Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't think I would finish this book. I picked it up because a blurb on the cover said the characters were well-developed likeable and funny. At the start when I realized how much of it was the moment to moment of a young mother's day to day life I almost put it down. But scenes with the characters of Babs and the sister-law Imogen did get me laughing. Like other readers I did find Emma to be preachy, especially towards Babs. The suspense was disappointedly predictable. I did enjoy some of the characters, the story was paced well, the funny scenes were memorable. I will not likely read any of the other books in the series.

[Julie Cohen]

Fast-paced and often funny; a nice summery read.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit the thing that attracted me to this book aside from the cover which I love, was the fact that the characters had the same name as me and my other half. The fact that there was a rugby element to this novel as well was just icing on the cake for a rugby fan like myself. 

From the beginning I warmed to Emma, she seemed very down to earth, and I absolutely sympathised with her during her move to London, the fear of not making new friends, and what she was going to do about getting a job, and if she did get a job what was she going to do about getting someone to mind the children. As a constant worrier, I really felt for her and wanted to give her a hug. 

I found the relationship between Emma and her children beautifully written, although not a parent myself Sinead managed to write their relationship in a way that made me feel her pain when she had to leave them to return to work, and how she felt when they said she was mean or said Daddy was more fun. The relationships were what made the book for me, as I also loved the sisterly relationship between Emma and Babs, her utterly opposite but hilarious sister. She is that one friend you ask for her opinion on your outfit choice but brace yourself as you know she is about as subtle as a sledgehammer. 

Emma's reaction to James and the changes in their relationship were done in what for me was a very natural way, I know I would have felt it difficult to trust my husband if I kept finding text messages on his phone and then things started being sent to me. I think this book shows, that no matter how safe and secure your relationship is, most are vulnerable to a shock as big as the one that hits Emma and James. 

My only issue with the novel is that sadly I figured out the person behind the gifts just over half way through the novel, which for me spoilt the ending a little. Although I have to admit that I had to keep reading to find out exactly how it all got resolved, and how everyone came to find out who was responsible. I only wish Sinead could have kept me in suspense a little longer. 

A good chic lit novel for anyone who enjoys the relationships between women, as there are definitely some interesting ones in this book. I would also recommend it for anyone who loves a laugh, as there are truly some hilarious moments riddle throughout the drama of this story.  This is my first read from Sinead but I will absolutely be reading more. 

[Tara J · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt Emma was highly annoying. I didn't like her as a protagonist at all. She is not very bright, immature, judgemental and whiny. If she had just put half a brain cell of thought into it, just looking at the situation would have told her it was the doings of a psycho and James had nothing to do with it. And more importantly, who the stalker was. For the author's sake, I hope this was not meant to be a suspense because from the very first moment it was mentioned, it was painstakingly clear and obvious.

Emma's mum's advice and views on marriage were archaic and downright ridiculous. Her dad had nothing to offer as a husband, father, grandfather or a character in this novel. Babs was the only remotely interesting one. But for someone so practical and a fairly good reader of character (she knew something was off with Claire rightaway, and she knew James was not the cheating sort), she was pretty naive and unrealistic with her expectations of Gary and his reaction to her news.

James was... boring. Hardworking coach, good husband, good father, etc. No proper character development here. Henry was a good person who seemed to have it together, except for choosing a wife who obviously didn't.

Lucy had her heart in the right place but was extremely selfish. She made many fair points to support her case. But her actions didn't match up. She couldn't even have a decent conversation with her friend without constantly using her phone. Maybe this affected me more than it should because it's one of my major pet peeves. And to justify Lucy, the author just had to make Donal to something drastic and uncharacteristic.

I felt many sentences were repetitive, almost word-for-word. It was like the characters were one-dimensional and nothing much to say except their thoughts and stand on the one or two issues this book deals with presented several times over and not even in very different ways.

I'll probably read more books from this author before writing her off completely.

[Laraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. This was a Richard and Judy Book Club selection for Summer 2014 and that’s how this author came on my radar. James is a rugby coach who has just been terminated in his last job in Ireland, where he and his wife Emma had lived, happily raising their two children. He gets a new job in London and they have to up stakes and start a new life there>. It takes time for Emma and the children to settle in their new home. James is working long hours trying to redeem himself in his new job. Emma gets a part time job and hires a young girl, daughter of a neighbour to be their nanny. Everything is ticking along nicely until James and Emma start receiving letters and parcels alluding to the fact that James is having an affair. At first Emma doesn’t believe it, but as time goes on, she starts getting texts from this other woman and she and James’ relationship starts to suffer. Who could be sending these letters, texts and parcels? I thought the characters were real and really enjoyed this book.

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read the original trilogy a few times over when I was a teenager, so was interested to discover that the author had released a fourth book some years later. Unfortunately, neither Emma nor her family have become any more likeable - bitchy comments about people's appearances were quite common in books from the noughties, unfortunately, but surely out of fashion by 2013? - and the main plot was padded out by endless variations of the same conversation. The central mystery - i.e. the identity of Emma's stalker - was quite obvious to me from the start, making Emma's escapades through most of the novel quite frustrating in their misguidedness.

There's a few subplots to keep things more interesting, though one involves a previously-likeable character doing something extremely unethical and quite possibly illegal, which is brushed aside far too easily by all involved. All in all, I would have preferred not to have been updated on Emma and James life, and left them happy with their new children back in 2006.

[Nadin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible. Starting with the storyline itself which is uninspired and unsurprising, but what most bugged me and made me give this a single star is the amount of body-shaming, anti-feminist, gender role comments spread throughout EVERY SINGLE page and for the most part utterly unnecessary, and coming from every single character in the book. This feels like written a century ago and the messages it portrays throughout are just horrible outdated and sexist. In the beginning I thought the author was doing it on purpose and I was waiting for the main character to have a development and seeing the ridiculousness of it - but, unfortunately, no.
Absolutely don't recommend, I gave up hoping for development halfway through and skimmed through the rest of it just to confirm if my suspicions about the rest of the story were true (which they were to the T).

[Suzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 4th book in the Emma Hamilton series! Absolutely loved it! It was different from the other books in the series which was great. Although I have to say, after reading four books about this character, I've come to the conclusion that her family members are assholes. With the exception of her brother. Her mother can't keep her 2 cents to herself and her sister is one of the most self centered characters I've ever read. If I was Emma, I would've never helped her out like that. With everything Emma was going through in this book, she barely got any support. Which made me sad for her. And her best friend Lucy, well you'll have read the book, to know more about what happened to her!

[Sandra Smit · Rating 2 out of 5]

Zoveel cliches: vrouwen die zich mooi moeten maken voor hun man, mannen dieverdacht worden vreemd te gaan, vrouwen die geen carriere mogen maken ten koste van hun gezin maar mannen wel. En dan wordt alles 8x verteld. Tot bijna de helft gebeurt er letterlijk niets en wordt erg veel verteld wat ze aanhebben. Ik houd van literatuur en dan moet het ook nog ergens over gaan. Dit is een keukenromanachtig boek.
Ik had al heel snel door dat de nanny aan een stalkingsdisorder leed, dus het was nog niet eens spannend.

[Christina Rochester · Rating 2 out of 5]

"I can make the toast and the scrambly eggs."

Emma and James have just moved to London. Emma and the kids miss Dublin desperately, and things just seem to go from bad to worse. James is working every hour god sends, he's getting flirty text messages about his great bum and Emma is on the receiving end of some nasty messages. Thank god for nutty neighbours, a crazy sister and the nanny.

This was such a predictable read. It was very obvious who was texting James. It would have been nice to have some more intrigue.

[Jandira Pimentel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow! I was expecting to laugh my head off by this one but not such luck.
I’ve missed the crazy banter between the siblings and their parents. And why couldn’t Emma confide to the other friend just bcs she’s far away and having some financial issues? Isn’t what friends are meant for?
Nothing really happens before 50% in which was a downside to me.
Question. Do majority of women still think that a woman’s is being at home breeding and financially depending on men? Please!

[Sue Lilley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really for me. The characters were all a bit cardboard and the main character was just annoying. Can’t believe anyone in a previously stable marriage would jump to such ridiculous conclusions. Poor James! The identity of the stalker was obvious from the outset. Emma couldn’t possibly be that blind.

[Tracey- Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read, funny at times . I liked Emma , James and Babs a lot which kept the book alive as I cared about Emma & James's relationship problems. I did work out who was the instigator of their marital problems very early on sadly , so no real suspense at the ending.

[Smitha Parameswaran · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favourite book.

The final instalment just didnt work for me here. More serious and some people didnt make an appearance at all. It was all about one person judging another for their choices and at the same time making their own grave errors.