What do you think?
Rate this book
When We Were Friends
An earlier version of this novel was published under the title A SERPENTINE AFFAIR*
The addictive new novel from Tina Seskis, author of One Step Too Far.
It had always been the six of us.
Since we met at university twenty-five years ago, we'd faced everything together. Break-ups and marriages, motherhood and death. We were closer than sisters; the edges of our lives bled into each other.
But that was before the night of the reunion. The night of exposed secrets and jagged accusations. The night when everything changed.
And then we were five.
The addictive new novel from Tina Seskis, author of One Step Too Far.
It had always been the six of us.
Since we met at university twenty-five years ago, we'd faced everything together. Break-ups and marriages, motherhood and death. We were closer than sisters; the edges of our lives bled into each other.
But that was before the night of the reunion. The night of exposed secrets and jagged accusations. The night when everything changed.
And then we were five.
389 pages, Paperback
First published July 29, 2013
106 people are currently reading
2450 people want to read
About the author
Tina Seskis
8 books394 followersTina Seskis's first book, One Step Too Far, was released in 2013, and has since been published in 18 languages in over 60 countries.
Tina has written five novels. Her latest, HOPE CLOSE, was released on 24th March 2020 and is a novel about staying home, hope and redemption...
Tina grew up in Hampshire, before going off to study in the beautiful city of Bath and then moving to London, where she has lived on and off ever since, now with her husband and son.
Tina has written five novels. Her latest, HOPE CLOSE, was released on 24th March 2020 and is a novel about staying home, hope and redemption...
Tina grew up in Hampshire, before going off to study in the beautiful city of Bath and then moving to London, where she has lived on and off ever since, now with her husband and son.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 198 reviews
May 17, 2020
this was an interesting and suspenseful story about a group of friends, seven british women, who palled up at university in their youth and still, once a year, meet up to gossip and eat and pick at old wounds. this year, they have gathered by the bank of the serpentine to have a picnic.
but this isn't cozy chick lit.
because now that they are in their forties, many of them have husbands and children, and one is already widowed, and they know how much they have grown apart, and that their annual meeting has become more burden than celebration. this year's picnic becomes increasingly volatile as the wine keeps flowing, and old grudges start to be aired, along with accusations and confessions of rape and murder and adultery.
and only six are going to leave this picnic alive.
the story cuts between the picnic, the past, and the aftermath of the death, following a number of characters and airing a lot of old stinky laundry. seskis is very good at drawing out the suspense - cutting each chapter at moments of about-to-be-revealed only to lead the reader into a scene that is just as compelling, with just as much intrigue and just as many landmines.
my only gripe is that it was a little unwieldy at times - seven characters is a bit too many for me, and then you add to that the additional perspectives of spouses and other secondary characters, and i got a little muddled trying to keep that many backstories and names straight, which i think is further complicated by the frequent perspective shifts, but which shifts i definitely enjoyed. i could have done with a compacted 5 characters, especially considering how little of camilla there was in the book, or kate. see? down to five already!
the pacing was very good - once i got everyone straight in my head, it was a long unspooling spell of various unaired grievances and lies, which is something i really appreciate in my novels. i love "family secrets" kind of books, and this one had so many characters with secrets, it really satisfied that need for me.
the only other quibble i have is that i find it hard to believe that siobhan was as different in one part of her life as she was when she was with these women. it's not a personality change - those kinds of things i can believe, that people can behave differently when they are with different groups of people, but having a character's life go from composed and capable to slapstick pratfalls just because she is surrounded by different people seems a little unbelievable.
but it's such a minor complaint. i really enjoyed getting to the bottom of all the various mysteries, with all the red herrings planted along the way, and i found the conclusion perfectly satisfying.
if you're into ladies getting snipey and finally spilling long-nursed resentments with shifting timescapes and many many secrets, you should check this out.
i am pretty sure it is still available on netgalley.
come to my blog!
but this isn't cozy chick lit.
because now that they are in their forties, many of them have husbands and children, and one is already widowed, and they know how much they have grown apart, and that their annual meeting has become more burden than celebration. this year's picnic becomes increasingly volatile as the wine keeps flowing, and old grudges start to be aired, along with accusations and confessions of rape and murder and adultery.
and only six are going to leave this picnic alive.
the story cuts between the picnic, the past, and the aftermath of the death, following a number of characters and airing a lot of old stinky laundry. seskis is very good at drawing out the suspense - cutting each chapter at moments of about-to-be-revealed only to lead the reader into a scene that is just as compelling, with just as much intrigue and just as many landmines.
my only gripe is that it was a little unwieldy at times - seven characters is a bit too many for me, and then you add to that the additional perspectives of spouses and other secondary characters, and i got a little muddled trying to keep that many backstories and names straight, which i think is further complicated by the frequent perspective shifts, but which shifts i definitely enjoyed. i could have done with a compacted 5 characters, especially considering how little of camilla there was in the book, or kate. see? down to five already!
the pacing was very good - once i got everyone straight in my head, it was a long unspooling spell of various unaired grievances and lies, which is something i really appreciate in my novels. i love "family secrets" kind of books, and this one had so many characters with secrets, it really satisfied that need for me.
the only other quibble i have is that i find it hard to believe that siobhan was as different in one part of her life as she was when she was with these women. it's not a personality change - those kinds of things i can believe, that people can behave differently when they are with different groups of people, but having a character's life go from composed and capable to slapstick pratfalls just because she is surrounded by different people seems a little unbelievable.
but it's such a minor complaint. i really enjoyed getting to the bottom of all the various mysteries, with all the red herrings planted along the way, and i found the conclusion perfectly satisfying.
if you're into ladies getting snipey and finally spilling long-nursed resentments with shifting timescapes and many many secrets, you should check this out.
i am pretty sure it is still available on netgalley.
come to my blog!
May 20, 2015
Well what a journey I have traveled whilst reading this!
We have six very different women, and from varying backgrounds, but all tied together from their University days, they had promised to meet up each year.
They are now in their 40's.
They meet up in Hyde Park, they get very drunk and you know what that means? People say and do stupid things. Things they wouldn't normally do and say things they wouldn't normally say.
Something happens which changes course of all of their lives.
We all like to hang onto our Youth of yesterday but sometimes going backwards is not all what its cracked up to be, as they later find out.
You may find it a bit slow at first and in some places, but stick with it, there are depths within this book that you don't realize until later.
Thoroughly enjoyed this.
My thanks to Penguin UK - Michael Joseph via Net Galley for my copy
April 19, 2015
Previously published as A Serpentine Affair, we have a group of six women in their forties who were best friends at university. Every year since graduating they have held an annual reunion and this year they are having a picnic by The Serpentine in Hyde Park. One of the first things you will realise about these women is that, even though they were best friends at one point, they don’t really like each other now and the evening is fraught with underlying tension and niggles, sniping and backbiting until finally it ends with a bang. Six attend the picnic but only five will return and there will be huge repercussions for the remaining women.
Their history is told in multiple timelines and viewpoints. We start in the present and there are little flashbacks to the past throughout the read which slowly reveal why there is so much tension and hidden anger between these women. I did feel that with so many main characters to get to know that it got a little confusing at times. Every time the viewpoint changed I was having to think back and remind myself who was speaking and who they were married to and their relationship to the other women. They are a very strange mix of women. Each is very different to the other and you do wonder as they start to bitch at each other, exactly how they have managed to keep their reunions going so long as they don’t really appear to have anything in common with each other at all at this point in their lives.
Apart from that confusion due to so many characters I did enjoy this read which really kept surprising me at times with its twists and turns although the very ending did leave me feeling a little underwhelmed. Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
Their history is told in multiple timelines and viewpoints. We start in the present and there are little flashbacks to the past throughout the read which slowly reveal why there is so much tension and hidden anger between these women. I did feel that with so many main characters to get to know that it got a little confusing at times. Every time the viewpoint changed I was having to think back and remind myself who was speaking and who they were married to and their relationship to the other women. They are a very strange mix of women. Each is very different to the other and you do wonder as they start to bitch at each other, exactly how they have managed to keep their reunions going so long as they don’t really appear to have anything in common with each other at all at this point in their lives.
Apart from that confusion due to so many characters I did enjoy this read which really kept surprising me at times with its twists and turns although the very ending did leave me feeling a little underwhelmed. Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
September 9, 2015
I just couldn't get past how terribly written this book is. The overwhelming nature of the slathered-on descriptive language really turned me off the story, which to be honest wasn't that appealing to begin with. Perhaps if I were a Prosecco-drinking mother of two then this might hold more appeal, but unfortunately, I am not. Also, "delightful knees"? Really?
July 9, 2013
After reading Tina Seskis novel One Step Too Far I was excited when I found that she had another novel available for my enjoyment. Thankfully Seskis did not disappoint with A Serpentine Affair. A Serpentine Affair is the story of seven women who were at some point very good friends but aren't so much anymore. They've made a tradition of meeting together yearly for 22 years. Their latest get-together ends in some closely gaurded secrets being revealed and the facade they all have built around themselves begin to crumble. To make matters worse, they leave Serpentine Lake one person less.
A Serpentine Affair has a lot of characters and for some it may be a little frustrating for some but I loved that about this novel. I'll help by giving the names of the seven main women: Juliette, Camilla, Katie, Siobhan, Sissy, Natasha, and Joanne. Each character is so well developed, believable, and recognizable that I instantly fell in-hate with some of them. The reason I say that is because a few of the ladies come off as bratty, egotistical, uppity... whatever other selfish there can be. While a couple of the other women were sensitive, engaging, and likeable. Each characters strengths and flaws help move the story along and encourage readers to findout what secrets could possibly make these women seem to hate each other so much... yet carry on this tradition.
Once news of the missing woman surfaces, each woman has to confront their own personal demons as well as handle the guilt of their part in the situation. Part 2 of A Serpentine Affair definitely adds more layers to the plot as well as the characters. It becomes easier to understand each woman's motivations and why their relationships are so strained. They all have fond memories of each other being their for the other when really needed, but too much has happened that stands in the way of them moving on. These revelations are the sucker-punch that I remember Seskis landing on me with One Step Too Far and I couldn't help but think Damn! Tina's got me again.
Overall, I loved A Serpentine Affair. It's about friendships, relationships, guilt, forgiveness, and redemption. I'm sure there are a few other themes to be found in this novel. I gladly recommend this novel to all. What I've learned from this novel is to get what needs to be said out of the way in order to move on. There's not always that chance to make it right in the future.
A Serpentine Affair has a lot of characters and for some it may be a little frustrating for some but I loved that about this novel. I'll help by giving the names of the seven main women: Juliette, Camilla, Katie, Siobhan, Sissy, Natasha, and Joanne. Each character is so well developed, believable, and recognizable that I instantly fell in-hate with some of them. The reason I say that is because a few of the ladies come off as bratty, egotistical, uppity... whatever other selfish there can be. While a couple of the other women were sensitive, engaging, and likeable. Each characters strengths and flaws help move the story along and encourage readers to findout what secrets could possibly make these women seem to hate each other so much... yet carry on this tradition.
Once news of the missing woman surfaces, each woman has to confront their own personal demons as well as handle the guilt of their part in the situation. Part 2 of A Serpentine Affair definitely adds more layers to the plot as well as the characters. It becomes easier to understand each woman's motivations and why their relationships are so strained. They all have fond memories of each other being their for the other when really needed, but too much has happened that stands in the way of them moving on. These revelations are the sucker-punch that I remember Seskis landing on me with One Step Too Far and I couldn't help but think Damn! Tina's got me again.
Overall, I loved A Serpentine Affair. It's about friendships, relationships, guilt, forgiveness, and redemption. I'm sure there are a few other themes to be found in this novel. I gladly recommend this novel to all. What I've learned from this novel is to get what needs to be said out of the way in order to move on. There's not always that chance to make it right in the future.
May 16, 2015
I first read this book back in 2013 under its original title A Serpentine Affair but it has now been published by penguin and the number of friends reduced from seven to six. Since I enjoyed the story the first time around I was keen to see what difference the changes made, the result, the story felt much sharper while still retaining the original elements that made this such a good story.
This book takes a look at friendship, especially those that span the test of time. What happens when what originally bound women together becomes fractured? When is it time to call it a day on a friendship that has lasted for decades?
We meet Camilla, Sissy, Juliette, Siobhan, Natasha and Renee as they prepare to meet up for a picnic in Hyde Park, by the Serpentine Lake. All women arrive for the rendezvous but only five leave and the reader is left in the dark until close to the end of the book as to what happened on that fateful evening. What is obvious is that there is tension between the women, Sissy didn’t really want to go, she had already come to the conclusion that the bonds formed during their first term at university had been stretched to the limit and Siobhan was aware that the rest of the group still viewed her as the ditzy student she had been, her successful life had passed them all by, after all they are now in their forties, no longer teenagers.
One of the best things about this book is the reflection of the roles that the women take, the organiser, the victim, the floozy etc. and the author takes us back to the roots of those roles, and in many cases the reasons behind them. Their stories weave in and out of time periods, sometimes overlapping with one or more of the group to create a truly insightful book with the tensions caused by the secrets they keep, and sometimes the secrets they think they have kept. Rivalry and jealousy abound and it is obvious that over the years they have simmered under the surface until the wine consumed on a summer’s evening, close to Diana’s fountain, these emotions finally break free and things are said that can never be unsaid.
The characters are well-defined, the secrets varying in shock factor but it is the consequences of events in the past that have the most impact. This is a novel of its time, set in the present of 2011, there are references to the hacking scandal that was emerging at that time, but the author keeps the time periods separated to allow the sections between past and present to be clear.
I’d like to thank the publishers Penguin Books UK for allowing me to read this novel which was published yesterday, 23 April 2015. If you haven’t already read it I thoroughly recommend this author’s debut novel One Step Too Far which she successfully self-published.
Original Review:
Seven women, friends from University days, meet up for a picnic in Hyde Park near the Serpentine. Sissy believes this habit of meeting up once a year should have been shelved a few years ago, some of the friendships are so badly fractured, some are laden with guilt and would appear that most of the women are keeping at least one secret.
Tina Seskis has produced a chatty book, one which reflects the reluctance that many of us feel to break off a friendship, especially one forged at such an important time of life. I have to confess that early on in the book I struggled with the number of characters as I presumed it was going to be very hard to remember who held what characteristic /grudge although the clever way that elements of the story were unveiled meant that each of the women were soon individuals on the page. As each of the women, their families and of course the men in their lives are revealed we also get the back stories, those events that happened years ago shaping both the women and the friendships.
The main event kept me reading to find out the truth as I gasped at the lack of morals that the group displayed. This book shows both the strengths and weaknesses of friendship, the good and bad of human nature and ultimately is a great gossipy book to keep the reader entertained. Another hit for Tina Seskis following her brilliant debut One Step Too Far
I received a copy of this book for review purposes from the publisher.
May 3, 2021
6 friends who have been friends for over 25 years meet up for a picnic. By the end of the picnic secrets will be outed, ones that will tear each other lives and their friendships apart. By the end of that night, 6 will become 5.
This book is fantastic! The secrets, oh wow. I didn't see them coming! There was so much going on, but it all fit together and built up the story. There was so many secrets, so much heartbreak. They loved each other and yet they'd all destroyed each other. The secrets being revealed was astonishing. So many lies, so much betrayal and sadness, so much broken trust.That ending was so sad. A piece of happiness robbed. This book has made me feel so many feelings, it's so brutal and shocking. I will be thinking about this book for a long time.
This book is fantastic! The secrets, oh wow. I didn't see them coming! There was so much going on, but it all fit together and built up the story. There was so many secrets, so much heartbreak. They loved each other and yet they'd all destroyed each other. The secrets being revealed was astonishing. So many lies, so much betrayal and sadness, so much broken trust.That ending was so sad. A piece of happiness robbed. This book has made me feel so many feelings, it's so brutal and shocking. I will be thinking about this book for a long time.
December 6, 2015
Take "One Step Too Far" - Seriously - Tina Seskis is giving away TEN copies at Tome Tender!
Click on Banner to Enter - Open to US Only - Remember, Books Make GREAT Gifts for YOU or your favorite reader!
I rearranged my reading list when I had the opportunity to read A Serpentine Affair by Tina Seskis! I had to read it, NOW, especially if it was as brilliant as her first novel, One Step Too Far!
Seven women are once again, gathering for what has become the dreaded annual reunion, and still they go as they have done for many years. Is it fear of being the topic of discussion if they aren’t there? Is it the hope that things will be different this year? Once, they were all very close, but time, distance and circumstances have created seemingly insurmountable differences and animosities that this year, threaten to boil over completely. Each woman harbors dark secrets, jealousy and resentments about someone in their group. Each woman has a soul-sucking demon of sorts in her past that she tries desperately to keep hidden. Add a few bottles of wine and a few loosened lips, and the lies and misdeeds spew forth with venomous words, accusations and confessions. As the final threads that hold these seven together are pulled taught, the night ends, tension running so high that no one notices or seems to care that one of their group is missing. From this point on, their lives will be irrevocably changed as a new nightmare unfolds.
Tina Skeskis has a gift for creating a world full of sights, sounds and emotions with her vivid descriptions and attention to detail. She brings her characters to life, gives them deep-seated flaws, but remembers to give them their “public persona’ to hide behind. Her character dialogue is often brutally frank with dark undertones that match the turmoil each woman feels. I could feel what these characters were feeling. Ms. Seskis didn’t try to force me to agree with them, but she did allow me to empathize with them. And her ability to “bring the ending home” with a flourish? Genius!
An ARC edition was provided by NetGalley and Kirk Parolles in exchange for my honest review.
Expected Publication Date: September 16, 2013
Publisher: Kirk Parolles
ISBN: 9780957544376
Number of Pages: 384
Genre: Adult Fiction/Drama
My Rating: 5 Stars
Available at: Amazon
For more reviews check out Tome Tender's Book Blog or find us on Facebook.
Click on Banner to Enter - Open to US Only - Remember, Books Make GREAT Gifts for YOU or your favorite reader!
I rearranged my reading list when I had the opportunity to read A Serpentine Affair by Tina Seskis! I had to read it, NOW, especially if it was as brilliant as her first novel, One Step Too Far!
Seven women are once again, gathering for what has become the dreaded annual reunion, and still they go as they have done for many years. Is it fear of being the topic of discussion if they aren’t there? Is it the hope that things will be different this year? Once, they were all very close, but time, distance and circumstances have created seemingly insurmountable differences and animosities that this year, threaten to boil over completely. Each woman harbors dark secrets, jealousy and resentments about someone in their group. Each woman has a soul-sucking demon of sorts in her past that she tries desperately to keep hidden. Add a few bottles of wine and a few loosened lips, and the lies and misdeeds spew forth with venomous words, accusations and confessions. As the final threads that hold these seven together are pulled taught, the night ends, tension running so high that no one notices or seems to care that one of their group is missing. From this point on, their lives will be irrevocably changed as a new nightmare unfolds.
Tina Skeskis has a gift for creating a world full of sights, sounds and emotions with her vivid descriptions and attention to detail. She brings her characters to life, gives them deep-seated flaws, but remembers to give them their “public persona’ to hide behind. Her character dialogue is often brutally frank with dark undertones that match the turmoil each woman feels. I could feel what these characters were feeling. Ms. Seskis didn’t try to force me to agree with them, but she did allow me to empathize with them. And her ability to “bring the ending home” with a flourish? Genius!
An ARC edition was provided by NetGalley and Kirk Parolles in exchange for my honest review.
Expected Publication Date: September 16, 2013
Publisher: Kirk Parolles
ISBN: 9780957544376
Number of Pages: 384
Genre: Adult Fiction/Drama
My Rating: 5 Stars
Available at: Amazon
For more reviews check out Tome Tender's Book Blog or find us on Facebook.
August 27, 2013
The title is appropriate and a delicious pun. Think of a bunch of newly born snakes all intertwined yet separate. Or the serpentine belt on your car. Or an affair that goes sour. It's the name of the river where the women decide to have their annual picnic.
Everyone has had the experience of watching how friends from school evolve as their lives become more complicated with children, one or more spouses, and jobs.
In this very entertaining novel, (thanks, Karen for the heads up) seven British women who had been friends at university meet once a year to renew their friendship. Now in their forties, the meetings have become more of a chore than a pleasure, and, fueled by more than a little wine, the secrets begin to emerge.
All of the friends are damaged, some of the injuries self-inflicted, others caused by the friends, some imagined. Events of the night will have a long-lasting effect. Here's a wonderfully descriptive paragraph before things begin to go south.
The atmosphere was poisonous now, and not even the languidly liquid disappearance of the sun into a cooler, more peaceful place could rescue the evening. JoAnne and Juliette sat stiffly next to each other and didn’t appear to be speaking at all anymore, there may as well have been a fence between them, and poor Sissy looked as though she was going to faint with the stress of it all. Natasha was sullen ( as she had been most of the evening) and Siobhan was trying to paper over her appalling insult of Juliette’s husband, daring to imply that Stephen had somehow had something to do with Nigel’s death. Katie started tidying up, grimly, as if she were picking up dog-shit – tipping the remaining quarter of Sissy’s pasta salad into an M&S bag she’d designated for rubbish without even asking Sissy whether she wanted to keep it; scraping plates like they were potatoes to be scrubbed (or perhaps children to be bathed); scrunching used napkins with unnecessary force into tight mucky balls that were tossed into the carrier bag too, not bothering with recycling, just chucking the empty wine bottles in with the mess; flicking stray flakes of sausage roll towards Siobhan, perhaps deliberately..
Some GR friends have remarked on the difficulty of keeping the seven characters straight. I did not find that to be difficult, the author skillfully mingling the backstory of each woman with the picnic in the present as all the secrets flow together into an explosive mix.
I admit to feeling a bit like a voyeur (or even like the man who is following one of the woman for his brother-in-law) as I watched their friendship dissolve amidst charges and recriminations, but goodness it was fun.
My thanks to the publisher for an ebook copy of this book in return for my always honest review.
Everyone has had the experience of watching how friends from school evolve as their lives become more complicated with children, one or more spouses, and jobs.
In this very entertaining novel, (thanks, Karen for the heads up) seven British women who had been friends at university meet once a year to renew their friendship. Now in their forties, the meetings have become more of a chore than a pleasure, and, fueled by more than a little wine, the secrets begin to emerge.
All of the friends are damaged, some of the injuries self-inflicted, others caused by the friends, some imagined. Events of the night will have a long-lasting effect. Here's a wonderfully descriptive paragraph before things begin to go south.
The atmosphere was poisonous now, and not even the languidly liquid disappearance of the sun into a cooler, more peaceful place could rescue the evening. JoAnne and Juliette sat stiffly next to each other and didn’t appear to be speaking at all anymore, there may as well have been a fence between them, and poor Sissy looked as though she was going to faint with the stress of it all. Natasha was sullen ( as she had been most of the evening) and Siobhan was trying to paper over her appalling insult of Juliette’s husband, daring to imply that Stephen had somehow had something to do with Nigel’s death. Katie started tidying up, grimly, as if she were picking up dog-shit – tipping the remaining quarter of Sissy’s pasta salad into an M&S bag she’d designated for rubbish without even asking Sissy whether she wanted to keep it; scraping plates like they were potatoes to be scrubbed (or perhaps children to be bathed); scrunching used napkins with unnecessary force into tight mucky balls that were tossed into the carrier bag too, not bothering with recycling, just chucking the empty wine bottles in with the mess; flicking stray flakes of sausage roll towards Siobhan, perhaps deliberately..
Some GR friends have remarked on the difficulty of keeping the seven characters straight. I did not find that to be difficult, the author skillfully mingling the backstory of each woman with the picnic in the present as all the secrets flow together into an explosive mix.
I admit to feeling a bit like a voyeur (or even like the man who is following one of the woman for his brother-in-law) as I watched their friendship dissolve amidst charges and recriminations, but goodness it was fun.
My thanks to the publisher for an ebook copy of this book in return for my always honest review.
June 12, 2015
The books Is about a group of friends who met at University 25 years ago. They have an annual reunion and although they were best friends at Uni, over the years many niggles have arisen and they aren’t as happy together as they once were. They are very different women now.
The book weaves between characters and time scales and it takes a little time to get it all straight. Lots of trails are left in the story which keep you reading.
This year they have met for a picnic by the Serpentine and old grievances are aired as the wine flows.
My first by this author- but I would love to read more.
Many thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for a copy of this book
The book weaves between characters and time scales and it takes a little time to get it all straight. Lots of trails are left in the story which keep you reading.
This year they have met for a picnic by the Serpentine and old grievances are aired as the wine flows.
My first by this author- but I would love to read more.
Many thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for a copy of this book
August 25, 2013
Fantastic! Loved the writing style and storyline. I'm sure I'm the only person who would find it completely just that a certain hoebag learned her hubby was a rapist, especially since she was banging a friend's husband but... I do and I won't apologize! LOL I know, I know! But I just love it when the "other woman" doesn't get to simply walk away unscathed and happy as a clam since it seems to happen far too much in romance stories! LOL
June 30, 2021
Another book club read along the same lines as 'The Friend so although I read it I did not enjoy it. I'll leave it at that.
August 25, 2013
A Serpentine Affair is the second novel from Tina Seskis, and over the past couple of days I have just devoured it. Once again, this author has produced that tingly feeling and I'm just delighted.
"Seven old friends. One annual reunion. Countless feuds.
How do friends stay friends for 25 years when there's so much to feel aggrieved about, such a tangle of lingering resentments? So when their picnic in the park goes horribly wrong and someone ends up in the Serpentine, who knows what really happens?
And just what secrets from the past are about to unfold, changing everyone's lives forever?"
Sounds intriguing doesn't it? It is, it's really well put together, well paced and packed with characters that evolve so well, who change through the course of the story, some of them very likeable, others who are loathsome and a couple who really are very very sad.
Tina Seskis has managed to tell the story of these seven women, from their university days right up to the present by cleverly weaving each story together using quite short and snappy chapters. I'll admit that at first it took me a little while to remember quite who was who, and who was married to who, but it really doesn't take long to get the characters and the relationships worked out.
There is a definite sense of reality within this story, most women seem to have very eclectic sets of friends, and I could certainly relate to that feeling of 'moving on' in life, yet still wanting to remain friends with people I met years ago, when I was a very different person, in a different place in my life. These seven women all feel the same, they have shared memories yet have moved on. They are no longer girls starting out in life and although they feel a sense of loyalty to their friendship group, each of them are struggling with the thought of the annual picnic. The picnic begins, the alcohol flows and truths are told. Feelings are hurt, tension is high and voices are raised, the picnic ends, but this is just the beginning of the next chapter in their lives. A chapter that is going to change their futures.
I'm going to say no more about what happens, if I did I would possibly spoil the plot for readers who haven't yet read the book. I will say that I adored this story, possibly even more than Seskis' first novel. A Serpentine Affair is incredibly well put together, the air of suspense and tension grows with each chapter as the characters begin to reveal and find out more about themselves. There are some incredibly poignant moments, some horrific truths, and the ending is perfect.
Tina Seskis is most certainly a very accomplished and clever author, her next book is due for release in 2014, I will be waiting incredibly impatiently for it!
"Seven old friends. One annual reunion. Countless feuds.
How do friends stay friends for 25 years when there's so much to feel aggrieved about, such a tangle of lingering resentments? So when their picnic in the park goes horribly wrong and someone ends up in the Serpentine, who knows what really happens?
And just what secrets from the past are about to unfold, changing everyone's lives forever?"
Sounds intriguing doesn't it? It is, it's really well put together, well paced and packed with characters that evolve so well, who change through the course of the story, some of them very likeable, others who are loathsome and a couple who really are very very sad.
Tina Seskis has managed to tell the story of these seven women, from their university days right up to the present by cleverly weaving each story together using quite short and snappy chapters. I'll admit that at first it took me a little while to remember quite who was who, and who was married to who, but it really doesn't take long to get the characters and the relationships worked out.
There is a definite sense of reality within this story, most women seem to have very eclectic sets of friends, and I could certainly relate to that feeling of 'moving on' in life, yet still wanting to remain friends with people I met years ago, when I was a very different person, in a different place in my life. These seven women all feel the same, they have shared memories yet have moved on. They are no longer girls starting out in life and although they feel a sense of loyalty to their friendship group, each of them are struggling with the thought of the annual picnic. The picnic begins, the alcohol flows and truths are told. Feelings are hurt, tension is high and voices are raised, the picnic ends, but this is just the beginning of the next chapter in their lives. A chapter that is going to change their futures.
I'm going to say no more about what happens, if I did I would possibly spoil the plot for readers who haven't yet read the book. I will say that I adored this story, possibly even more than Seskis' first novel. A Serpentine Affair is incredibly well put together, the air of suspense and tension grows with each chapter as the characters begin to reveal and find out more about themselves. There are some incredibly poignant moments, some horrific truths, and the ending is perfect.
Tina Seskis is most certainly a very accomplished and clever author, her next book is due for release in 2014, I will be waiting incredibly impatiently for it!
May 4, 2018
A velvety dark fabulous novel by Tina Seskis. This is one of my best reads so far this year. I 100% recommend readers to buy it.
Six old friends who met at University twenty-five years ago. They all faced everything together from break-ups and marriages, motherhood and death.
When all six of them meet up for a picnic in Hyde park they all get very drunk, when bitching and friction roars out amongst them all. The picnic goes horribly wrong when one of them ends up in the serpentine, but who knows what really happened. And what secrets from the past are about to unfold, changing everyone's life together.
The book When We Were Friends reminded me of my favourite TV show Ladies Of London. In the book When We Were Friends there are so many great characters in this story that you will definitely find the character or characters that you like the best or the ones that may annoy you the most. For me I loved all of the characters in this book.
We have married Juliette with children who feels like a single mother while her husband Stephen is obsessed so much with his job that Juliette is sick of taking second place. But she trust her husband as he is far too busy with his job to have affairs.
Camilla is posh and married to James and she likes to do everything properly. She desperately likes to keep the peace.
Siobhan annoys everyone. She is the career woman who doesn't need marriage and kids to be a complete person.
Sissy secretly blames someone for the death of her husband. Sissy is always the first to arrive, she has never succeeded in quite shaking off her need to be not a minute late.
Natasha found out her husband's Alister affair from a text message from his phone. Natasha knows who is having the affair with him.
Renee is seeing a married man, Ed who will not leave his wife for her.
I can not wait for Tina Seskis next book. I hope every reader enjoys reading this as much as I have.
Six old friends who met at University twenty-five years ago. They all faced everything together from break-ups and marriages, motherhood and death.
When all six of them meet up for a picnic in Hyde park they all get very drunk, when bitching and friction roars out amongst them all. The picnic goes horribly wrong when one of them ends up in the serpentine, but who knows what really happened. And what secrets from the past are about to unfold, changing everyone's life together.
The book When We Were Friends reminded me of my favourite TV show Ladies Of London. In the book When We Were Friends there are so many great characters in this story that you will definitely find the character or characters that you like the best or the ones that may annoy you the most. For me I loved all of the characters in this book.
We have married Juliette with children who feels like a single mother while her husband Stephen is obsessed so much with his job that Juliette is sick of taking second place. But she trust her husband as he is far too busy with his job to have affairs.
Camilla is posh and married to James and she likes to do everything properly. She desperately likes to keep the peace.
Siobhan annoys everyone. She is the career woman who doesn't need marriage and kids to be a complete person.
Sissy secretly blames someone for the death of her husband. Sissy is always the first to arrive, she has never succeeded in quite shaking off her need to be not a minute late.
Natasha found out her husband's Alister affair from a text message from his phone. Natasha knows who is having the affair with him.
Renee is seeing a married man, Ed who will not leave his wife for her.
I can not wait for Tina Seskis next book. I hope every reader enjoys reading this as much as I have.
August 23, 2013
I finished A Serpentine Affair a few minutes ago and I am simply stunned at how much I enjoyed its varied cast of fascinating characters and how buried misbehaviour from their pasts returns to haunt the present. It is easy to sympathise with reviewers who gave up on this one. The temporal shifts and changes of point of view, along with the slowly revealed back stories that allow the reader to bring the different characters into focus, make the first half of the book heavy slogging. But trust Tina Seskis. She knows exactly what she is doing. Half-way in you'll be totally absorbed and trying to function on three-hours sleep because you couldn't put it down.
Now that I know who all the characters are and what will happen to them, I plan to reread the opening scenes and then maybe try to write a proper sort of review. But that may not be for a while. In the meantime, I'll simply gush and say that this book is stunning.
Now that I know who all the characters are and what will happen to them, I plan to reread the opening scenes and then maybe try to write a proper sort of review. But that may not be for a while. In the meantime, I'll simply gush and say that this book is stunning.
Read
June 7, 2013I finished this last night -- I had to get up to make a 3:30 am airport run and should have been trying to nap a bit but I just could not put it down! I really liked the slow build as I got to know each woman. And those men!! The delicious shivers of finding out the details about each one's past and also their perspectives on situations and each other!!! Another fun and twisted novel with interesting characters and an unexpected incident on a nice evening by Serpentine Lake...old friends indeed!!! Can't wait to read the finished version!
Draft from author - not rated
Draft from author - not rated
April 6, 2019
I really enjoyed this one. There were a lot of characters in it and that was a. little confusing at first, but lots of twists and turns along the way .. definitely not your average chick lit! A great page turner.
April 21, 2015
Originally posted on This Chick Reads
* Copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review*
'When We Were Friends' is the second novel by Tina Seskis and it was previously published under the title 'A Serpentine Affair'. I haven't read Tina's debut, 'One Step Too Far', but after reading this one, I'm definitely bumping it up in my TBR pile.
'When We Were Friends' is a layered, complex story involving six main characters. Siobhan, Natasha, Sissy, Juliette, Renee and Camilla, but we also meet some more side characters who add to their stories. They've been friends for more than two decades, ever since the first year at University and they're having a reunion in Hyde Park near Serpentine. However, things get messy and only five of them leave their meeting.
But before we find out what happened to the sixth friend and which of them didn't leave with the rest, the author takes us back to the past, when they were students and follows each of their lives. Written in short chapters, the author does a brilliant job in sharing each of their stories, building up the tension and making you think a lot. We meet these 6 ladies, now in their forties, who are so different. There was a point when I even wondered how they could be friends after all, so much has happened between them, there are some secrets which could seriously tear them apart. However, they were once inseparable, and helped each other a lot in the past. They've changed during the years, they've gone their own ways, some married with children, the other focused on their careers. What was strange is that I didn't get the impression all of them were looking forward to the reunion and their meeting in Hyde park. I started wondering, what really happened to them, as some of them felt like they were forced and uncomfortable being at the picnic.
Despite taking off slowly, 'When We Were Friends' ended up being one hell of a gripping book. I remember talking about this book with a friend on twitter, who was also reading it at the same time. I worried the pace is too slow for my liking and asked if finally things will start happening. I was reassured things will pick up after we meet all of the characters a bit better, and my friend was right. One of the best things about this book, despite the beautifully portrayed characters, is that I was suspecting everyone. Literally everyone. At the beginning, we don't even know who the victim is. This was really interesting as usually in thrillers I'm focused on finding out who the killer is. But what's also interesting is that even when I tried to guess, I was proved wrong. So really, this book was messing with my head and I really had hard time putting it down. I really REALLY was hooked and wanted to find out which of the ladies didn't leave the picnic and who's responsible for that.
It's kind of hard to compare this book to any of the mystery/thrillers I've read before. It's like, it's an own category. While definitely being suspenseful and has the elements of a psychological thriller, it's even more than that. There are so many characters and stories to follow, yet it won't get you confused and Ms Seskis' brilliant writing will help you distinguish each of them. You'll feel like you really know them, maybe you'll even recognize a bit of yourself in some of them. Maybe you're organized like Camilla or loud like Renee.
Another thing which I really liked is that it's a thought provoking book. It'll make you think about you relationships and friends, those that have lasted throughout the years and those you haven't been in touch with for a while. Definitely refreshing and rather different to the books I've read so far, 'When We Were Friends' is a great and enjoyable read. Despite the flashbacks to the characters' university years, I only wish there was more about their good moments as friends. I wish I found out about the moments that brought them all together, how they meet etc. I think it would definitely make things more dynamic at the beginning.
However, despite my remarks, 'When We Were Friends' didn't disappoint and is a book I'd definitely recommend. Suspenseful with loads of drama and mystery, beautiful writing and in depth analyzed characters, make sure you don't miss it.
July 19, 2013
Anyone who read my review of Tina Seskis’ first book “One Step Too Far” will know I was dying to get my hands on “A Serpentine Affair” so I was very excited to receive a copy via NetGalley – thank you so much, I’m not sure I would have survived my chronic impatience!
This tale follows seven friends at their annual reunion – this time a picnic on the banks of the Serpentine. Friends for over 25 years, they are all in a sense hanging on to the relationships formed in their younger years, despite there being undercurrents of hostility and a huge backlog of undeclared resentment. They all secretly wonder why they all still attend these functions – but attend them they do. This one is destined for disaster and through real time and flashback we get the story of their lives…and their friendship.
This is brilliantly done. Slowly but surely leading us through the events that have lead up to the picnic, we discover many hidden depths to the relationships and oh so many twists and turns in the lives of these seven fantastic women! You won’t like all of them. You might not like ANY of them. If you are like me you will love each one and equally be frustrated at what they get up too – oh how many things could have been different if only words had come out of mouths at any of several points in their existence. But of course thats life isnt it?
I love the authors writing style – it flows so well and is imaginative and emotive. Her storytelling skills are second to none – often a follow up novel to one you have loved is a disappointment but not here. I was enthralled, unreachable while I was immersed in the story and immersed I was. The “time slips” are perfectly executed – done in “no particular order” they ensure that the developing tale stays right on track…and keeps you turning those pages.
Now “One Step Too Far” was marketed on the marvellous twist in the tale that no-one I know has so far worked out. With “A Serpentine Affair” Ms Seskis has gone down an equally compelling route. The twists come during the course of the story – with all the different events marking the run of the friendship you are never really sure who has been doing what to who and why until she tells you. And saving the best for last, you will not be sure at all about what actually happened that night on the banks of the Serpentine until the very last few words. Perfect. Absolutely perfect. Clear your reading Diary for August!
All in all it is a story of friendship – of the hidden depths that all such relationships have – of the resentments that lie hidden and often buried by time. Realistic – with of course dramatic license to ensure a terrific read – I’m now wondering how many of my friends look at me occasionally and mutter under their breath about some faux pas I have made – Hmm. Friendships are the most important relationships you will form in your life – they are just as difficult to upkeep as any marriage – this novel looks at that. I loved it. Sigh. How long am I going to have to wait for more? Yep. I feel that old chronic impatience coming on once again…. Happy Reading Folks!
This tale follows seven friends at their annual reunion – this time a picnic on the banks of the Serpentine. Friends for over 25 years, they are all in a sense hanging on to the relationships formed in their younger years, despite there being undercurrents of hostility and a huge backlog of undeclared resentment. They all secretly wonder why they all still attend these functions – but attend them they do. This one is destined for disaster and through real time and flashback we get the story of their lives…and their friendship.
This is brilliantly done. Slowly but surely leading us through the events that have lead up to the picnic, we discover many hidden depths to the relationships and oh so many twists and turns in the lives of these seven fantastic women! You won’t like all of them. You might not like ANY of them. If you are like me you will love each one and equally be frustrated at what they get up too – oh how many things could have been different if only words had come out of mouths at any of several points in their existence. But of course thats life isnt it?
I love the authors writing style – it flows so well and is imaginative and emotive. Her storytelling skills are second to none – often a follow up novel to one you have loved is a disappointment but not here. I was enthralled, unreachable while I was immersed in the story and immersed I was. The “time slips” are perfectly executed – done in “no particular order” they ensure that the developing tale stays right on track…and keeps you turning those pages.
Now “One Step Too Far” was marketed on the marvellous twist in the tale that no-one I know has so far worked out. With “A Serpentine Affair” Ms Seskis has gone down an equally compelling route. The twists come during the course of the story – with all the different events marking the run of the friendship you are never really sure who has been doing what to who and why until she tells you. And saving the best for last, you will not be sure at all about what actually happened that night on the banks of the Serpentine until the very last few words. Perfect. Absolutely perfect. Clear your reading Diary for August!
All in all it is a story of friendship – of the hidden depths that all such relationships have – of the resentments that lie hidden and often buried by time. Realistic – with of course dramatic license to ensure a terrific read – I’m now wondering how many of my friends look at me occasionally and mutter under their breath about some faux pas I have made – Hmm. Friendships are the most important relationships you will form in your life – they are just as difficult to upkeep as any marriage – this novel looks at that. I loved it. Sigh. How long am I going to have to wait for more? Yep. I feel that old chronic impatience coming on once again…. Happy Reading Folks!
October 11, 2015
If you're looking for a book that is “ Clever, Interesting, Chilling – and utterly impossible to put down........” this is not it. It is none of those things, and proving the last bit wrong, I put this down last night, a little over halfway through.
One of the most ridiculous books I've read in a while it concerns six horrible ex-uni friends, plus a seventh outsider whose reason for inclusion I have already forgotten, who meet for a picnic at the Serpentine in London. This catch-up is an annual affair which has, for most of them, been a trial to be got through, not because they like or admire each other, but simply because they're “friends”. This year it erupts into a drunken slagging match with accusations being hurled at each other. As they eventually totter away in their unsuitable shoes and tight clothes, to their various husbands and homes, a loud splash is heard, but none of the six go back to investigate even though they're aware that one of their drunken number is missing. What happens next? Do I care, am I bothered? No, not really....
Far too many characters, all of whom are disagreeable, unlikeable and unsympathetic does not make for pleasant reading. We have the usual recipe of petty jealousies, rivalries, secrets and bitchiness. Add to this the now seemingly obligatory, confusing, shunting backwards, forwards and in between time frames and attempts at humour which fall flat. Next add a hefty dollop of overblown, over descriptive writing. Now mix in bad grammar (“was sat” instead of “was sitting” or “seated” – every single time, aaargh!!) and you have a book which I found not only lacking in humour, but tedious, in need of a good proof read and edit, and overlong long by at least a hundred pages. It is not funny, clever, interesting or in the least bit chilling.
For those who like to while away the afternoon in a deck chair and read frothy, silly stories about characters who bear no resemblance to real people, and don't want to put too much thought into what's going on, this is the perfect book for you. Soap opera on paper.
Why did I read it? You might well ask - one of the author's other books "When We Were Friends" was recommended and while searching for it in my local library I found this one. Will I look for the recommendation? Probably not.
One of the most ridiculous books I've read in a while it concerns six horrible ex-uni friends, plus a seventh outsider whose reason for inclusion I have already forgotten, who meet for a picnic at the Serpentine in London. This catch-up is an annual affair which has, for most of them, been a trial to be got through, not because they like or admire each other, but simply because they're “friends”. This year it erupts into a drunken slagging match with accusations being hurled at each other. As they eventually totter away in their unsuitable shoes and tight clothes, to their various husbands and homes, a loud splash is heard, but none of the six go back to investigate even though they're aware that one of their drunken number is missing. What happens next? Do I care, am I bothered? No, not really....
Far too many characters, all of whom are disagreeable, unlikeable and unsympathetic does not make for pleasant reading. We have the usual recipe of petty jealousies, rivalries, secrets and bitchiness. Add to this the now seemingly obligatory, confusing, shunting backwards, forwards and in between time frames and attempts at humour which fall flat. Next add a hefty dollop of overblown, over descriptive writing. Now mix in bad grammar (“was sat” instead of “was sitting” or “seated” – every single time, aaargh!!) and you have a book which I found not only lacking in humour, but tedious, in need of a good proof read and edit, and overlong long by at least a hundred pages. It is not funny, clever, interesting or in the least bit chilling.
For those who like to while away the afternoon in a deck chair and read frothy, silly stories about characters who bear no resemblance to real people, and don't want to put too much thought into what's going on, this is the perfect book for you. Soap opera on paper.
Why did I read it? You might well ask - one of the author's other books "When We Were Friends" was recommended and while searching for it in my local library I found this one. Will I look for the recommendation? Probably not.
August 14, 2017
Juliette, Camilla, Siobhan, Sissy, Renee and Natasha have been friends since university. They met 25 years ago, and even though their lives have gone in different directions, they have stayed friends and each year make sure that the six of them get together for a reunion.
This year they were meeting up in Hyde Park, for a picnic, near the Serpentine. What they didn't know was this night was going to change all of their lives forever.
When We Were Friends is written in lots of short chapters giving you snippets of information. Some of them are the present, and then there are a variety of storylines, about most of the girls, from their lives previously.
During the course of When We Were Friends, a lot of shocking secrets come out. The momentum of this book builds continuously, and the crescendo and aftermath is pretty stunning. It got to the point where the book, which had, had me interested right from the first few pages, I couldn't put it down.
I don't want to reveal any more about the plot as I truly believe that, I would only spoil key bits of it, as there is so much story, and so much of it interlinks.
Six main characters may seem a lot, and at times I was getting a couple of them confused, but on the whole it was easy enough to follow this account of their friendship over the years, and start to understand how one night can change everyone's lives.
There are a lot of bad decisions, and some of the characters (and their husbands) are incredibly hard to like, but I did feel empathy with them.
I loved every minute of When We Were Friends, and will certainly be looking forward to Tina's future releases with bated breath.
This year they were meeting up in Hyde Park, for a picnic, near the Serpentine. What they didn't know was this night was going to change all of their lives forever.
When We Were Friends is written in lots of short chapters giving you snippets of information. Some of them are the present, and then there are a variety of storylines, about most of the girls, from their lives previously.
During the course of When We Were Friends, a lot of shocking secrets come out. The momentum of this book builds continuously, and the crescendo and aftermath is pretty stunning. It got to the point where the book, which had, had me interested right from the first few pages, I couldn't put it down.
I don't want to reveal any more about the plot as I truly believe that, I would only spoil key bits of it, as there is so much story, and so much of it interlinks.
Six main characters may seem a lot, and at times I was getting a couple of them confused, but on the whole it was easy enough to follow this account of their friendship over the years, and start to understand how one night can change everyone's lives.
There are a lot of bad decisions, and some of the characters (and their husbands) are incredibly hard to like, but I did feel empathy with them.
I loved every minute of When We Were Friends, and will certainly be looking forward to Tina's future releases with bated breath.
August 2, 2015
I work night shifts and during the quiet moments I read. A lot. The problem is the further I get into a string of nights the more exhausted my brain becomes. This is where books like When We Were Friends are exactly what I need.
The writing isn't spectacular but that isn't what I was looking for anyway. The chapters are short, the storyline moves quickly, the focus switches between characters and it is FULL of twists. I read the entire thing in a couple of nights and was entertained and distracted from the powerful pull of sleep.
If you want an easy read for a train journey, to kill time in the airport or if your brain is melting from shift work, you could do a lot worse. This lady can put together a pretty decent story.
The writing isn't spectacular but that isn't what I was looking for anyway. The chapters are short, the storyline moves quickly, the focus switches between characters and it is FULL of twists. I read the entire thing in a couple of nights and was entertained and distracted from the powerful pull of sleep.
If you want an easy read for a train journey, to kill time in the airport or if your brain is melting from shift work, you could do a lot worse. This lady can put together a pretty decent story.
March 19, 2016
Really enjoyable read. Lots of characters to keep track of. I wasn't sure where it was leading but enjoyed it. Final pages a bit of a damp squib but not horrendous
August 3, 2015
I really enjoyed this book, the lives of 6 friends and how secrets and lies catch up and destroy it all. great read!
June 12, 2016
Tense, compelling, searing. A story of friendship and secrets, wrong choices and horrible betrayals. Loved it.
December 8, 2018
This book has been languishing on my TBR for nearly 4 years. I gave it a try once before but gave up on it, as both storyline and characterisation seemed so unconvincing. But the guilt always gets to me in the end. If NetGalley gives me a book, I feel duty bound to read and review it. So I steeled myself and tried again – and this time I must have been feeling in a mellower, less critical mood, as not only did I finish it but I quite enjoyed it – well, sort of. The characterisation and storyline are indeed unconvincing. A group of six university friends get together for a reunion every year. It never turns out well. They carry too much baggage and their personal histories are too intertwined for any meeting between them to be a success. So why bother? Well, I wasn’t too sure about that, but meet they do and this year turns out to be one of the worst times yet. I couldn’t buy into their connection, and found their yearly meetings too contrived. I also had trouble working out who was who, as I kept getting the women muddled up (they are all equally unlikeable) – not helped by the author choosing names that began with the same letters. There are far too many backstories, as well, and as they are all traumatic, they seem to merge into one long disaster. It’s all really quite silly and melodramatic, but I didn’t find it as bad this time as the first time I attempted it and at least my conscience is now at rest.
February 16, 2019
Trigger warnings: rape, death of a spouse, cancer, probably other stuff that I didn't get to because I gave up.
DNF on page 153. Look, I was desperately hoping to love this because I was hooked from start to finish by Tina Seskis' The Honeymoon last year. But unfortunately, I just found this a big ol' pile of confusion. There are six friends in this story, and it jumps around between their six different perspectives. But it also jumps between the past and the present, so it's more like twelve different perspectives. And the perspectives in the past are all at different points in the past, but there's no real indication of how old the characters are at that particular time and I just...........I was very confused and it made my brain hurt and frankly I didn't really care so BYE BOOK BYE.
DNF on page 153. Look, I was desperately hoping to love this because I was hooked from start to finish by Tina Seskis' The Honeymoon last year. But unfortunately, I just found this a big ol' pile of confusion. There are six friends in this story, and it jumps around between their six different perspectives. But it also jumps between the past and the present, so it's more like twelve different perspectives. And the perspectives in the past are all at different points in the past, but there's no real indication of how old the characters are at that particular time and I just...........I was very confused and it made my brain hurt and frankly I didn't really care so BYE BOOK BYE.
November 3, 2023
Farkli sosyo-ekonomik çevreler, farkli hayatlardan yedi kadının hikayesi, bunların birbirinin içinden geçen hayatlarını anlatıyor. Ama ne icinden gecme :) o mon dieu tadinda 😎
📌 25 senelik universite arkadasligi, yilda bir geleneksellesen -mecburi- bir araya gelmeler. Bu seneki yer Hyde Park 🌿Bu seferki oncekilerden farkli olur cunku 7 kisi gittikleri piknikten 6 kisi donerler.
📌 İlişkiler, kavgalar, anneler, evlatlik olma, üvey kardeş, arkadasliklar, kocalar ama en cok, cok fazla sirlar, sirlar, sirlar… hikaye surekli yeniden insa ediliyor, agac surekli yeniden dallaniyor budaklaniyor.. bugunden gecmise, o karakterden bu karaktere sicrayarak okuyoruz. Bir bolumde bugundeyiz diger bolumde 10 sene once sardunya’ya gidiyoruz, sonra 20 sene once paris’e biyolojik anneyi ariyoruz😇
📌 25 senelik universite arkadasligi, yilda bir geleneksellesen -mecburi- bir araya gelmeler. Bu seneki yer Hyde Park 🌿Bu seferki oncekilerden farkli olur cunku 7 kisi gittikleri piknikten 6 kisi donerler.
📌 İlişkiler, kavgalar, anneler, evlatlik olma, üvey kardeş, arkadasliklar, kocalar ama en cok, cok fazla sirlar, sirlar, sirlar… hikaye surekli yeniden insa ediliyor, agac surekli yeniden dallaniyor budaklaniyor.. bugunden gecmise, o karakterden bu karaktere sicrayarak okuyoruz. Bir bolumde bugundeyiz diger bolumde 10 sene once sardunya’ya gidiyoruz, sonra 20 sene once paris’e biyolojik anneyi ariyoruz😇
December 30, 2023
Interesting story line but I found it too detailed on some parts
August 5, 2013
I received my copy from the author and rated it 4.5 stars.
“The evening was set to be balmy, perfect for a picnic, even one destined to end in disaster.”
This quote perfectly describes the feel of this book. The story is told in a mellow and gentle tone with a constant threat of doom lingering underneath.
Seven women, Juliette, Camilla, Siobhan, Sissy, JoAnne, Katie and Natasha met and became close friends while in college in Bristol. Seven very different women with different personalities, backgrounds, insecurities, hopes and dreams found each other and became a close knit group of friends.
Twenty-five years later a lot of things have changed. The seven women all lead different lives, have all experienced their own ups and downs and really don’t have a whole lot in common anymore. Issues have sprung up between them, some having their origins in the years they spent in college and some developed over the subsequent years. Little lies told, small resentments clung to as well as secrets kept have festered into bigger issues over the years until they’ve now reached boiling point. None of the seven, formerly close, friends thinks meeting for this picnic is a good idea but with each of them reluctant to be the one to put the final nail in the coffin of their friendship, they all turn up.
By the time the evening is over one of them is missing and all of them wish they had stayed away from the park that night. Lives are about to be changed irrevocably and long held secrets will be uncovered. The picnic will be a turning point in the life of each of these women.
This is a heartbreaking and realistic story about friendship and relationships and how they change over time. It shows how slights and mistakes that may seem small at the time can have enormous repercussions later on in life. Secrets are kept and fester until they have grown too big to be controlled.
Earlier this year I read One Step Too Far by this author and was really impressed by Tina Seskis’ ability keep her readers guessing while telling a fascinating story. I have to say she does the same thing even better in this book; she is very good at keeping the suspense and secrets alive without giving the reader the feeling that she’s actually withholding information. She builds the revelation of what is actually going on with the various characters from the very start of the book until the very last word on the very last page. At various points throughout this book I felt that I knew what was going on, only to be surprised by an unexpected twist.
Seskis’ writing is smooth and the story almost too easy to read. She draws you in with her words and her characters, giving the reader a false sense of security only to rock their perceptions as the secrets are slowly uncovered leading to an ending that is both heartbreaking and shocking, although not necessarily for the reasons you would expect.
One word of warning though; it is important for the reader to pay close attention while reading this book. There are a lot of characters in this book, and the list grows as their lives progress. Read this book too fast and you’ll lose track of who is connected to, or has issues with, whom. And because of the tension that lies just underneath the surface, the need to race through the story in order to find out what exactly is, and has been, going on is at times almost impossible to ignore.
This is an original page-turner with a clever and intriguing story written by an author who I expect will continue to surprise her readers in years to come.
“The evening was set to be balmy, perfect for a picnic, even one destined to end in disaster.”
This quote perfectly describes the feel of this book. The story is told in a mellow and gentle tone with a constant threat of doom lingering underneath.
Seven women, Juliette, Camilla, Siobhan, Sissy, JoAnne, Katie and Natasha met and became close friends while in college in Bristol. Seven very different women with different personalities, backgrounds, insecurities, hopes and dreams found each other and became a close knit group of friends.
Twenty-five years later a lot of things have changed. The seven women all lead different lives, have all experienced their own ups and downs and really don’t have a whole lot in common anymore. Issues have sprung up between them, some having their origins in the years they spent in college and some developed over the subsequent years. Little lies told, small resentments clung to as well as secrets kept have festered into bigger issues over the years until they’ve now reached boiling point. None of the seven, formerly close, friends thinks meeting for this picnic is a good idea but with each of them reluctant to be the one to put the final nail in the coffin of their friendship, they all turn up.
By the time the evening is over one of them is missing and all of them wish they had stayed away from the park that night. Lives are about to be changed irrevocably and long held secrets will be uncovered. The picnic will be a turning point in the life of each of these women.
This is a heartbreaking and realistic story about friendship and relationships and how they change over time. It shows how slights and mistakes that may seem small at the time can have enormous repercussions later on in life. Secrets are kept and fester until they have grown too big to be controlled.
Earlier this year I read One Step Too Far by this author and was really impressed by Tina Seskis’ ability keep her readers guessing while telling a fascinating story. I have to say she does the same thing even better in this book; she is very good at keeping the suspense and secrets alive without giving the reader the feeling that she’s actually withholding information. She builds the revelation of what is actually going on with the various characters from the very start of the book until the very last word on the very last page. At various points throughout this book I felt that I knew what was going on, only to be surprised by an unexpected twist.
Seskis’ writing is smooth and the story almost too easy to read. She draws you in with her words and her characters, giving the reader a false sense of security only to rock their perceptions as the secrets are slowly uncovered leading to an ending that is both heartbreaking and shocking, although not necessarily for the reasons you would expect.
One word of warning though; it is important for the reader to pay close attention while reading this book. There are a lot of characters in this book, and the list grows as their lives progress. Read this book too fast and you’ll lose track of who is connected to, or has issues with, whom. And because of the tension that lies just underneath the surface, the need to race through the story in order to find out what exactly is, and has been, going on is at times almost impossible to ignore.
This is an original page-turner with a clever and intriguing story written by an author who I expect will continue to surprise her readers in years to come.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 198 reviews