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What Goes Around
Two women, two secrets, one murder...
What Goes Around is the story of two women - Ellen and Leila. Ellen is the ex-wife and Leila is the new woman, living in Ellen's house, sleeping with Ellen's husband. Each woman has her own secrets to keep. Leila's brother is back in her life and is determined to rake up their past while Ellen is out for revenge. She wants her home back and she wants Leila to pay for breaking up her marriage. Her plan will make her do things she never thought herself capable of - but it will also put her in danger. Because Ellen has no idea what sort of a woman Leila is and when she finally finds out, it could already be too late...
One of the women will end up dead. But which one?
What Goes Around is the story of two women - Ellen and Leila. Ellen is the ex-wife and Leila is the new woman, living in Ellen's house, sleeping with Ellen's husband. Each woman has her own secrets to keep. Leila's brother is back in her life and is determined to rake up their past while Ellen is out for revenge. She wants her home back and she wants Leila to pay for breaking up her marriage. Her plan will make her do things she never thought herself capable of - but it will also put her in danger. Because Ellen has no idea what sort of a woman Leila is and when she finally finds out, it could already be too late...
One of the women will end up dead. But which one?
314 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 14, 2016
111 people are currently reading
687 people want to read
About the author
Julie Corbin
15 books116 followersJulie Corbin was born and grew up in Scotland. She studied at Edinburgh University and has been working for over twenty years as a nurse in various specialities including neurosurgery and school nursing. She began writing seriously when her three sons were teenagers. She lives in East Sussex, England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
May 24, 2017
This story is told in two fold.
One by the betrayed.
The other, by the betrayer which makes for fantastic writing.
It's dark, its obsessive, it's compelling.
There's a secret that hangs in the air throughout this book that once revealed made me think twice about this particular female. It altered my perception and brought a lot of what I thought, into question.
As per, this author really knows how to work her audience "us readers" giving us enough tit bits we beg for more salivating.
My sincere thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for my copy.
One by the betrayed.
The other, by the betrayer which makes for fantastic writing.
It's dark, its obsessive, it's compelling.
There's a secret that hangs in the air throughout this book that once revealed made me think twice about this particular female. It altered my perception and brought a lot of what I thought, into question.
As per, this author really knows how to work her audience "us readers" giving us enough tit bits we beg for more salivating.
My sincere thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for my copy.
April 12, 2017
As much as Julie enjoys writing, she thinks that she might have given up but for the help of friends and family. Thank goodness that Julie Corbin has never given up writing. I really enjoyed reading What Goes Around. I think that Julie Corbin is a great writer. I follow Julie Corbin on Goodreads.
About What Goes Around. Leila is a therapist, the new woman Tom loves. Leila is the woman Ellen hates for taking her husband Tom, and her house. Leila's brother is involved with Ellen, he claims he is only involved with her as a way of protecting his sister Leila and by staying close to her enemies.
Nail biting tensions builds up between the ex wife Ellen and Tom's new woman Leila and Leila's brother who has come back into Leila's life.
One of them will come to a fatal blow.
I do recommend Julie Corbin's books.
About What Goes Around. Leila is a therapist, the new woman Tom loves. Leila is the woman Ellen hates for taking her husband Tom, and her house. Leila's brother is involved with Ellen, he claims he is only involved with her as a way of protecting his sister Leila and by staying close to her enemies.
Nail biting tensions builds up between the ex wife Ellen and Tom's new woman Leila and Leila's brother who has come back into Leila's life.
One of them will come to a fatal blow.
I do recommend Julie Corbin's books.
July 30, 2016
I loved "Tell me no Secrets" from Julie Corbin so I was really looking forward to this - and What Goes Around really is a top psychological thriller with a clever premise, some lovely writing and is honestly terribly addictive.
Told from the point of view of two women, the betrayed and the betrayer, Julie Corbin spins a really quite masterful tale of family secrets, nature and nurture, the ties that bind - whilst taking the reader on a twisty unpredictable journey that ends up nowhere you might expect.
Its an interesting dynamic that is created between Ellen and Leila - Ellen determined to get her revenge on the woman who "stole" her husband, Leila not even caring who Ellen is - but as things move onwards a picture begins to emerge that is hauntingly scary as at least one of these two harbours a dark past and some serious problems.
It is a clever character study incorporating many thought provoking themes - I loved how Ms Corbin managed to play on my sympathies, changing things up as everything unravels, exploring those shades of grey that make human interaction so incredibly fascinating. It all feels terriby real, a superb level of authenticity built into the narrative and when I turned that final page I honestly could not decide who I felt the most sorry for. Clever and intuitive storytelling.
A lot of us love a good psychological thriller, its the thing of the moment - What Goes Around shows that there is plenty of life here yet. Whilst it maybe has nothing unique it DOES have engaging, divisive and utterly seductive characters, a pacy and intelligent plot and overall was a very good read indeed.
Definitely recommended.
Told from the point of view of two women, the betrayed and the betrayer, Julie Corbin spins a really quite masterful tale of family secrets, nature and nurture, the ties that bind - whilst taking the reader on a twisty unpredictable journey that ends up nowhere you might expect.
Its an interesting dynamic that is created between Ellen and Leila - Ellen determined to get her revenge on the woman who "stole" her husband, Leila not even caring who Ellen is - but as things move onwards a picture begins to emerge that is hauntingly scary as at least one of these two harbours a dark past and some serious problems.
It is a clever character study incorporating many thought provoking themes - I loved how Ms Corbin managed to play on my sympathies, changing things up as everything unravels, exploring those shades of grey that make human interaction so incredibly fascinating. It all feels terriby real, a superb level of authenticity built into the narrative and when I turned that final page I honestly could not decide who I felt the most sorry for. Clever and intuitive storytelling.
A lot of us love a good psychological thriller, its the thing of the moment - What Goes Around shows that there is plenty of life here yet. Whilst it maybe has nothing unique it DOES have engaging, divisive and utterly seductive characters, a pacy and intelligent plot and overall was a very good read indeed.
Definitely recommended.
September 4, 2016
I've been a fan of Julie Corbin since her first novel. Her Scottish settings and her way of using her characters to live out your worst nightmares have always appealed to me and I look forward to when she has a new book out.
What Goes Around is a fabulous title for a psychological revenge thriller (it's an annoyingly frequent saying of mine apparently!) and right from the start I realised that this book was very different from Julie Corbin's previous books. Although the same general seed is sown (ordinary people thrown into difficult and ultimately dangerous situations) the way this one evolves is much darker than I had been expecting! It's also much more concentrated as its told in alternating points of view by Ellen and Leila forming a tale of two women and a questionable quest for revenge. Ellen is suffering from OCD since splitting from her husband. Leila is the therapist that Ellen books an appointment with to help her. So far so good but unfortunately Ellen is there under an assumed name as Leila is the woman her husband left her for! Now at that information, you're probably wondering how that would work? Surely the new woman would know what the ex wife looks like? But Leila isn't like other women, certainly none I have met anyway! And because of that I disliked her from the start. How can a woman be so self absorbed that she hasn't got a clue about the woman she has replaced? But Leila has a past that is hinted at throughout so that when I found out more, it was actually quite horrifying and I started to question my initial judgment of her. Whereas Ellen had my sympathy from the off, dumped for a younger, more adventurous woman and losing her home as well as her husband. So I was rather shocked at the actions she took to extract her revenge.
And that's what worked so well here for me as a reader. My sympathies and opinions switched around so many times I was dizzy by the end! There were no real shocks here but the plot definitely didn't play out as I was expecting so to manage to conjure up a few surprises is certainly something to be applauded. I feel I should warn that there are some difficult and sometimes rather upsetting scenes here which some people may find unpleasant reading but I found it to be relevant to discovering what makes characters act the way they do. The storyline also explores the "nature versus nurture" theory which has always been a particular fascination of mine.
A gripping but rather unsettling read which probably isn't my favourite Julie Corbin novel but it's one that will haunt me more than usual.
What Goes Around is a fabulous title for a psychological revenge thriller (it's an annoyingly frequent saying of mine apparently!) and right from the start I realised that this book was very different from Julie Corbin's previous books. Although the same general seed is sown (ordinary people thrown into difficult and ultimately dangerous situations) the way this one evolves is much darker than I had been expecting! It's also much more concentrated as its told in alternating points of view by Ellen and Leila forming a tale of two women and a questionable quest for revenge. Ellen is suffering from OCD since splitting from her husband. Leila is the therapist that Ellen books an appointment with to help her. So far so good but unfortunately Ellen is there under an assumed name as Leila is the woman her husband left her for! Now at that information, you're probably wondering how that would work? Surely the new woman would know what the ex wife looks like? But Leila isn't like other women, certainly none I have met anyway! And because of that I disliked her from the start. How can a woman be so self absorbed that she hasn't got a clue about the woman she has replaced? But Leila has a past that is hinted at throughout so that when I found out more, it was actually quite horrifying and I started to question my initial judgment of her. Whereas Ellen had my sympathy from the off, dumped for a younger, more adventurous woman and losing her home as well as her husband. So I was rather shocked at the actions she took to extract her revenge.
And that's what worked so well here for me as a reader. My sympathies and opinions switched around so many times I was dizzy by the end! There were no real shocks here but the plot definitely didn't play out as I was expecting so to manage to conjure up a few surprises is certainly something to be applauded. I feel I should warn that there are some difficult and sometimes rather upsetting scenes here which some people may find unpleasant reading but I found it to be relevant to discovering what makes characters act the way they do. The storyline also explores the "nature versus nurture" theory which has always been a particular fascination of mine.
A gripping but rather unsettling read which probably isn't my favourite Julie Corbin novel but it's one that will haunt me more than usual.
March 28, 2017
Meh. I had high hopes for this one, seeing the other reviews but it fell short for me after a few chapters.
I wish people would stop mislabelling books as 'psychological thrillers.' This book is not a psychological thriller - it's n fiction book with characters who keep making bad decisions. No thrill. A laughable 'climax' where the ex-wife and the mistress finally confront each other face-to-face. I might've audibly groaned out loud.
Also I've never seen this happen before, the author randomly uses a different spelling of a character's name in the middle of the book. Did no one edit this book?
I wish people would stop mislabelling books as 'psychological thrillers.' This book is not a psychological thriller - it's n fiction book with characters who keep making bad decisions. No thrill. A laughable 'climax' where the ex-wife and the mistress finally confront each other face-to-face. I might've audibly groaned out loud.
Also I've never seen this happen before, the author randomly uses a different spelling of a character's name in the middle of the book. Did no one edit this book?
April 16, 2021
Things were going really well and I was genuinely enjoying this story until, bam, suddenly I wasn’t. That might sound like a strange thing to say, but it’s exactly what happened. The plot suddenly jumped off in an unexpected direction, and it didn’t make any sense. Characters started acting in contrast to how the author had cast them in the first half of the book, and they started acting in ways that made no sense in terms of the relationships that had been shown to us. I mean the two woman, Ellen and Leila, being the ex-wife and the mistress, were supposed to hate each other, the one embarking on a revenge mission against the other, only to end up “friends” after one meeting and giving each other advice! What happened to a woman scorned? What happened to the revenge aspect? Also, as another example, a specific couple is shown as very happily together in the beginning of the story, totally in love, having regular sex, so much so that another character actually comments on how in love they are…and then suddenly, bam, out of left field the female partner decides that she’s not happy, they’re not good together and she’s leaving and moving away. What? Wait? Where? How did that happen? It made no sense, and it didn’t seem to follow any logical path. It was almost as if the author just needed that to happen to move the plot in a certain direction, and so wham, she made it happen. But it wasn’t what we had been shown in the beginning. And there are a few such examples, and I obviously won’t mention them all as I don’t want to spoil anything, but really, it was just odd. Characters who were destined to despise each other were suddenly apologetic and forgiving and wanting to be friends, and other characters who were mean and nasty, to the extent that there was even animal abuse, drug taking, bad attitudes displayed to others, were suddenly lovely and friendly and accommodating. And the ending also didn’t have me doing much but rolling my eyes. Nope, it didn’t work for me unfortunately. Plenty of great reviews for this one but unfortunately I won’t be one of them.
September 28, 2016
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.
Ellen suffers from anxiety and PTSD after her husband left her for another woman. Ellen was so shocked when her husband ended the marriage she left her lovely home Maybanks and is now living in a grotty house. However when Ellen finds out that her husband's mistress Leila has moved in and has set her psychology practice in her home she wants revenge and her house back.
Psychologist Leila is a woman you do not want to meet. She has a history of having affairs with married men, when she gets what she wants out of them she leaves. Leila is a psychopath after she was psychologically abused by her stepfather when she was a child. When next doors cat keeps coming over into her garden she actually breaks its neck and throws it in a Bush.
The story was split between Ellen and Leila's point of view. I did not enjoy Ellen's story but I loved Leila's story. What goes around is a gripping psychological thriller with brilliant characters and a surprising ending.
Ellen suffers from anxiety and PTSD after her husband left her for another woman. Ellen was so shocked when her husband ended the marriage she left her lovely home Maybanks and is now living in a grotty house. However when Ellen finds out that her husband's mistress Leila has moved in and has set her psychology practice in her home she wants revenge and her house back.
Psychologist Leila is a woman you do not want to meet. She has a history of having affairs with married men, when she gets what she wants out of them she leaves. Leila is a psychopath after she was psychologically abused by her stepfather when she was a child. When next doors cat keeps coming over into her garden she actually breaks its neck and throws it in a Bush.
The story was split between Ellen and Leila's point of view. I did not enjoy Ellen's story but I loved Leila's story. What goes around is a gripping psychological thriller with brilliant characters and a surprising ending.
October 21, 2020
The two main characters, Leila and Ellen are both struggling with psychological issues, in Leila's case due to her appalling childhood experiences, but with regards to Ellen it wasn't really made clear why she has such extreme O.C.D and had to assume it was caused by her marriage ending. Ellen's emotional turmoil is very well portrayed. Leila isn't a very likeable character, but somehow she elicited sympathy in me. The ending wasn't a shock (it says in the blurb that someone will die) but I was kept guessing as to who would end up dead.
I skimmed the animal abuse scenes because I probably would've put it down and not looked at it again. I got the gist of it so that was okay, I didn't need to read it..
I skimmed the animal abuse scenes because I probably would've put it down and not looked at it again. I got the gist of it so that was okay, I didn't need to read it..
September 25, 2016
(I received a copy from Netgalley, In exchange for an honest review.)
This was an okay read, but it wasn't as gripping as I thought it would be.
This started out quite good, and I was interested to see how the story was going to unfold. Unfortunately though, my level of enjoyment and interest dropped slightly after a few chapters, and I just didn't find the story as gripping as I thought it would be.
Overall, An okay read.
This was an okay read, but it wasn't as gripping as I thought it would be.
This started out quite good, and I was interested to see how the story was going to unfold. Unfortunately though, my level of enjoyment and interest dropped slightly after a few chapters, and I just didn't find the story as gripping as I thought it would be.
Overall, An okay read.
September 25, 2016
This book started off great but then i got bored with it.
Ellen is the ex wife and Leila is the new woman in her husbands life.
Leila moves into Ellens house and Ellen wants revenge.
Sorry I didn't like this book that much but I am sure others will love it.
Thank you netgalley the Author and Publisher for a chance to read this book
Ellen is the ex wife and Leila is the new woman in her husbands life.
Leila moves into Ellens house and Ellen wants revenge.
Sorry I didn't like this book that much but I am sure others will love it.
Thank you netgalley the Author and Publisher for a chance to read this book
October 7, 2017
I am really sorry Ms Corbin but I cannot agree with some of the reviews below. I struggled to give a not so great review on a book but I have been switching between the kindle and the audible version for the last few days and this afternoon I finally and I really mean finally finished it.
I had to push to finish and was sadly disappointed at the ending. What sort of non ending was that. I will be honest and say that it was the book description that pulled me in but I did not find nor enjoy any psychological or thrilling storyline that was promised. What happened to the if you were the woman wronged what would you do?. Instead I found a self absorbed woman who seemed to not have a moral compass and a washed out doormat of a woman who suddenly decides to grow a backbone only to turn out about as dangerous as a piranha who has all its teeth removed. The most exciting thing she did was cut small holes with nail scissors which she then walked off with!
How did sicko Gareth know about Adam, when did he clear his basement of horrors, what happened to mummy darlings body bearing in mind she had trouble extracting her body from the bedclothes .....too many unanswered questions for me on top of a promised story line that just didn't materialise
I had to push to finish and was sadly disappointed at the ending. What sort of non ending was that. I will be honest and say that it was the book description that pulled me in but I did not find nor enjoy any psychological or thrilling storyline that was promised. What happened to the if you were the woman wronged what would you do?. Instead I found a self absorbed woman who seemed to not have a moral compass and a washed out doormat of a woman who suddenly decides to grow a backbone only to turn out about as dangerous as a piranha who has all its teeth removed. The most exciting thing she did was cut small holes with nail scissors which she then walked off with!
How did sicko Gareth know about Adam, when did he clear his basement of horrors, what happened to mummy darlings body bearing in mind she had trouble extracting her body from the bedclothes .....too many unanswered questions for me on top of a promised story line that just didn't materialise
April 20, 2018
Couldn't put it down!!
June 27, 2018
Told in two parts – by the betrayer and the betrayed – What Goes Around is a dark, compulsive psychological thriller focusing on themes of obsession and revenge.
After Ellen’s husband abruptly ends their marriage and leaves her for another woman, Ellen suffers severe anxiety and OCD. But when Ellen finds out her husband’s lover has moved into her beloved home, she decides to get revenge.
Meanwhile Leila, the woman Ellen’s husband left her for, is a woman with a past. A psychopathic one. A seriously messed up lady with an equally messed up brother.
Corbin expertly winds these two well-developed characters together in such a brilliant, compulsive way, I really couldn’t put this book down. A dark and twisted read.
After Ellen’s husband abruptly ends their marriage and leaves her for another woman, Ellen suffers severe anxiety and OCD. But when Ellen finds out her husband’s lover has moved into her beloved home, she decides to get revenge.
Meanwhile Leila, the woman Ellen’s husband left her for, is a woman with a past. A psychopathic one. A seriously messed up lady with an equally messed up brother.
Corbin expertly winds these two well-developed characters together in such a brilliant, compulsive way, I really couldn’t put this book down. A dark and twisted read.
January 13, 2017
Ellen is the women who’s been left, losing her husband and her house.
Leila is the new woman, who has Ellen’s husband and living in her house.
Ellen has crazy, irrational obsessions and determination to get her revenge on her ex-husband and his new woman, she wants Maybanks back, her old family home, the house where her children grew up!
Leila’s keeping secrets from everybody, including those closest to her, about her past and when her brother, David, turns up to shake things up, she does everything she can to keep him away from her ‘perfect’ life now. Even Leila’s son, Alex, is unaware of his ‘uncles’ existence.
When Ellen decides group therapy is not her thing she is recommended to visit a therapist on a one-to-one basis, however one of therapist she is recommended to contact is Leila, soon realising that the practice is being run from Maybanks. Ellen plans to open up to Leila, without her realising she is Tom’s ex-wife, and tell her how she feels about another woman stealing her husband and house, then after a few sessions’ plans to reveal who she really is! But will this put her in danger? Does anybody really know what kind of a person Leila is?
Francis was a member of the group therapy which Ellen used to attend, after she leaves the group, it is clear Francis doesn’t want to lose touch with her. Maybe a new relationship would be good for Ellen! However it’s not long before Ellen discovers that Francis is not the man he claims to be.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, hating Leila from the start and rooting for Ellen to get her house back and get revenge on Tom and his new woman! However towards the end I actually began to feel pity for Leila and realised that her difficult childhood, lead to her being the way she was in adult life. This book looks at some difficult issues, we see how abuse as a child can influence actions as an adult and disturb the way we view living creatures and morals. It was a unique novel, the story was nothing like I have ever read before. I was gripped all the way through and I’ll definitely be recommending it to my other book lover friends. Can’t wait to read more by Julie Corbin!
Leila is the new woman, who has Ellen’s husband and living in her house.
Ellen has crazy, irrational obsessions and determination to get her revenge on her ex-husband and his new woman, she wants Maybanks back, her old family home, the house where her children grew up!
Leila’s keeping secrets from everybody, including those closest to her, about her past and when her brother, David, turns up to shake things up, she does everything she can to keep him away from her ‘perfect’ life now. Even Leila’s son, Alex, is unaware of his ‘uncles’ existence.
When Ellen decides group therapy is not her thing she is recommended to visit a therapist on a one-to-one basis, however one of therapist she is recommended to contact is Leila, soon realising that the practice is being run from Maybanks. Ellen plans to open up to Leila, without her realising she is Tom’s ex-wife, and tell her how she feels about another woman stealing her husband and house, then after a few sessions’ plans to reveal who she really is! But will this put her in danger? Does anybody really know what kind of a person Leila is?
Francis was a member of the group therapy which Ellen used to attend, after she leaves the group, it is clear Francis doesn’t want to lose touch with her. Maybe a new relationship would be good for Ellen! However it’s not long before Ellen discovers that Francis is not the man he claims to be.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, hating Leila from the start and rooting for Ellen to get her house back and get revenge on Tom and his new woman! However towards the end I actually began to feel pity for Leila and realised that her difficult childhood, lead to her being the way she was in adult life. This book looks at some difficult issues, we see how abuse as a child can influence actions as an adult and disturb the way we view living creatures and morals. It was a unique novel, the story was nothing like I have ever read before. I was gripped all the way through and I’ll definitely be recommending it to my other book lover friends. Can’t wait to read more by Julie Corbin!
December 4, 2016
An excellent psychological drama, allowing us insight into the thoughts of two very different women. Ellen feels she has lost everything and places the blame squarely at the feet of Leila, who has 'stolen' her husband and appears to have everything. But appearances are deceptive - Ellen is about to discover that she has more going for her than she realises and Leila has a life that Ellen wouldn't want at any price. The two first-person narratives draw you in and the clever reveals keep you on your toes throughout the novel. It's not difficult to see why Julie Corbin is so highly rated and her back catalogue has just made my tbr list that bit more unmanageable. Definitely recommend this.
July 31, 2016
This book started off great and then just flopped after the first few chapters!! Such a disappointment, no air of mystery as I had everything figured out right from the start..
The story is told from two women's perspectives, , the cheated wife and the adulterous girlfriend , the husband makes the odd appearance and the brother plays a big part in the story..
The story is told from two women's perspectives, , the cheated wife and the adulterous girlfriend , the husband makes the odd appearance and the brother plays a big part in the story..
September 29, 2016
Pretty terrible really, skim read almost the whole book - surprised I managed that! No likeable characters in the book, didn't really care what happened to any of them.
May 8, 2017
I thought the plot line was original and I was gripped enough to turn the pages but no surprises for me. I also thought it was quite unbelievable and far fetched 3.5 stars
May 17, 2017
I have never read any Julie Corbin before but have heard great things about her books and I have to say they were no exaggeration. She is a great writer, creating in What Goes Around a tense story with interesting characters and plenty of twists and turns.
It starts pretty simply. Ellen’s husband has left her and, as a result, she is a mess. Living in rented accommodation and suffering from OCD, she spends most of her time afraid. The rest she seems to spend thinking about the b***h Leila, the woman who stole her husband. And the woman who is living in the house she pretty much built from the ground up and raised her children in. The woman who is destroying that house, making changes and making it her own.
Leila, meanwhile has problems of her own. She has a dark past, a son who is addicted to drugs and, if she’s completely honest, life with Tom (the husband/lover) isn’t quite what she thought. In theory, it should be. After fighting for everything in her life, she finally has everything she wants – a nice house, a rich, handsome husband, and a chance to work for herself. But being with Tom means being someone she isn’t. And this is harder to do when her estranged brother reappears demanding she revisits their childhood traumas.
For the reader, who slowly gets to know both characters and see just what is going through their minds in alternating chapters, it’s fascinating (or at least I thought so). Both women are so much more complex than they first appear, especially Leila, and I found my sympathies shifing back and forth as the book progressed. In the end, I’m not sure there is a “bad guy” (or woman) here. It’s just two women who don’t understand each other and are too wrapped up in their own lives to maybe care that much anyway about what the other is feeling.
Then you throw the brother in the mix and things really heat up. The tension rises when it becomes clear that he is dangerous. What isn’t clear is just how much so and what he will do to get his way and reconnect with Leila. Hints are dropped and as I reader I had to pick them up and put them together. I managed to (yay me!) but it wasn’t easy. It was, though, a lot of fun.
My only niggle with this book is the epilogue. I am just not sure they are needed nine times out of ten. That was definitely the case here. I was completely satisfied with the ending and left with a few “what ifs” I could mull over in my own time. Then these were answered and I felt, if anything, a bit cheated and – because of that – it moved this book from a loved to a liked a lot, though still a recommended read.
It starts pretty simply. Ellen’s husband has left her and, as a result, she is a mess. Living in rented accommodation and suffering from OCD, she spends most of her time afraid. The rest she seems to spend thinking about the b***h Leila, the woman who stole her husband. And the woman who is living in the house she pretty much built from the ground up and raised her children in. The woman who is destroying that house, making changes and making it her own.
Leila, meanwhile has problems of her own. She has a dark past, a son who is addicted to drugs and, if she’s completely honest, life with Tom (the husband/lover) isn’t quite what she thought. In theory, it should be. After fighting for everything in her life, she finally has everything she wants – a nice house, a rich, handsome husband, and a chance to work for herself. But being with Tom means being someone she isn’t. And this is harder to do when her estranged brother reappears demanding she revisits their childhood traumas.
For the reader, who slowly gets to know both characters and see just what is going through their minds in alternating chapters, it’s fascinating (or at least I thought so). Both women are so much more complex than they first appear, especially Leila, and I found my sympathies shifing back and forth as the book progressed. In the end, I’m not sure there is a “bad guy” (or woman) here. It’s just two women who don’t understand each other and are too wrapped up in their own lives to maybe care that much anyway about what the other is feeling.
Then you throw the brother in the mix and things really heat up. The tension rises when it becomes clear that he is dangerous. What isn’t clear is just how much so and what he will do to get his way and reconnect with Leila. Hints are dropped and as I reader I had to pick them up and put them together. I managed to (yay me!) but it wasn’t easy. It was, though, a lot of fun.
My only niggle with this book is the epilogue. I am just not sure they are needed nine times out of ten. That was definitely the case here. I was completely satisfied with the ending and left with a few “what ifs” I could mull over in my own time. Then these were answered and I felt, if anything, a bit cheated and – because of that – it moved this book from a loved to a liked a lot, though still a recommended read.
September 30, 2025
Who do I root for?
First of all I want to celebrate Julie Corbin's way of writing. Her style is very well thought out as always and it makes the books easy to read.
Now for the book itself...I found it hard to root for anybody in this one. All characters were pretty self-involved and all believed they deserved so much more than they had. It was hard to feel sorry for anybody at any given time. Not sure if it's just me but it's how I felt.
The story itself was quite original, if not a little flawed. I feel the time changed far too often, which may have been what the author was going for but the pace was slightly off for me. I did enjoy it more at the beginning than towards the end as I feel it was slowly building a good climax and then it threw everything in it at the last few chapters and it felt rushed. The ending was also a little bizarre and didn't really give anything a conclusion at all which is always an irksome thing for me. I always look for a good ending.
The overall feel of the book was uncomfortable and it was well done as it didn't pull any punches which I appreciated.
I do believe it was a good book, but it wasn't great and the characters just didn't pull me in like they usually would.
6/10.
First of all I want to celebrate Julie Corbin's way of writing. Her style is very well thought out as always and it makes the books easy to read.
Now for the book itself...I found it hard to root for anybody in this one. All characters were pretty self-involved and all believed they deserved so much more than they had. It was hard to feel sorry for anybody at any given time. Not sure if it's just me but it's how I felt.
The story itself was quite original, if not a little flawed. I feel the time changed far too often, which may have been what the author was going for but the pace was slightly off for me. I did enjoy it more at the beginning than towards the end as I feel it was slowly building a good climax and then it threw everything in it at the last few chapters and it felt rushed. The ending was also a little bizarre and didn't really give anything a conclusion at all which is always an irksome thing for me. I always look for a good ending.
The overall feel of the book was uncomfortable and it was well done as it didn't pull any punches which I appreciated.
I do believe it was a good book, but it wasn't great and the characters just didn't pull me in like they usually would.
6/10.
October 19, 2017
This is an excellent read, and I would highly recommend it, even if, ultimately, perhaps it won't stay with me as much as books that warrant 5 stars.
The main strength of the book is the exceptional characterisation of two women whose lives coincide. One is the estranged wife and the other new live-in mistress of a man called Tom. but it's not about Tom in any real sense - he exists mainly as a device to cause their lives to coincide.
The chapters alternate between first person narratives of Ellen, the estranged wife, and Leila, the mistress. The characters develop throughout the book; Leila in particular. A strong supporting cast.
The blurb says that one of them ends up dead, so of course, one ponders which it will be and how.
Plotwise, it is strong - a good dramatic arc, some foreshadowing, skillful use of coincidences, good background. But ultimately, it fell somewhat short on the 'thriller' aspect. Not a gaping hole, but if you were to ask one reason why I didn't give it 5 stars, I would say that it didn't cause me a visceral fear and a fearful anticipation.
Very absorbing to read and pleasant prose, and I'm sure I'll enjoy more of her books as and when!
The main strength of the book is the exceptional characterisation of two women whose lives coincide. One is the estranged wife and the other new live-in mistress of a man called Tom. but it's not about Tom in any real sense - he exists mainly as a device to cause their lives to coincide.
The chapters alternate between first person narratives of Ellen, the estranged wife, and Leila, the mistress. The characters develop throughout the book; Leila in particular. A strong supporting cast.
The blurb says that one of them ends up dead, so of course, one ponders which it will be and how.
Plotwise, it is strong - a good dramatic arc, some foreshadowing, skillful use of coincidences, good background. But ultimately, it fell somewhat short on the 'thriller' aspect. Not a gaping hole, but if you were to ask one reason why I didn't give it 5 stars, I would say that it didn't cause me a visceral fear and a fearful anticipation.
Very absorbing to read and pleasant prose, and I'm sure I'll enjoy more of her books as and when!
March 24, 2019
At first, when I saw the book in the library, I had doubts about this book because normally whenever I read a fiction book I wouldn't be as interested. This book proved me wrong.
The Blurb :
If someone took away your perfect life, how far would you go to get it back?
Ellen's family is her world. So when her husband leaves her for another woman, she is almost destroyed. But not quite. Because Ellen has a plan, a way to make those who have hurt her suffer.
Leila is the other woman. She finally has everything she ever wanted. But Leila's brother has come back into her life, raking up a past that needs to remain buried.
One of them will pay for their actions with their life, but which one.
I frankly think that this book has been executed well. I rarely rate a book a 5, but this book is extraordinary. Thank you, Julie Corbin for not giving up on this book. (': You have created a masterpiece. I might Julie's other books, but, right now, I'm not sure.
But yeah, this book is astonishing.
Wow, I finished this book in 5 days dang.
The Blurb :
If someone took away your perfect life, how far would you go to get it back?
Ellen's family is her world. So when her husband leaves her for another woman, she is almost destroyed. But not quite. Because Ellen has a plan, a way to make those who have hurt her suffer.
Leila is the other woman. She finally has everything she ever wanted. But Leila's brother has come back into her life, raking up a past that needs to remain buried.
One of them will pay for their actions with their life, but which one.
I frankly think that this book has been executed well. I rarely rate a book a 5, but this book is extraordinary. Thank you, Julie Corbin for not giving up on this book. (': You have created a masterpiece. I might Julie's other books, but, right now, I'm not sure.
But yeah, this book is astonishing.
Wow, I finished this book in 5 days dang.
November 15, 2023
WARNING: ANIMAL CRUELTY (hopefully I didn’t miss anything important but those series of events were beyond gruesome so I skipped ahead)
This is a story about two women, the dedicated wife of 30 years, Ellen, who’s husband has left her for another woman. The mistress, Leila, is under the impression Tom’s marriage was over when they started the affair.
Since their separation, Ellen has developed serious OCD and anxiety. So it makes perfect sense to reach out to a therapist for help, and who would be better than the woman who stole your husband and took over your home.
Fortunately she’s a good therapist so while revenge is the mission, she is getting the help she needs.
With a couple of twists and a few shocking revelations, this story covers everything … loss, abuse, adultery, divorce, anxiety, revenge, and motherhood.
This is a story about two women, the dedicated wife of 30 years, Ellen, who’s husband has left her for another woman. The mistress, Leila, is under the impression Tom’s marriage was over when they started the affair.
Since their separation, Ellen has developed serious OCD and anxiety. So it makes perfect sense to reach out to a therapist for help, and who would be better than the woman who stole your husband and took over your home.
Fortunately she’s a good therapist so while revenge is the mission, she is getting the help she needs.
With a couple of twists and a few shocking revelations, this story covers everything … loss, abuse, adultery, divorce, anxiety, revenge, and motherhood.
August 26, 2017
So to start with this book confused me a little as it jumps from view to view. I’ll explain a little, there is 2 women in this book: women 1 – is the betrayed (Ellen) and women 2 – is the betrayer (Leila) and it jumps from Ellen’s view with one chapter to Leila’s view on the next chapter, but once you know this it is easy to follow and me personally I think it was very clever to do the book like this.
Right from the get go this book has you thinking, it’s very easy to connect to the characters in the book and in a way, you start to feel how they are feeling and for a book to do that defiantly has a great writer behind it!
Full review is up on my blog:
http://xalittlepieceofmymindx.blogspo...
Right from the get go this book has you thinking, it’s very easy to connect to the characters in the book and in a way, you start to feel how they are feeling and for a book to do that defiantly has a great writer behind it!
Full review is up on my blog:
http://xalittlepieceofmymindx.blogspo...
August 7, 2017
YIKES
This book is like a car crash. You know it's going to be horrible YET you can't turn your eyes away from the scene. That's how i can described it. The plot was very interesting. Slow without being draggy and managed to captivate the attention of the reader throughout. When you first read the blurb and the first few chapters, you'd think its about a vengeful ex-wife seeking revenge on her ex-husband and the mistress. But as you read on, you realized that things are much more sinister and disturbing.
I LOVE THIS BOOK. Love it. And I look forward to reading more from this author.
This book is like a car crash. You know it's going to be horrible YET you can't turn your eyes away from the scene. That's how i can described it. The plot was very interesting. Slow without being draggy and managed to captivate the attention of the reader throughout. When you first read the blurb and the first few chapters, you'd think its about a vengeful ex-wife seeking revenge on her ex-husband and the mistress. But as you read on, you realized that things are much more sinister and disturbing.
I LOVE THIS BOOK. Love it. And I look forward to reading more from this author.
March 13, 2020
Two women, Ellen and Leila. Leila is now living with Ellen's husband and Ellen is out for revenge. In my opinon, this is what Corbin should have stuck with. Instead, Leila's past is focused on and her upbringing with her brother David (who is now stalking her - reasons unknown) and her sadistic stepfather. There is way too much animal abuse in this book. This could have been forgiven if the plot and back-story was strong but it really, really wasn't. I couldn't really get my head around all these bizarre situations and I didn't connect with this story.
May 12, 2017
I've been a fan of Julie's books for a few years now, so was really looking forward to reading 'What goes around'. Her books are very well written and always gripping, and this one is no exception.
It's a story of a woman called Ellen, who's husband leaves her for another woman. Ellen's world is destroyed, but when a man called Francis comes into her life things start to look up. But is he all that he seems?. It's a great story, with lots of twists and turns. I loved it!!.
It's a story of a woman called Ellen, who's husband leaves her for another woman. Ellen's world is destroyed, but when a man called Francis comes into her life things start to look up. But is he all that he seems?. It's a great story, with lots of twists and turns. I loved it!!.
July 27, 2017
Couldn't put this down and read it in about 2 days on holiday. Fab story line that was gripping and a real page turner.
I didn't see the twist coming but it all fitted and made sense. Ellen's OCD and fear of an electric fire was described well and I thought the author was clever to portray Ellen's character as a strong woman despite this. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing throughout and I thought it was very well written.
I didn't see the twist coming but it all fitted and made sense. Ellen's OCD and fear of an electric fire was described well and I thought the author was clever to portray Ellen's character as a strong woman despite this. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing throughout and I thought it was very well written.
November 20, 2018
This was a really great story that kept me page turning until finished. I have one big issue that I had with this book, and one other I read lately. Extreme violence to poor defenceless animals. I literally had to skip those pages. I am an animal lover, it hurts me very much to read about this. I would prefer if the writer put a warning sign on the pages it will appear, so one has a choice to read, or not. I realise violence to animals can eventually lead to violence in people (psychopaths).
June 5, 2017
I'd say this is the best of Julie Corbin's novels so far. The story of Ellen, the ex-wife, and Leila, the 'other woman', and what happens when their worlds collide. Quite shocking in parts (I couldn't read the details of animal cruelty) but a great twist, which I certainly didn't see coming. Definitely one to keep you reading into the early hours.
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