A Minor Indiscretion

by Carole Matthews

In a moment of madness, Ali Kingston, wife and mother of three, skips work to spend the day with Christian, a gorgeous street artist fifteen years her junior. Midlife crisis or whatever, it escalates when Ali's husband, Ed, equates her minor indiscretion with a major affair and kicks her out into the rainy night. . . and Christian's open arms. Soon thirty-eight-year-old Ali is ensconced in a Notting Hill love nest wondering how to introduce her children to the charismatic Christian, who could easily have been her teenage daughter's boyfriend rather than her own.

Meanwhile back at the ranch house in suburban Richmond, Ed is also facing unanticipated temptations, as two younger women compete to console him for the loss of his wife, while family and friends attempt to reunite him with Ali. . . with deliciously droll results. Then a disconcerting event forces both Ed and Ali to decide what they really want -- from themselves, from each other and from life itself.

From the USA TODAY bestselling author of the "Reading with Ripa" Book Club pick For Better, For Worse comes a provocative tale of midlife temptation, told with incomparable warmth, wit and wisdom by one of Britain's brightest romantic comediennes.

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, British Literature

Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Carole Matthews is an international bestselling author of hugely successful romantic comedy novels. Her unique sense of humour has won her legions of fans and critical acclaim all over the world.

A Minor Indiscretion and A Compromising Position both reached the Top 5 in the Sunday Times bestseller chart in the UK. You Drive Me Crazy reached number 8 in the original fiction charts. The novel Welcome To The Real World was shortlisted for RNA romantic novel of the year 2007.

In 2006 Carole co-edited - with writer Sarah Mlynowski - two new editions of the hugely popular Girls' Night In charity series called Girls' Night Out - one for the USA and one for Canada. All proceeds go to War Child.

Carole has presented on television and is a regular radio guest. When she’s not writing novels, television or film scripts she manages to find time to trek in the Himalayas, rollerblade in Central Park, take tea in China and snooze in her garden shed in Milton Keynes which is near London, England.

Reviews

[Divya · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked it up hoping it to be a simple chick lit.. an easy read..something to snuggle with on a cold winter evening.. which to be honest it did sort of start that way... but somehow the characters kept going out of sync randomly in between chapters... it felt like few chapters were written before or in random sequence.. and then sort of put in some pattern towards the end...

I liked the part of Ali falling for Christian.. but somehow the speed and the ease with which she walked out of a marriage with 3 kids.. felt really unrelatable...i know it was too much to look for reason in a chick lit.. but it was too unreal even for this genre... there was no guilt, no remorse.. except like i said random musings on her part..where she would reminisce about her kids and the very next second go on a 2 week vacation...

Even the end felt rushed.. as if the author just gave up and wanted to end the ordeal herself...
Although to be honest, i did love the last 2 pages, where Harrison Ford crops up.. that did tickle me for sure.. and i definitely wanted to read more about the brother Neil.

Altogether, one can give this a wide miss... unless its the only book left unread in your library..

[Nicola · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is quite possibly the most frustrating chick lit I've ever read. A lot of the time I had to stop myself from literally shouting at the characters. I hated Ali almost as much as I hated Christian, although I did sympathise with her at times. I'm gad I only paid £1 for the book because I certainly won't be reading it again.

[Barbara Elsborg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm guessing this book will be loved or hated. Cheating seems to be a difficult subject for writers to tackle. I think the whole book needed to read as entertainment rather than looking for realistic situations. For many people, you cheat and that's it. No second chances. At the end it felt as if what happened to Ali was some sort of punishment for what she'd done. Bit cheesy. BUT - there were some great moments. I really did see why she fell for Christian - though not entirely sure why he fell for her. The kids were fun. Neil was a great character too. Overall it was a good read in the sunshine.

[Sarah Todd · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have loved some of Carole's books in the past, but this one was terrible. I finished the book purely due to the fact that I have to, once I start it. None of these characters are likeable, or even believable. The storyline had no depth, and the topics were all brushed over. It was as if no research had been done on anything. The kids (including a 4 year old) had smoked drugs and that left the dad annoyed and the mum sad, seriously!! In what world would this be OK? The mum gets cancer at the near the end of the book and it's all skated over. I wish I could have scored this book lower!

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very easy read, slightly dated in parts but still enjoyable.

[Susan Hutchinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad a bit drawn out read better books of hers

[Terry · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was an ok read but not very wholesome. The mother left her children way too easily for her toy boy. The husband was already a cheater. Not very nice people.

[Carol Sandford · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good read. funny at times with a scenario that frankly, a lot of people would fall for

[Nava · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story had lots of misunderstandings between the different characters, which was a bit funny at times.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty predictable ending but a decent story.

[Merilin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A trainwreck within a trainwreck. Very entertaining but infuriating to read. Every single character is disfunctional. Not a single likeable one. A perfect book to get me back to reading.

[Helen Tiday · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved it... Tears pricked at my eyes at the end. Ali should of always been with Ed. Sometimes in life you have to take a diversion to realise what you really want is what you really have!!! Characters are believable, kids are hilarious, and the emotional roller coaster the characters go through you ride alongside! Completed in 48 hours!!!!

[Minie Houselook]

Emily est la plus heureuse des femmes : une situation professionnelle, un petit-ami et un avenir dessiné. Ce n’était pas sans compter son ex-petit-ami qui lui en veut à mort...
https://miniehouselook.wordpress.com/...

[Alaina Glass · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg, what a hoot if you up for laughing! Def. This one.

[Alexandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like most of her books, a non-offensive holiday read.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book - loved the characters and the twists and turns in the plot. Classic chick lit at it's best.

[Aubrey M · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't really like any of the characters and kept asking myself, "but, why?" Wasn't cute enough to be amusing, and wasn't realistic enough to be moving. An overall dull read.

[Raquel · Rating 1 out of 5]

They say if you can't say anything good about something, it's better to not say a thing.

[Kayleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fluffy chick lit. Better written then some.

[Paula Dembeck · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel by British writer Carole Mathews was first published in 2001 and takes place in London. Ali Kingston, an assistant to an interior designer, is pushing forty and has settled into the life of a working mother. She and her husband Ed, a videographer, have three children: Tanya fifteen, Thomas twelve and Elliott four. The couple have been in a marriage that is now in a comfortable rut and far from exciting, but worked until an event rocked its already shaky foundations.

Ali, feeling especially bored and listless one day, takes an early lunch at a café where she notices a young man drawing her portrait. After talking with him, she learns his name is Christian and he gives her the drawing of her he has just completed. Shortly after, Ali leaves but is drawn back when she thinks about the encounter and feels something stir within her; it is the most excitement she has felt in a long time. Later in the week she returns to the café and learns Christian has been watching for her return. Although Christian is about the same age as her teenage daughter, he convinces Ali to spend the day with him and later the two go to bed.

For Ali, this is just a “major indiscretion”, but when she returns home, Ed is angry and demands to know where she has been all day. After admitting she has spent the day with another man, Ed equates her fling with a major affair, becomes furious and kicks her out of the house with little discussion. Ali returns to Christian who welcomes her into his Notting Hill love nest with open arms.

Ali begins to develop strong feelings for Christian and is enjoying her new exciting sex life, all the while wondering how she will ever introduce her children to this young man who could easily be her teenage daughter’s boyfriend rather than her own. Meanwhile Christian is not sure what to do with the children or how to interact with them.

Ed reacts by beginning affairs with women much younger than himself who are anxious to console him. Meanwhile, in the background, trying to sort out this mess and bring the couple back together, are the children, family friends, Ali’s sister and Ed’s brother. Amid all the questions this problem has raised are important ones about the future. Will Ali and Ed be able to remain parents to their children if they are no longer together? If not, is Christian mature enough to assume the responsibility of parenting three young children and does he have any idea of what that means?

None of the characters in this evolving drama are likable. Ali is selfish and self-centered, Ed obsessed with his career and Christian just a careless young man sauntering through life. The three children present some unrealistic dialogue with the youngest essentially still a preschooler, speaking in fully formed sentences on subjects that are just not part of the experience of children that age.

This is a light, funny read, a relationship drama which at times becomes annoying, but also has a few insightful moments. It points out the realities of parenthood, the cost of stubbornness and the need to develop effective communication skills to make a relationship work.

[Allison Hurst · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t like the reason for the Indiscretion as I don’t agree with cheating, but I did like the story in between and the characters kind of. The book had quite a few promiscuous females in it. It’s true you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone and it takes something like what happened to Ali to make you appreciate life and the fact you’ve just been bumbling along. A few bits had me giggling. Ali’s youngest Elliot was a riot. A bit naughty with the weed story. Jemma was abit pot kettle black. I’d like to know who the house that Christian, Robbie and Becca were staying in belonged to and why it empty, when it sounds so grand. Also how much of a fit they had when they’d seen Christians paintings on their walls. Not my favourite Carole Matthews book but not her worst. Wasn’t a bad story

[Sherrill Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alicia (Ali) and Edward (Ed) have been married for 16 years, and have an adequate but BOORing marriage. They have three children, precocious and funny Elliott, middle child, quiet, pre-teen Thomas, and raging TEEN, Tanya. Ali falls in love (or lust,) with a street artist, 15 years her junior. Ed throws her out. The first 2/3 oi the book deals with the personalities of everyone. Entertaining! I had no idea how it would turn out. THEN. Ali develops cancer, Christian and his roommates are helpless, Ali learns that Christian & his roommates are squatters in the building, which now has no electricity. Ed to the rescue. Many funny parts; I would have had better discipline with the kids; but it WAS funny. Great ending.

[Lorraine Vella · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished this book because I just needed something to read to fill up my time, Im in Kazakhstan for 6 weeks!!! Anyway back to the book... I’ve read like 6 books of Carole Matthews and almost all of her books have the same plot - a married couple which are bored with their marriage, end up having extramarital affairs, they separate but by the end of the book they end up back together & live happily ever after .... its getting a tad boring! My first book of Carole Matthews was “A place to call home” and was so well written, emotional, real and I got imersed so much in the story that I thought I found my favourite author and bought lots of her books. I really hope that its just with the first few books she wrote and that the next ones will be more like “A place to Call Home”!

[Keshia Burchette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ali is "happily" married, has 3 children, a dependable job and is easily swayed by the gorgeous street artist Christian.
Ali and Ed are in a stage of their marriage where they are moving on autopilot, they just go through the motions. While Ali is out to lunch one day, a beautiful, younger man draws her picture and he draws her so beautifully she can't get him or their conversation out of her head.
I, myself am totally against cheating so this was a bit hard for me to read and not judge Ali just to be honest. The author does a fantastic job of allowing the reader to see both sides of the marriage and both reasons for everything that happened throughout the book.

[Fiona Brodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book as a well written easy read. Relatable characters. A nice change from murder/crime stories.

Ali Kingston is happily married with three children. She isn't the type to have her head turned - but then it isn't every day that a gorgeous younger man falls at her feet. When Ed, Ali's husband, finds out that she's spent time with another man, he's sure there's more to it than just a minor indiscretion - so in a moment of madness he kicks Ali out of the house. Their family and friends do all they can to help Ali and Ed reconcile but nothing seems to work. And then fate intervenes . . .

[Paromita · Rating 3 out of 5]

A 3.5 actually. Very funny in parts,but overwritten and over drawn out. I do not like "chick-lit" (a very gender-biased term, pity the boys who love reading love stories and have to hide it from the world). This was, in all senses of the term, a love story, love that endured a stepping out, and this time by the woman and mother of three, with a very real-life ending. This is exactly what happens in the real world when a mother of three has an adventure; it usually ends up as a child's camp outing, exciting but good to be back home after a while. I liked what happened to Neil; the boyo finally took charge of his life!

[Kerrie Ashall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a good read, was one I took on holiday with me and it made the most perfect beach read.

Elliot is the star of this book 😂 you’ll see what I mean. I just love the way Carole portrayed his character.

If you love something easy reading (which Carole’s books always are, I love her writing style), a giggle and romance you’re going to love this book.

It didn’t get a full five star but I’m being super harsh, it’s just due to it being a little predictable but it’s definitely worth a read.

[Yuliia · Rating 1 out of 5]

To be honest, this book contains too much unnecessary drama. The only characters I wasn't bored with or angry about were the three kids. And that, I think, sounds awful when you're reading a romance book.
I did not grasp why this Christian made Ali fall in love with him - from the very beginning, he seemed lame. And Ed? What's wrong with that man?
The book was okay written, but the plot is all over the place. In a bad sense.

[Sahne · Rating 1 out of 5]

El título te avisa de que va a ser malo, la sinopsis lo confirma y si aún así optas por adentrarte en sus páginas encuentras una historia insustancial de una mujer cuarentona insatisfecha con sus logros en la vida, un marido inútil y tres hijos insufribles (bueno, Thomas se salva un poco porque es un personaje circunstancial).

[Adeline Kam · Rating 2 out of 5]

First time I have rated so low for Carole Matthews books. I love all her books but not this one. The storyline is so boring and draggy. I struggled to read it and skipped so many chapters to go to the end. And lousy characters. All their lives are so chaotic and mixed up. This book is just not interesting at all.