I Did a Bad Thing

by Linda Green

'Utterly compulsive' Amazon reviewer. From the #1 bestselling author of While My Eyes Were Closed.

Sarah Roberts used to be good. Then she did something bad. Very bad. Now, years later, she's living a good life. She works as a local newspaper reporter and lives with her saintly boyfriend Jonathan. She has no reason to think her guilty past will ever catch up with her. Until Nick, the man she was prepared to risk everything for, walks back into her life. And suddenly, what's good and bad aren't so clear to Sarah any more . . .

Genres: Chick Lit, Romance, Fiction

388 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 18, 2007

About the author

I was born in North London in 1970 and brought up in Hertfordshire. I wrote my first novella, the Time Machine, aged eight, shortly after which I declared that my ambition was to have a novel published (I could have been easy on myself and just said ‘to write a novel’ but no, I had to consign myself to years of torture and rejections). I was frequently asked to copy out my stories for the classroom wall (probably because my handwriting was so awful no one could read my first draft), and received lots of encouragement from my teachers Mr Roberts, Mrs Chandler (who added yet more pressure by writing in my autograph book when I left primary school that she looked forward to reading my first published novel!) and Mr Bird.

My first publication came when I was thirteen and my Ode to Gary Mabbutt won second prize in the Tottenham Weekly Herald ‘My Favourite Player’ competition. At fifteen I won the Junior Spurs Football Reporter of the Year Competition and got to report on a first division football match from the press box at White Hart Lane (I got lots of funny looks and none of the journalists spoke to me.)

At sixteen I embarked on ‘A’ levels and a journalism course at De Havilland College, Hertfordshire, and my college magazine interview about football hooliganism with local MP and football club chairman David Evans made a double page spread in Shoot! magazine (they never paid me) and back page headlines in several national newspapers (only a nice man at the Daily Star bothered to check the story with me).

I joined my local newspaper, the Enfield Gazette, as a trainee reporter at eighteen. During a ten year career in regional journalism I worked as a reporter on the Birmingham Daily News, news editor on the Birmingham Metro News and Chief Feature Writer on the Coventry Evening Telegraph, winning Highly Commended in the Feature Writer of the Year category of the 1997 Press Gazette Regional Press Awards.

I loved working on regional newspapers but by 1998 my features were getting too long and the urge to write a novel had become too great so I left my staff job to write my first novel and work as a freelance journalist. I have written for The Guardian, The Independent on Sunday, The Times Educational Supplement, The Big Issue, Wanderlust and Community Care Magazine. I’ve also had a short story published in Best magazine

I found the writing and working from home a very solitary process so also worked as co-ordinator of the Birmingham Bureau of Children’s Express, a national charity which runs a learning through journalism programme for young people and taught journalism to schoolchildren for the National Academy of Writing. After I moved north in 2001 I qualified as an adult education tutor and taught creative writing classes to students aged between 18 and 82 for the Workers Educational Association across Calderdale, West Yorkshire.

After more than a hundred rejections from agents for my first novel (and more rewrites than I care to remember) I finally got an agent but still couldn’t get a publisher. I started work on my second novel I DID A BAD THING in 2003, finished the first draft and gave birth to my son Rohan in 2004, rewrote the novel and got a new agent in 2005, obtained a two-book deal with Headline Review in 2006.

I Did a Bad Thing was published in paperback in October 2007, made the top thirty official fiction bestsellers list (and number 3 in Tesco!) and has so far sold more than 77,000 copies. 10 Reasons Not to Fall in Love was published in paperback in March 2009, reached no 22 in the official fiction bestseller charts (and no 4 in Tesco) and has so far sold more than 80,000 copies. Both novels were also long-listed for the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year Award.

Following the success of my first two novels I got another two-book deal from Headline Review, with Things I Wish I'd Known being the first of these. I am currently working on my fourth novel.

I enjoy travelling.

Reviews

[Sophie Worgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in two days! It was really easy to read, even though it jumps from one year to another on each chapter. I was almost shouting at Sarah to get with Nick even though I should of felt sorry for Jonathan. I felt really happy after reading the book, definitely recommend for a quick pick me up!

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book starts out fun, but ends up being all over the place. There's a forbidden affair, self acceptance, tragic past, self punishment for aforementioned tragic past, and unhappy relationships.

I guess the major problem I have with this book is the way it glamourises affairs. I remember Sarah likens her relationship with Nick to Charles and Camilla's. It paints the picture that having an affair is morally acceptable.

On the other hand, the respective partners of Sarah and Nick are shallow and not at all likable. I don't understand how Sarah and Nick can stay with these people in the first place.

The way the author describes Sarah's relationship with Jonathan is too simplistic and one-dimensional. Jonathan himself is so flat and one-dimensional anyway that I can hardly sympathise with him. This relationship ends rather abruptly and so is the ending of the book.

I'm afraid that the 'bad thing' that Sarah was supposed to have punished herself is not such a big deal. The 'bad thing' is discussed only until about halfway through the book, then reappears near the end to tie up the story.

The romance part doesn't really get me going either, it is neither hot or romantic.

[PrettyFlamingo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is Linda Green’s debut novel, and a good debut it is, though that doesn’t mean it is perfect. I personally preferred one of her later books, Things I Wish I’d Known and the main issue for me with this one is that I couldn’t take to any of the characters. The main two characters, Nick and Sarah, are amoral, treat people disrespectfully and their partners are shallow and preachy respectively. The only characters I liked were Sarah’s neighbour Najma, Joan from work, and Colin the Big Issue seller.

We meet Sarah in 2007, when the story is set, though of course it is a retro read as I am reading it 10 years later. It was also Election Night when I finished it, which was appropriate to the story. An ex, Nick, has walked back into her life, and this is the start of retrospection and self-examination, and explanations as to how Sarah’s life has changed in response to what happened to her in 1997.

We think we find out what the bad thing Sarah did towards the last quarter of the book – and there I was thinking that it really wasn’t that bad at all. Then we find out what the REAL bad thing is, and even then, whilst not actually being a good thing, it doesn’t warrant 10 years of self-flagellation.

Sarah’s personality as a whole is the really bad thing. She is selfish, has no self-awareness, makes far too much of a relationship that is simply a series of sexual encounters in her flat and nothing else – this is the major failing of the book. All this said, the book is not a bad thing at all, it does verge on good! I related to the setting, I liked the references to “taping” things from the TV, the 1997 election campaign, and the dialogue from Sarah as she describes her feelings and actions when she is cast aside are excellent. Though I still didn’t like Sarah at all nor her relationship with Nick – I didn’t buy it and it wasn’t realistic.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't say anything bad about this book, I really enjoyed reading it! A great storyline, no boring bits, lots of laughs, a few tears, my kinda book :)

[Anastasia Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am still speechless by the fact how good this book actually is. Before reading the book I looked and these reviews and really wasn't expecting the story to be all that great. I would agree with the comments made by the fact that the book is very simple and almost too predictable, but the connection between Nick and Sarah is too great to miss out on. I am give it 4 out of 5 stars.

[Sue Duxbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as I had enjoyed the author's In Little Stars so much.
This book also had a slow start but kept me entertained enough to read in a week.
Not as good as In Little Stars but good enough for four * and for me to reserve another Linda Green from the library.

[Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate this book, not for the storyline, which in the most part was good, but for the obnoxious and vile lead female protagonist Sarah. She pissed me off from the first page, whilst talking about the present. The past Sarah was fun. Shit happens, lives fall to shit. We get it.

This book made me cry tears of anger that should have been tears of sympathy, compassion and empathy of a pain I know is all to real. The way she wrote it brought back too many unhappy and heartbreaking memories.

I didn't enjoy this book as a whole, there were parts and sections that amused me, hell, even made me chuckle. But in the long haul, no. It was a hard read, possibly because I had such a distaste towards Sarah, which is why it took me 10 days to read.

If you like fluff, with some heartbreak, trauma and love bits thrown in, oh and bucketload of guilt trips, this is the book for you.

Really wish I hadn't picked this up. Could have done without it.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having just finished the Histories of Herodotus and not feeling like moving onto Iain Banks yet I picked up the first chick-litty thing I could see on my shelf. Given that book was a random addition to Mount Toobie rather than a conscious choice there's some spookily familiar stuff in there - not least a meeting in the Windmill pub on Spon Street, OBCZ and home of Coventry Bookcrossers' monthly Tuesday night meet-ups.

Sarah has indeed done a bad thing, but is not guilty of the others she is punishing herself for. Of course when the man comes back she is bad again, but, this being chick-lit, it all works out for the best in the end. Lovers of morality tales need not bother opening this one!

[Scha Aye jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

this books taught me to be my own self . never turns yourself to be someone else . that's not nice
and i think sarah is right for choosing nick as nick know her well. he never force sarah to be someone else . this book totally awesome actually . love it soo much

[Kelly Lou 🐝 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow.... I could relate a fair bit to Sarah in this book..... the ending was not what I was expecting at all but i loved the message that being true to yourself regardless of others is the key to inner peace. 💋

[Abi Holligan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was hard to get into at first but once Nick came into it omg it was so sad and funny, especially with nick only having on one sock and sayin it was the new trend lmao cmon it was obvious!

[Izzati Farzana · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE the ending! She ended up with Nick yeayy.. I like how she dumped Jonathan..I hate that guy anyway..The miscarriage part was urm kinda disgusting hahaha but so far.. good book :D

[Nicola Atkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoying reading this book

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

My 3 star instead of 4 for this particular novel is based on my feeling that Linda Green was not as comfortable with this one as her others. it seems to jerk a little, rather than smoothly taking the protagonists' views and melding them into a terrific, well balanced novel. It might be because in this one she is dealing with a number of difficult topics, and the nuances that are necessary for dealing with these are not as readily available to a fiction writer as a non-fiction writer.

Where a non-fiction writer could balance the positives and negatives of Jonathon's commitment to green issues, leading to his selfish behaviour at Sarah's birthday dinner and then later when she rectifies his mistake (he forgets to buy milk for his political event then criticises her purchase on ethical grounds when she helps out). In the novel we, the audience must be shown how unpleasant this adherence to his political ideas can be irritating to those who suffer the consequences without having the same commitment.

Sarah has had her own political issues in the past, and these are dealt with rather well. The Labour Party problems with leadership and Iraq: union commitment and work for its membership; the value of voting - because of commitment rather than a requirement are all dealt with well. Sarah comes out of these far better than she imagines she should.

Although she might seem selfish, after all she wants to be loved and to love in return rather than be part of an ideological commitment that sits badly with her desire to enjoy life, her right to choose her life is undeniable.

I finished this novel, feeling impressed that Linda Green tackled the political issues and the drive behind commitment so well. I just would have liked a smoother and less awkward approach.

[Lizzy Balmain · Rating 2 out of 5]

I may be coming down hard on this book with the benefit of the 12 years which have passed since it's writing, but it has dated so badly that I couldn't recommend that anyone read it now.

The protagonist was so unlikeable I couldn't care less what happened to her. And not because of the "bad thing" (or rather 'things') that she did, which were actually the most understandable aspects of her character flaws. I think this is because the author considered in considerably more detail the nuances of such feelings and behaviours and their causes.

What the author did not explore at all through the character, however, was her internalised misogyny, casual homophobia, and bizarre condemnation of "eco warriors" and "new age bullshit" (the latter amounted to one yoga class!), which I suspect is because these were aspects of the author's own internalised prejudices, which to her were such obvious beliefs/feelings that she did not need/wish to explore them. I would have had more understanding of these problems had this book been written in the 80's/90's, but by 2010, it was seriously outdated already - as was the redundancy process which was described, which would have put the company at risk of (up to) 9 unfair dismissal claims.

I have given 2 stars (rather than 1) as I did make it to the end (by listening at 1.4 speed, so it didn't take too long!) so there must have been something that kept me interested enough to bother with this. I think this was my interest in the two supporting characters, whom I had much more of an ability to relate to.

There are so many books in this world, though, that if you've had the chance to read this review before purchasing the book - go and find an alternative!

[Rosie · Rating 3 out of 5]

'I Did a Bad Thing' is an emotional rollercoaster; a tale of lust, deepest betrayal and all the drama in between.

The story follows a journalist named Sarah who falls for her boss, Nick. A handsome, charming guy.. who just happens to be in a relationship with another woman.
After a crazy, whirlwind affair, Sarah has had enough and decides to leave her past behind, moving away from the area and cutting all ties.
Several years later, racked with guilt for her past betrayal, Sarah is a changed woman. No longer the fun, outgoing person she once was. Until Nick shows up and flips her life upside down... Linda Green does a fantastic job tugging at your heart strings! I felt both love and hate for Sarah throughout the book. All the characters are really strong and have an essential role to the story.

I felt the book had a good story line with some unexpected twists. It flicked alternate chapters from past to present, but I never felt lost. It was a little slow in places, but overall, a good read.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Linda Green (2010) I DID A BAD THING (AUDIOBOOK)
Audible - Audible Studios Ltd

⭐⭐⭐ 3 out of 5 stars

Audible writes, "Sarah Roberts used to be good. Then she did something bad. Very bad. Now, years later, she’s living a good life. She works as a local newspaper reporter and lives with her saintly boyfriend, Jonathan. She has no reason to think her guilty past will ever catch up with her... until Nick walks back into her life. And suddenly, what’s good and bad aren’t so clear to Sarah anymore. I Did a Bad Thing is dark, funny, wicked and true. Because haven’t we all got a guilty secret?"
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Harmless chick-lit that made me giggle here and there. Does what is says on the tin.
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#LindaGreen #IDidABadThing #LindaGreenIDidABadThing #Book #Books #Read #Reads #Reading #BookShelf #Library #Review #Reviews #BookReview #BookReviews #GoodReads #Audible #Audiobook #Audiobooks

[Daphne Allen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found myself getting impatient with the protagonist of this novel (Sarah) quite early on. We find out what “the bad thing” is fairly early, and despite there being a bit of a twist near the end, I expect I am not the only reader to have spent much of the book thinking she needed to get over it and move on. Rather a gruesome scene unfolds during the second “bad thing” Sarah has done, which may well trigger and upset a lot of people, but this is without any warning.
Generally the book is a bit ploddy, much of it covering Sarah’s guilt and resulting bad behaviour. The surrounding characters haven’t been rounded out enough, which is a shame as some of the sub-plots going on with them are quite interesting. Unfortunately they don’t amount to enough to make me want to read any more of this author, and I was quite relieved to finish this.

[GingerOrange · Rating 3 out of 5]

Romance:3
Steaminess:1
Action/suspense:0
Overall:3.5

I’m rounding down for this one. Though, I liked it.

I was honestly surprised with this story. From the title, I actually went in thinking this was a thriller/murder story. But it turned out just to be a drama romance. I liked the romance but thought it isn’t the greatest I’ve ever read. The heroine was a bit frustrating at times. But I liked the writing. Didn’t realise how much I missed the dry British wit.

Overall, it’s alright. Entertaining but not the most memorable.

[Read.with.nitha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished I Did a Bad Thing by Linda Green, and I really enjoyed it! The story follows Sarah, who made a huge mistake in her past, and now it's coming back to haunt her. The way the author builds suspense around Sarah’s secrets had me hooked from start to finish. I loved how real the characters felt—Sarah is flawed, but that made her story more relatable. The emotional journey, especially around guilt and forgiveness, really stayed with me. It’s a thought-provoking read about how our past choices shape our present.

[Cheryl Lomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really didn't like this book. Sarah the main character was such a selfish person who ultimately when it came down to it only thought about her happiness. Her poor boyfriend Jonathan was so nice and worthy (if a little wet) ! He certainly didn't deserve her at all. Nick wasn't much better either ! A long novel that could have been wrapped up in a 100 less pages. Sorry just didn't enjoy it at all !

[Zoë · Rating 1 out of 5]

First book I'm actually writing a review for because it made me angry.

The main character Sarah is pathetic; "oh no a man might not love me I can't eat I spilt spaghetti sauce on me it's a physical representation of how my soul feels, oh wait this poor girl I know has anorexia maybe I should eat even though I'm sooooo tormented"

Other low reviews explain it better than me but none of the emotions or relationships felt real; in summary the book is entirely forced, cliche and crass.

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I Did a Bad Thing es un libro acerca de Sarah Roberts, una chica que "hA hEcHo AlGo MaLo", o al menos así es como se siente ella, ya que realmente las cosas "que ha hecho mal" no son culpa suya. Definitivamente este libro necesita sus propios trigger warnings.

¡¡Se me olvidaba comentarlo!! La “amiga” de Sarah… la crítica más que otra cosa, es una amistad súper tóxica, como la que en el fondo creo que tiene la protagonista con Nick, quien no para de echarle cosas en cara pero pretende que todo lo haga ella.

Al final he de decir que es una lectura entretenida, pero es un libro que me ha dejado un poco indiferente y que si no hubiera leído hubiera podido seguir con mi vida igual.

[Lucia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This falls into my easy read “3 star” pile but not a reread. For the most part I enjoyed the book and I enjoyed the humour. Though it took me nearly a month to read and towards the end, I found myself flickering to the last page as I wanted to get it finished. I understand why Sarah punished herself for the one thing (why she stopped drinking) but for the other reason, it seemed a little over the top and would you really still punish yourself about it 7 years later? I don’t think so.

[Danielle Dent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not up to Linda Greens usual standards if I'm honest. There was no intrigue I already knew what had happened with Nick and Sarah's relationship so the time hops didn't really grip me. The book itself was well written and I was rooting for Nick and Sarah but there wasn't much really to the story overall.

[Tanja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though it's very very well written, I'm a bit disappointed. I expected a big revelation as to what the "bad thing" was, that this was more of a thriller like other books I read from Linda, but it wasn't, it was basically a love story. Too bad, because it had loads of potential, more than just the tree stars I can give it.

[Julie Kendrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was only ok. Both the male a female protagonists are very unlikeable and the “bad thing” that Sarah actually did pales into insignificance when you take a look a her life as a whole.

I think this story is more realistic than most in the genre but I’d rather have main characters that I root for.

[sally whitfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not necessarily a bad thing!

The bad thing well title is slightly mis leading having said that the main character thought it was. I do enjoy this author's work. I loved all the characters, some quirky. Loved the humour throughout this story, there is some sadness also but everything tied up at the end.

[Mo Fanning · Rating 3 out of 5]

It failed to hold my attention. The formatting of the ebook didn't help - wide line spacing suggesting gaps in the timeline where there were none. Ultimately though, too little happened to hook me in and I couldn't see or feel the characters. That said, I am sure it appeals to many others.

[Plum-crazy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining chick-lit. Sarah made a mistake....a bad mistake...about 10 years ago & now that dreadful deed has come back to haunt her. The story moves between past & present & I found it both amusing & entertaining.