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Look to Your Wife
A debut novel by a best-selling nonfiction author, this is a witty, wholly entrancing story of the pleasures, pains and obsessions of contemporary life. Lisa Blaize - teacher and would-be fashion writer, mother and second wife - feels out of place when her high-flying husband becomes the headmaster of a school in a country town. Isolated and far from her metropolitan upbringing, she turns to the one place where she learns she can be uninhibited. But 'Twitter may be my undoing', Lisa discovers as her onetime private life becomes all too public. Soon she is dealing with an online stalker and her husband's reputation is put at risk - but will she be able to give up her addiction? From the gossip of the classroom to our obsession with instant communication, Look to Your Wife is witty and brilliantly observed, revealing the pleasures and pains of contemporary life.
- GenresFictionContemporary
304 pages, Paperback
Published April 4, 2019
8 people are currently reading
118 people want to read
About the author
Paula Byrne
16 books149 followersPaula Byrne is a British author and biographer. She is married to writer Jonathan Bate, the Shakespeare scholar.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
April 17, 2018
This is an ultra modern look at todays social media madness that grabs people from every generation. I am talking about Twitter, tweeting, hash-tags and followers because if you haven’t got those followers then you are talking to yourself!
Oh yes been there done that and still doing it. A place where random strangers like, comment and share my ramblings of the day and in turn I do the same with theirs. Well for Lisa it became a bit of a compulsion when she had to leave her friends and family behind, after her husband took a promotion as Headmaster at a public school in the countryside. Of course he was intending to make his mark on the place which left stay at home, successful one book wonder Lisa with time on her hands.
From an online cyber lover, to promoting her up and coming second book, her life becomes general knowledge to the Twitter world and trolls crawl out hiding behind their twitter names. Lisa doesn’t really help herself with her constant posts which bring the worst out in someone who knows her. This gives her husband Edward a really tough time at school with the notice board and personal information for all to see. The thing is who could be the stalker among the people they thought they knew? Things really do turn more sinister.
The writing goes from view points of the characters to actual twitter type postings, myself I liked this as it gave the whole thing a more authentic edge to it. Lisa I felt was very shallow and selfish a lot of the time and not really a character that I took straight away but I did feel sorry for her in different parts. I liked the way the story drew me in not releasing the danger that were festering until it was too late. A very clever and entertaining way to waken you to social media dangers.
I really liked this book which I felt was very typical and topical of the way a lot of people live today.
Oh yes been there done that and still doing it. A place where random strangers like, comment and share my ramblings of the day and in turn I do the same with theirs. Well for Lisa it became a bit of a compulsion when she had to leave her friends and family behind, after her husband took a promotion as Headmaster at a public school in the countryside. Of course he was intending to make his mark on the place which left stay at home, successful one book wonder Lisa with time on her hands.
From an online cyber lover, to promoting her up and coming second book, her life becomes general knowledge to the Twitter world and trolls crawl out hiding behind their twitter names. Lisa doesn’t really help herself with her constant posts which bring the worst out in someone who knows her. This gives her husband Edward a really tough time at school with the notice board and personal information for all to see. The thing is who could be the stalker among the people they thought they knew? Things really do turn more sinister.
The writing goes from view points of the characters to actual twitter type postings, myself I liked this as it gave the whole thing a more authentic edge to it. Lisa I felt was very shallow and selfish a lot of the time and not really a character that I took straight away but I did feel sorry for her in different parts. I liked the way the story drew me in not releasing the danger that were festering until it was too late. A very clever and entertaining way to waken you to social media dangers.
I really liked this book which I felt was very typical and topical of the way a lot of people live today.
April 15, 2021
I was rather disappointed by this book. Although it was readable and a quick read at that, it definatly was not what the synopsis read to say it was. Which was a thriller. The ending felt rushed, the last chapter was not needed and the characters were not likeable. I did however like the different formats of text used in this book which is why I felt like I read it quickly.
I don't have much more to say about the book except it made me feel bland and bored.
I don't have much more to say about the book except it made me feel bland and bored.
February 4, 2021
A social media based book about a woman who's bored and lonely and wants some excitement in her life... and finds this through twitter and a steamy affair.
What happens when someone wants to tear your life apart, but you have no idea who they are, all you know is they are watching your every digital move.
This was such an easy read. The story flowed well, it had some great twists and was just a very enjoyable read.
I'm not sure on the ending, the person behind the anonymous letters was a bit disappointing, though it does make sense. I just expected someone with a bit more of a twist. However, that doesn't put me off saying how good this book is. I really did like reading it, and I definitely would recommend it.
What happens when someone wants to tear your life apart, but you have no idea who they are, all you know is they are watching your every digital move.
This was such an easy read. The story flowed well, it had some great twists and was just a very enjoyable read.
I'm not sure on the ending, the person behind the anonymous letters was a bit disappointing, though it does make sense. I just expected someone with a bit more of a twist. However, that doesn't put me off saying how good this book is. I really did like reading it, and I definitely would recommend it.
April 2, 2018
I had mixed feelings about this book. Most of it was very well observed, and grabbed my attention. But occasionally the story would veer off into (for me) excessive romantic tweeting of literature. I have never read any Laurie Lee, and this book has put me off ever doing so. That aside, the characters in the book were well developed, and believable, as was the story line.
I have always been wary of social media, especially Twitter, and this book played right up to my prejudices. I did not particularly like the heroine, Lisa, but in no way felt that she deserved the nasty letters and tweets that she received. At first it seemed to be a snobbish, misogynist attack on Lisa – which as an aside affected her husband’s reputation – but then it morphed into something much more repellent and sinister. I, like Edward and her friends , Bee and John Misty, could not understand Lisa’s addiction to Twitter: “It’s not real, Lisa. It’s a substitute world for real friendships, real people, real communities. Twitter’s just as full of fake friends as it is of fake news.” Whether or not, Lisa coming off Twitter altogether would have stopped all the trolling is a moot point. But, eventually, Lisa does realise that it has gotten in the way of healthy relationships – “The thing is, Misty, I was too busy for real friends, using Twitter as a substitute for the real thing. I was lonely. But I was too stubborn to make new friends in Blagsford, tarring everyone with the same brush” – leading her to suspect one person after another of the malicious correspondence.
The story becomes increasingly a thriller, as Lisa’s paranoia mounts, with more and more inexplicable (and very worrying) events taking place. You read faster and faster to get to the final reveal. The tension escalates up to an anti-climax: “‘Edward, it’s the banality of it all. That’s what’s so depressing.’ ‘What do you mean?’ ‘*** had no reason to do it.’”
I liked the ending, and would recommend it. For me, I would have preferred that Lisa’s love life were not mentioned, but that may be a positive for other readers.
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
I have always been wary of social media, especially Twitter, and this book played right up to my prejudices. I did not particularly like the heroine, Lisa, but in no way felt that she deserved the nasty letters and tweets that she received. At first it seemed to be a snobbish, misogynist attack on Lisa – which as an aside affected her husband’s reputation – but then it morphed into something much more repellent and sinister. I, like Edward and her friends , Bee and John Misty, could not understand Lisa’s addiction to Twitter: “It’s not real, Lisa. It’s a substitute world for real friendships, real people, real communities. Twitter’s just as full of fake friends as it is of fake news.” Whether or not, Lisa coming off Twitter altogether would have stopped all the trolling is a moot point. But, eventually, Lisa does realise that it has gotten in the way of healthy relationships – “The thing is, Misty, I was too busy for real friends, using Twitter as a substitute for the real thing. I was lonely. But I was too stubborn to make new friends in Blagsford, tarring everyone with the same brush” – leading her to suspect one person after another of the malicious correspondence.
The story becomes increasingly a thriller, as Lisa’s paranoia mounts, with more and more inexplicable (and very worrying) events taking place. You read faster and faster to get to the final reveal. The tension escalates up to an anti-climax: “‘Edward, it’s the banality of it all. That’s what’s so depressing.’ ‘What do you mean?’ ‘*** had no reason to do it.’”
I liked the ending, and would recommend it. For me, I would have preferred that Lisa’s love life were not mentioned, but that may be a positive for other readers.
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
April 13, 2021
Look to your Wife - Paula Byrne
..
Warning ⛔️ Spoilers ahead
My fave quote: “Twitter is not the answer. It’s a form of premature ejaculation. Why should any of us believe that we are intrinsically interesting?”
I won’t keep you hanging on... simply put this book just wasn’t for me. The story was flat & overall a little pointless which is such a shame as the blurb sounded good! 😑
Things I liked:
🔵 The start of the book set the background to each of the main characters well.
🔵The book setting of public & private schools
🔵The different formats used made it easy reading - tweets, blog posts & emails
Things that didn’t work for me:
🔴The Plot & lack of it
🔴A lot of background characters that had zero contribution to the plot
🔴Edwards reactions to finding out about Lisa’s affair. She cried in his arms? Wtf?!
🔴 The answer to who was writing the letters etc... it was very rushed!
🔴The Epilogue - what was the point of it 😒
..
..
Warning ⛔️ Spoilers ahead
My fave quote: “Twitter is not the answer. It’s a form of premature ejaculation. Why should any of us believe that we are intrinsically interesting?”
I won’t keep you hanging on... simply put this book just wasn’t for me. The story was flat & overall a little pointless which is such a shame as the blurb sounded good! 😑
Things I liked:
🔵 The start of the book set the background to each of the main characters well.
🔵The book setting of public & private schools
🔵The different formats used made it easy reading - tweets, blog posts & emails
Things that didn’t work for me:
🔴The Plot & lack of it
🔴A lot of background characters that had zero contribution to the plot
🔴Edwards reactions to finding out about Lisa’s affair. She cried in his arms? Wtf?!
🔴 The answer to who was writing the letters etc... it was very rushed!
🔴The Epilogue - what was the point of it 😒
..
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2021
If this book has given me nothing else, it’s an ambition to one day dine at Le Train Bleu in Gare de Lyon XD
Look to Your Wife is a thriller, but I think it would be best termed a ‘literary thriller’, as for me it’s main message was in the exploration of our interactions with social media, how they harm versus help us, and how as a society we are still getting to grips with communicating over this very young media form.
There is clear wit and knowledge behind the writing, which did absorb me, particularly on topics of feminism and literature, but then on the other hand the plot is a tiny bit exasperating. The main character, Lisa, discovers social media and begins an affair at almost the same moment in time. She then proceeds to conduct her affair mostly over Twitter, a highly public medium. She’s not being obvious but she posts things she wouldn’t otherwise. Some of her tweets are legitimately worrying for a public place where she is also trying to build her brand. Others are fine. Then when someone starts sending anonymous and very nasty letters about Lisa’s Twitter account to her husband, she seems surprised. Things escalate from there. I think Lisa is written to be deliberately naive about social media, but in some ways I felt that the thriller would have been more interesting if there had been less basis in wrongdoing in her behaviour on Twitter, and if it had been pure slander on her character, as that would have been much more sinister- it did become more sinister as the book progressed, however. As it is, Lisa’s character does bring some of the initial criticism upon herself by posting unwise things about her private life. At the outset I didn’t like or sympathise with any of the characters but Lisa did grow on me slowly; she’s a feminist who doesn’t want the female voice to be silenced, making allusions to Jane Austen’s works. But for me, the main point of the novel was showing that there’s a difference between having your voice, and oversharing; as a society we are still generally quite naive about what we share online, when we wouldn’t imagine going out in public and sharing the same level of intimate detail with strangers in person. There’s also frequent references to Othello, of which this novel could be compared on the themes of jealousy.
I did enjoy this book, but I felt that it could have done with a bit more polishing to make it really great. If it had been written 5-10 years earlier when Twitter was at its peak, i think it might have felt even more prescient. Nevertheless, I will look out for more books by Paula Byrne.
Look to Your Wife is a thriller, but I think it would be best termed a ‘literary thriller’, as for me it’s main message was in the exploration of our interactions with social media, how they harm versus help us, and how as a society we are still getting to grips with communicating over this very young media form.
There is clear wit and knowledge behind the writing, which did absorb me, particularly on topics of feminism and literature, but then on the other hand the plot is a tiny bit exasperating. The main character, Lisa, discovers social media and begins an affair at almost the same moment in time. She then proceeds to conduct her affair mostly over Twitter, a highly public medium. She’s not being obvious but she posts things she wouldn’t otherwise. Some of her tweets are legitimately worrying for a public place where she is also trying to build her brand. Others are fine. Then when someone starts sending anonymous and very nasty letters about Lisa’s Twitter account to her husband, she seems surprised. Things escalate from there. I think Lisa is written to be deliberately naive about social media, but in some ways I felt that the thriller would have been more interesting if there had been less basis in wrongdoing in her behaviour on Twitter, and if it had been pure slander on her character, as that would have been much more sinister- it did become more sinister as the book progressed, however. As it is, Lisa’s character does bring some of the initial criticism upon herself by posting unwise things about her private life. At the outset I didn’t like or sympathise with any of the characters but Lisa did grow on me slowly; she’s a feminist who doesn’t want the female voice to be silenced, making allusions to Jane Austen’s works. But for me, the main point of the novel was showing that there’s a difference between having your voice, and oversharing; as a society we are still generally quite naive about what we share online, when we wouldn’t imagine going out in public and sharing the same level of intimate detail with strangers in person. There’s also frequent references to Othello, of which this novel could be compared on the themes of jealousy.
I did enjoy this book, but I felt that it could have done with a bit more polishing to make it really great. If it had been written 5-10 years earlier when Twitter was at its peak, i think it might have felt even more prescient. Nevertheless, I will look out for more books by Paula Byrne.
November 28, 2018
Chick lit pretending to be a thriller. A woman - mother, wife, arty fashionista - overshares on Twitter and is victim to a troll. Even when a fake blog is set up in her name, she doesn’t stop tweeting. In real life a Gen Y woman would know much more about social media than this woman does so the basis of this novel did not work for me. But maybe, as a Baby Boomer, I’m not it’s intended audience.
April 23, 2021
This book had a really interesting hook. Social media! It’s something that we all or most of us use and this book showed how is can suck you in. Forgetting that everything that you put out there is for all to see. I liked the set up of this book. The tweets were cleverly included and made this story a quick read, I just felt something was a little missing hence my 3 stars and not 4.
November 23, 2020
I came into this book with the knowledge it wasn’t going to be the best book ever and possibly wouldn’t be a book I would pick up on my own.
Overall this book follows Lisa who seems to be almost as far away from me, as a person, as possible. For this I couldn’t relate to her and her struggles.
However the book was a very quick engaging read and I wasn’t bored of it at any point.
Overall this book follows Lisa who seems to be almost as far away from me, as a person, as possible. For this I couldn’t relate to her and her struggles.
However the book was a very quick engaging read and I wasn’t bored of it at any point.
December 30, 2020
Just not my cup of tea. Books are like people. Some we get along with quite happily and some we just don't like at all. This book fits into the latter category for me. Doesn't make it a bad book but it's just not to my liking.
February 9, 2018
Look to Your Wife is a sharp and comic novel about social media and social position. Lisa Blaize’s high-flying husband gets a job as the head at a minor public school and she has to leave her Liverpudlian home for the countryside. Both married previously, their lives are already complicated, but Lisa’s newfound love of Twitter adds a whole new level as she navigates the public and private whilst dealing with an anonymous stalker.
The novel tells the story of Lisa and her husband Edward from meeting as teachers married to other people, then the focus moves to when they transport their family to a boarding school where Edward becomes headteacher. It is written in a light style, intercut with tweets and messages to show Lisa’s interactions and how easily she becomes caught up in the world of social media. The large number of characters serve as potential mystery stalkers and weave together the people who might want to bring down Lisa and her husband. The ending lacked a bit of satisfaction, but this is a light, fun read that casts a witty look at the juxtaposition between modern social media and the archaisms of class structure and public schools.
The novel tells the story of Lisa and her husband Edward from meeting as teachers married to other people, then the focus moves to when they transport their family to a boarding school where Edward becomes headteacher. It is written in a light style, intercut with tweets and messages to show Lisa’s interactions and how easily she becomes caught up in the world of social media. The large number of characters serve as potential mystery stalkers and weave together the people who might want to bring down Lisa and her husband. The ending lacked a bit of satisfaction, but this is a light, fun read that casts a witty look at the juxtaposition between modern social media and the archaisms of class structure and public schools.
March 20, 2018
An exceptional fictional debut with innovative narrative:
A fast-paced debut thriller which explores the obsessional nature of social media, in particular twitter, and how the virtual world in which such media operate can impact on reality.
Ambitious Head-Teacher Edward Chamberlain meets and marries Lisa, an Arts and Design teacher and small-time author, whilst turning around a struggling Liverpool School. Edward is of a Public School background, Lisa believes in speaking her mind and is unpredictable. It is her very unpredictability that Edward falls for. He returns to the Public School sector as Head master of a Boys-Only Public School, Blagsford. Lisa struggles to fit in and, despite adoring her ever so cool-headed husband and two young children, takes to social media, twitter in particular, where she has a virtual affair with a surgeon. Much of Lisa's twitter comments are visible to all and trigger a series of anonymous critical letters. Initially both Edward and Lisa don't take the letters too seriously but as the novel progresses they do come to suspect that someone has it in for them. Who is the mysterious stalker and will he or she be caught before they cause real harm to the Chamberlain family?
This is an ambitious book which covers ground not to my knowledge tried elsewhere: a lot of the dialogue is in tweets. And Lisa is a fanatic. She becomes a compulsive tweeter. The pace of the narrative is so very fast, achieved in the main through tweet delivery. And very intelligent ones too. Ms Byrne shows commendable talent with her poetic tweets. An original and highly readable debut with a message for social media addicts. I really enjoyed this novel and am sure readers looking for a novel which is just that little bit different will too.
A fast-paced debut thriller which explores the obsessional nature of social media, in particular twitter, and how the virtual world in which such media operate can impact on reality.
Ambitious Head-Teacher Edward Chamberlain meets and marries Lisa, an Arts and Design teacher and small-time author, whilst turning around a struggling Liverpool School. Edward is of a Public School background, Lisa believes in speaking her mind and is unpredictable. It is her very unpredictability that Edward falls for. He returns to the Public School sector as Head master of a Boys-Only Public School, Blagsford. Lisa struggles to fit in and, despite adoring her ever so cool-headed husband and two young children, takes to social media, twitter in particular, where she has a virtual affair with a surgeon. Much of Lisa's twitter comments are visible to all and trigger a series of anonymous critical letters. Initially both Edward and Lisa don't take the letters too seriously but as the novel progresses they do come to suspect that someone has it in for them. Who is the mysterious stalker and will he or she be caught before they cause real harm to the Chamberlain family?
This is an ambitious book which covers ground not to my knowledge tried elsewhere: a lot of the dialogue is in tweets. And Lisa is a fanatic. She becomes a compulsive tweeter. The pace of the narrative is so very fast, achieved in the main through tweet delivery. And very intelligent ones too. Ms Byrne shows commendable talent with her poetic tweets. An original and highly readable debut with a message for social media addicts. I really enjoyed this novel and am sure readers looking for a novel which is just that little bit different will too.
November 28, 2020
Would have been a higher rating- the story and writing are not bad, although the protagonist is not likeable. However, I did find myself unfortunately distracted by the bizarre intermittent disparaging/ stereotypical comments about the LGBT community- with absolutely no relation to the plot. How many completely out of the blue disdainful comments about ‘lezzers’ or ‘bitchy gays’ are needed? Put me off too much to be able to rate any higher.
June 29, 2023
I loved this fast paced contemporary novel by Paula Byrne.
‘Look to Your Wife’ uses Twitter to show how social media can sometimes turn nasty very quickly. Lisa seems to have it all but quickly gets hooked on posting regular updates on social media. Suddenly, Lisa and her family get emerged in a life of affairs, trolls and danger.
A page turner at its best with lots of suspense and many questions.
‘Look to Your Wife’ uses Twitter to show how social media can sometimes turn nasty very quickly. Lisa seems to have it all but quickly gets hooked on posting regular updates on social media. Suddenly, Lisa and her family get emerged in a life of affairs, trolls and danger.
A page turner at its best with lots of suspense and many questions.
July 8, 2021
this is not good. it’s like she has zero understanding of either group of people she is trying to write about so they both just end up being caricatures of actual people, with dreadful dialogue and no understandable motive? like what is the point. had to stop reading after that weird comment early on about a character being gay? dreadful. do not recommend
April 7, 2018
There’s a few things that immediately capture my attention in a synopsis…. one of which is mention of education. Being a teacher myself, I’m always intrigued by books that mention teaching/education. Another is when social media is involved. I love modern stories especially when they’re about the perils of social media! These two things made me request this book. I’m glad I did because I found Look To Your Wife to be an interesting read.
It centres around Lisa Blaize whose husband is an incredibly successful headteacher. He moves to a public school in order to turn it around. Lisa and her husband Edward have been married before, but fell for each other when working at the same school. Lisa has to move from her beloved Liverpool, leaving her friends and family behind. After having children, Lisa doesn’t work. She is desperate to finish her second book. She finds herself on Twitter. This turns Lisa’s life in a totally different direction. She embarks on an affair with another man. Lisa over tweets (some are incredibly cringey) and finds herself dealing with an anonymous stalker.
I really enjoyed the story unfolding. I wasn’t sure where it was going to go. I enjoyed reading Lisa’s interactions on Twitter. I loved how it turned from a light hearted story into something much sinister. Lisa’s stalker got creepier and creepier as time went on. I was trying to work out who it might be. There are so many possibilities, because Lisa isn’t the most likeable of people. I certainly found myself rolling my eyes at some of her antics. Some of which made me laugh though. I loved that element of the story.
I wasn’t a fan of Lisa as a character, but that really didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book. I don’t think she deserved the ‘attention’ she got from Twitter. The blog posts were incredibly creepy as well. It really made me cautious about the internet.
I haven’t read any of Paula Byrne’s non fiction books, but I have to say that I really enjoyed her writing style. I liked how the story was so very modern. Lisa is completely taken in by social media which is incredibly relatable to many. It does make you think about what you put out there on social media. It’s true that we only put out what we want to, but others interpretations can be very different than what your intentions were.
It centres around Lisa Blaize whose husband is an incredibly successful headteacher. He moves to a public school in order to turn it around. Lisa and her husband Edward have been married before, but fell for each other when working at the same school. Lisa has to move from her beloved Liverpool, leaving her friends and family behind. After having children, Lisa doesn’t work. She is desperate to finish her second book. She finds herself on Twitter. This turns Lisa’s life in a totally different direction. She embarks on an affair with another man. Lisa over tweets (some are incredibly cringey) and finds herself dealing with an anonymous stalker.
I really enjoyed the story unfolding. I wasn’t sure where it was going to go. I enjoyed reading Lisa’s interactions on Twitter. I loved how it turned from a light hearted story into something much sinister. Lisa’s stalker got creepier and creepier as time went on. I was trying to work out who it might be. There are so many possibilities, because Lisa isn’t the most likeable of people. I certainly found myself rolling my eyes at some of her antics. Some of which made me laugh though. I loved that element of the story.
I wasn’t a fan of Lisa as a character, but that really didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book. I don’t think she deserved the ‘attention’ she got from Twitter. The blog posts were incredibly creepy as well. It really made me cautious about the internet.
I haven’t read any of Paula Byrne’s non fiction books, but I have to say that I really enjoyed her writing style. I liked how the story was so very modern. Lisa is completely taken in by social media which is incredibly relatable to many. It does make you think about what you put out there on social media. It’s true that we only put out what we want to, but others interpretations can be very different than what your intentions were.
April 13, 2021
𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 - 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐓𝐨 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐖𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐚 𝐁𝐲𝐫𝐧𝐞
✨This was my first read with the amazing book club @bookscape.books , honestly if your looking for a group of supportive and just honest ladies give it a look.
✨It starts with the marriage of Edward and Moira which unfortunately breaks down. Edward is offered a new position in a school and there meets his new wife Lisa. He goes on to have 2 children and a successful career in terms of the school.
✨Lisa, coming from Liverpool to a country town is out of her comfort zone. Her youngest child, Emma falls ill and needs surgery which is successful. This part is important as the surgeon who worked on Emma , Sean comes back into her life when she finds the world of Twitter.
✨Bored and tired of her day to day she starts tweeting and captures the attention of Sean, it is from there they start an affair and fall in love with one another.
✨She posts constantly on Twitter, her feelings, thoughts and random quotes. She soon finds that someone is stalking her on it. Capturing photos, making a blood pretending to be her and defacing pictures of herself.
✨This book has friendships which are witty, a loving and very forgiving husband, fashion, a fire, paranoia, fashion and how social media plays such a big role in our lives now.
✨I'll be honest, this wasn't my sort of book, I wasn't crazy for it. I felt the whole story was building towards the end , which ended quickly and very disappointing in my opinion. I kept going as I wanted the answer at the end and it wasn't what I had hoped for unfortunately. I'm greatful to have had the opportunity to read this type of book as it is not one I would have picked myself. What I did like about the book was how people use their social media without the knowledge it is available to the whole world. Even if your profile is private once you post something it is almost there forever , just hanging. This book was a good eye opener for all social media.
My rating ⭐⭐⭐/ 5. (3 out of 5 stars).
✨This was my first read with the amazing book club @bookscape.books , honestly if your looking for a group of supportive and just honest ladies give it a look.
✨It starts with the marriage of Edward and Moira which unfortunately breaks down. Edward is offered a new position in a school and there meets his new wife Lisa. He goes on to have 2 children and a successful career in terms of the school.
✨Lisa, coming from Liverpool to a country town is out of her comfort zone. Her youngest child, Emma falls ill and needs surgery which is successful. This part is important as the surgeon who worked on Emma , Sean comes back into her life when she finds the world of Twitter.
✨Bored and tired of her day to day she starts tweeting and captures the attention of Sean, it is from there they start an affair and fall in love with one another.
✨She posts constantly on Twitter, her feelings, thoughts and random quotes. She soon finds that someone is stalking her on it. Capturing photos, making a blood pretending to be her and defacing pictures of herself.
✨This book has friendships which are witty, a loving and very forgiving husband, fashion, a fire, paranoia, fashion and how social media plays such a big role in our lives now.
✨I'll be honest, this wasn't my sort of book, I wasn't crazy for it. I felt the whole story was building towards the end , which ended quickly and very disappointing in my opinion. I kept going as I wanted the answer at the end and it wasn't what I had hoped for unfortunately. I'm greatful to have had the opportunity to read this type of book as it is not one I would have picked myself. What I did like about the book was how people use their social media without the knowledge it is available to the whole world. Even if your profile is private once you post something it is almost there forever , just hanging. This book was a good eye opener for all social media.
My rating ⭐⭐⭐/ 5. (3 out of 5 stars).
March 12, 2018
Lisa Blaize seems to have it all. She is beautiful, she was a teacher, published a book on fashion, married with a daughter, Emma. She is married to Edward, a high-flyer who goes from strength to strength in his career – teaching. Until he reaches the dizzy heights of headmaster in a public school; and then he is knighted and Lisa becomes, Lady C. There was one blip when Emma was seriously ill as a baby and they feared for her life but fear not, because the handsome and gifted surgeon, Sean, saves the day, and Emma.
Set against this background we witness Lisa firstly based in Liverpool who is finally supplanted to a country town where the public school is based and where she is subject to the rigours of her status as headmaster’s wife which she feels crushes her spirit. That is until she discovers Twitter. It is through this medium that she conducts an affair; where she abandons all caution; where she is uninhibited and where she ignores the advice of her lifelong friend, the priest. Lisa is caught in an addiction.
I can see where Lisa is coming from, I really can. She clearly loves her husband, but boy is he busy. And he is so nice. What a gent! I could have shaken Lisa. Despite all the advice, she just steamed on. ‘No harm in this – I will show them’ was her attitude. But, boy could I see the harm, it came with flashing lights and cymbals. Lisa, Lisa, Lisa! So, don’t ask me if I like her, because I really do not know. There is something endearing about her, but really!
I enjoyed the book, especially the tweets (even if I don’t really get Twitter, and I don’t always understand the acronyms). An enjoyable, easy read; quite amusing. I am sure there will be many who will love it. I liked it, just didn’t love it.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.
Set against this background we witness Lisa firstly based in Liverpool who is finally supplanted to a country town where the public school is based and where she is subject to the rigours of her status as headmaster’s wife which she feels crushes her spirit. That is until she discovers Twitter. It is through this medium that she conducts an affair; where she abandons all caution; where she is uninhibited and where she ignores the advice of her lifelong friend, the priest. Lisa is caught in an addiction.
I can see where Lisa is coming from, I really can. She clearly loves her husband, but boy is he busy. And he is so nice. What a gent! I could have shaken Lisa. Despite all the advice, she just steamed on. ‘No harm in this – I will show them’ was her attitude. But, boy could I see the harm, it came with flashing lights and cymbals. Lisa, Lisa, Lisa! So, don’t ask me if I like her, because I really do not know. There is something endearing about her, but really!
I enjoyed the book, especially the tweets (even if I don’t really get Twitter, and I don’t always understand the acronyms). An enjoyable, easy read; quite amusing. I am sure there will be many who will love it. I liked it, just didn’t love it.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.
April 4, 2018
**RATING 3.5**
LOOK TO YOUR WIFE by Paula Byrne is a strong, pointed, and witty novel that highlights the importance and often detrimental effects that social media has on our day to day lives.
Lisa Blaize appears to have the perfect life - sexy, wealthy, intelligent, married to a man who adores her and the mother of two children whom she adores, there seems to be nothing lacking in her world. But looks can often be deceptive and when Lisa and their family follow her husband's career to a countryside school with an uptight community, Lisa feels like a fish out of water. So when she begins to dabble on social media as a distraction it is just a bit of fun, but soon Twitter becomes an escapism of far more importance to her as it brings people into her real life that could change everything ...
Add in a stalker, an affair, a fire, and some very witty and quirky friendships, and this is just a glimpse into Lisa Blaize's life.
LOOK TO YOUR WIFE by Paula Byrne is a strange book to review because it is a strange book to read. The characters are interesting and different and I enjoyed the focus on Twitter and the fact that it is a surreal way of living, but there were also moments when I didn't connect with what was happening to Lisa and felt she was selfish and naive at times. The story flowed very well and I read it from cover to cover in a few hours and never felt bored but I can't really say if I loved the story or not.
LOOK TO YOUR WIFE by Paula Byrne is a unique story with a satirical flair and will definitely leave you questioning just how much you need social media in your life - an unusual read!
*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the Publisher
LOOK TO YOUR WIFE by Paula Byrne is a strong, pointed, and witty novel that highlights the importance and often detrimental effects that social media has on our day to day lives.
Lisa Blaize appears to have the perfect life - sexy, wealthy, intelligent, married to a man who adores her and the mother of two children whom she adores, there seems to be nothing lacking in her world. But looks can often be deceptive and when Lisa and their family follow her husband's career to a countryside school with an uptight community, Lisa feels like a fish out of water. So when she begins to dabble on social media as a distraction it is just a bit of fun, but soon Twitter becomes an escapism of far more importance to her as it brings people into her real life that could change everything ...
Add in a stalker, an affair, a fire, and some very witty and quirky friendships, and this is just a glimpse into Lisa Blaize's life.
LOOK TO YOUR WIFE by Paula Byrne is a strange book to review because it is a strange book to read. The characters are interesting and different and I enjoyed the focus on Twitter and the fact that it is a surreal way of living, but there were also moments when I didn't connect with what was happening to Lisa and felt she was selfish and naive at times. The story flowed very well and I read it from cover to cover in a few hours and never felt bored but I can't really say if I loved the story or not.
LOOK TO YOUR WIFE by Paula Byrne is a unique story with a satirical flair and will definitely leave you questioning just how much you need social media in your life - an unusual read!
*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the Publisher
March 24, 2021
💛 I have never seen or heard anyone talk about this book before so I did go into it blind. I believe I received it in one of my book subscriptions. This book was OK. It didn’t wow me, it hasn’t left a lasting impression but it wasn’t the worst 💛
🌈 ‘If you had the chance to create a new person, a new you, would you take it?’ 🌈
💛 The book is about a woman in her 30s who goes through a mini mid-life-crisis, having an affair, creating a persona on a Twitter account etc. However by putting her life on to the internet it becomes all too public. She begins to get trolled, people turn against her and it all gets a bit too close to home 💛
💛 I couldn’t gel with any of the characters. They all fell a bit flat to me. I felt the book could have been cut in half as half of the story didn���t add any value 💛
💛 I did however, really appreciate the writing style. The way that as well as the narrative, we had text messages, tweets, hand-written letters all depicted in different ways. That’s not something that is normally done well so I commend the author for that 💛
💛Would I recommend this book? I am not too sure, I don’t think I would. There are better books within this genre in my opinion. 💛
🌈 ‘If you had the chance to create a new person, a new you, would you take it?’ 🌈
💛 The book is about a woman in her 30s who goes through a mini mid-life-crisis, having an affair, creating a persona on a Twitter account etc. However by putting her life on to the internet it becomes all too public. She begins to get trolled, people turn against her and it all gets a bit too close to home 💛
💛 I couldn’t gel with any of the characters. They all fell a bit flat to me. I felt the book could have been cut in half as half of the story didn���t add any value 💛
💛 I did however, really appreciate the writing style. The way that as well as the narrative, we had text messages, tweets, hand-written letters all depicted in different ways. That’s not something that is normally done well so I commend the author for that 💛
💛Would I recommend this book? I am not too sure, I don’t think I would. There are better books within this genre in my opinion. 💛
December 3, 2018
Firstly i commend any author who manages to complete a work and i must say this book isn't a disaster. Its just not really that great, Its main problem tbh is that doesn't make up its mind what it wants to be- Chick lit or suspense thriller, it achieves neither as a result sadly. As this story has a very important message in that, if we' as a society are not careful; social media will become more of a problem and vehicle for menace rather than good.
A story about a couple who relocate for work from town to country, an obsession with twitter and a stalker. Stalking is appalling in any circumstances but this seemed slightly far fetched. An obsession with Twitter??? Ok i get that SM can be addictive but its like the woman- Lisa- has been transplanted out of the 1950s, for all she knows about SM.
This book just didn't sit right with me, but no doubt its speaking a truth to societies move towards this evermore public life.
A story about a couple who relocate for work from town to country, an obsession with twitter and a stalker. Stalking is appalling in any circumstances but this seemed slightly far fetched. An obsession with Twitter??? Ok i get that SM can be addictive but its like the woman- Lisa- has been transplanted out of the 1950s, for all she knows about SM.
This book just didn't sit right with me, but no doubt its speaking a truth to societies move towards this evermore public life.
March 23, 2018
I knew when starting the book that it was about social media, but I still expected more of a storyline instead of the boring and incessant tweets throughout the book.
Lisa and Edwards story is: Lisa is a teacher in Liverpool, Edward is employed as the new Head teacher to help bring the school up to a better standards, both are married but when meeting there is an attraction there.
Lisa and Edward marry and Edward wants to move to another school than needs attention, Lisa doesn't really want to move she loves Liverpool and has her family close by.
When moving it is suggested to Lisa she might be interested in joining twitter which then seems to become an obsession to her, which starts the break up in her marriage. Very drawn out story not a very good storyline and very disappointed with the ending.
Lisa and Edwards story is: Lisa is a teacher in Liverpool, Edward is employed as the new Head teacher to help bring the school up to a better standards, both are married but when meeting there is an attraction there.
Lisa and Edward marry and Edward wants to move to another school than needs attention, Lisa doesn't really want to move she loves Liverpool and has her family close by.
When moving it is suggested to Lisa she might be interested in joining twitter which then seems to become an obsession to her, which starts the break up in her marriage. Very drawn out story not a very good storyline and very disappointed with the ending.
April 22, 2018
*** Find this review and others on my blog! ***
Thank you to William Collins for sending me a copy of this book! All opinions are my own and are honest!
So, I went into this not really knowing what to expect; it said it was a contemporary, but it also mentioned an online stalker, so I wasn’t sure how serious it was going to be and whether it would have a slight thriller element in it (maybe that’s just me and all my thriller novels!).
This was a debut fiction novel from Paula Byrne as she has written many non-fiction novels on the Austens and other topics. I did feel that some of her non-fiction writing did creep through in this novel however. This book is split into different parts and the first part is following Lisa and her Husband as they meet and ultimately how they ended up where they are in the main story. This definitely read more like a biography of their lives and less like a story which was a shame. I didn’t feel like it followed through the book too much but there were parts of the story that did read like a non-fiction biography and a factual telling of events.
This was a fast enjoyable read and I loved how it included actual transcripts of the tweets and the letters that were being sent. One of my favourite things in recent novels is the inclusion of tweets and media in order to help tell a story and this ticked all the boxes. I enjoyed how the other characters in this book weren’t just mentioned in passing either, they each had their own back story or something that made them unique and identifiable. I fin that sometimes in stories when it’s a standalone and there are characters that are just put into the story to help flesh it out, they can blend into the background a bit and they can become forgettable or you can start mixing them up, but I didn’t find that in this novel. I remembered each side character because she’d given them a back story and made them more memorable.
I did struggle in some places with the dialogue and trying to figure out who was saying what as it wasn’t always that clear. The story was fast paced but I did feel like the ending was just rushed; I think it was maybe meant to be a big ‘reveal’ moment but it fell a bit flat and I’d sort of figured out who it was earlier on in the story and thought it was quite easy to deduce.
I did enjoy this overall and would recommend this if you’re wanting a fast paced, enjoyable contemporary!
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Thank you to William Collins for sending me a copy of this book! All opinions are my own and are honest!
So, I went into this not really knowing what to expect; it said it was a contemporary, but it also mentioned an online stalker, so I wasn’t sure how serious it was going to be and whether it would have a slight thriller element in it (maybe that’s just me and all my thriller novels!).
This was a debut fiction novel from Paula Byrne as she has written many non-fiction novels on the Austens and other topics. I did feel that some of her non-fiction writing did creep through in this novel however. This book is split into different parts and the first part is following Lisa and her Husband as they meet and ultimately how they ended up where they are in the main story. This definitely read more like a biography of their lives and less like a story which was a shame. I didn’t feel like it followed through the book too much but there were parts of the story that did read like a non-fiction biography and a factual telling of events.
This was a fast enjoyable read and I loved how it included actual transcripts of the tweets and the letters that were being sent. One of my favourite things in recent novels is the inclusion of tweets and media in order to help tell a story and this ticked all the boxes. I enjoyed how the other characters in this book weren’t just mentioned in passing either, they each had their own back story or something that made them unique and identifiable. I fin that sometimes in stories when it’s a standalone and there are characters that are just put into the story to help flesh it out, they can blend into the background a bit and they can become forgettable or you can start mixing them up, but I didn’t find that in this novel. I remembered each side character because she’d given them a back story and made them more memorable.
I did struggle in some places with the dialogue and trying to figure out who was saying what as it wasn’t always that clear. The story was fast paced but I did feel like the ending was just rushed; I think it was maybe meant to be a big ‘reveal’ moment but it fell a bit flat and I’d sort of figured out who it was earlier on in the story and thought it was quite easy to deduce.
I did enjoy this overall and would recommend this if you’re wanting a fast paced, enjoyable contemporary!
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September 6, 2020
I received this book as part of A Box of Stories subscription. I definitely wouldn’t have chosen this myself off the shelf and after putting off reading it, I thought it was about time I picked it up.
It wasn’t great. The story centres around two teachers Ed and Lisa, who were both married to other people, but who have an affair and marry, they have children and then Lisa, discovers Twitter.
The book highlights the dangers of over-sharing on social media and the risks involved in putting your whole life online.
I didn’t like the main characters and I didn’t like that additional characters were just chucked into the story either. The ending wasn’t satisfying and left me with questions (which I really don’t like).
It wasn’t a bad book, it just wasn’t for me.
It wasn’t great. The story centres around two teachers Ed and Lisa, who were both married to other people, but who have an affair and marry, they have children and then Lisa, discovers Twitter.
The book highlights the dangers of over-sharing on social media and the risks involved in putting your whole life online.
I didn’t like the main characters and I didn’t like that additional characters were just chucked into the story either. The ending wasn’t satisfying and left me with questions (which I really don’t like).
It wasn’t a bad book, it just wasn’t for me.
March 26, 2022
I enjoyed the premise of the book being a fan of Twitter, however there was something missing in this book. Not exactly sure what it was. Perhaps it was that Lisa our protagonist fashionista, feminist, historian school teacher never really rang true. Sir Edward Chamberlain didn’t quite either. His knighthood came rather easily and early it seemed just another name drippy thing to add.
Anyways Lisa gets trolled and some stalkery identity theft happened (personally I felt the troll got Lisa pretty well). It morphs into a bit of a who dunnit and just all ends rather lamely. The troll never uncovers her cliche affair and I am at a loss as to why it was necessary to bring her down despite her being a tad superficial and dim.
Despite my trashing of it the pace was good and I did want to finish it, which can’t be said about another feminist based diatribe a few weeks back.
Anyways Lisa gets trolled and some stalkery identity theft happened (personally I felt the troll got Lisa pretty well). It morphs into a bit of a who dunnit and just all ends rather lamely. The troll never uncovers her cliche affair and I am at a loss as to why it was necessary to bring her down despite her being a tad superficial and dim.
Despite my trashing of it the pace was good and I did want to finish it, which can’t be said about another feminist based diatribe a few weeks back.
March 29, 2022
This is a fast paced read which you do want to keep reading. I enjoyed the mixed formats as well: letters, tweets etc.
I find it hard to sympathise with someone who does what the main character does. She is lucky to have the people around her that she does. The attitudes and comments about some things are a bit old fashioned and hard to take without a slight grimace. But hey, not sure you have to love every character to still enjoy a book.
I'm not sure the blurb really describes the book's contents that well if I'm honest.
That being said, there is enough intrigue in this to keep you reading, and although the ending wasn't as complete as I would have hoped, it wasn't predictable. I wanted to find out what happened and I don't regret reading it at all.
I find it hard to sympathise with someone who does what the main character does. She is lucky to have the people around her that she does. The attitudes and comments about some things are a bit old fashioned and hard to take without a slight grimace. But hey, not sure you have to love every character to still enjoy a book.
I'm not sure the blurb really describes the book's contents that well if I'm honest.
That being said, there is enough intrigue in this to keep you reading, and although the ending wasn't as complete as I would have hoped, it wasn't predictable. I wanted to find out what happened and I don't regret reading it at all.
May 31, 2018
Brilliant for a holiday read. It’s written in a very readable way and the plot keeps you guessing quite a bit along the way. Lisa the main character is likeable if a bit trivial.
Only two irritations for me the first of which is the illness of the child early on, if the author had made it a hole in the heart it would have been way more medically credible than a child somehow needing bypass surgery. The second is near the end when she leaves the party to “feed the baby” what baby? Her kids are 9/4 and no mention of a baby, I wonder if the editing axed a pregnancy but missed this bit.
Only two irritations for me the first of which is the illness of the child early on, if the author had made it a hole in the heart it would have been way more medically credible than a child somehow needing bypass surgery. The second is near the end when she leaves the party to “feed the baby” what baby? Her kids are 9/4 and no mention of a baby, I wonder if the editing axed a pregnancy but missed this bit.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2021
So i honestly dont know what to say about this book 😐. I hated Lisa she didnt deserve what happened to her im in no way married or in a relationship but i do believe in talking to your partner if you are not happy. For me this is was a very slow start and i did feel like giving up. However i am glad i kept going as the twist at the end was very unexpected. I felt like it touched on one important subject then that got dismissed as it never happened. The very end was very flat for me i was very disappointed 😞
July 28, 2023
Overall I can give this novel 3 stars.
I can't say I hated it, but I also didn't fall in love with it. I think there are some points that can be delved into further however - and maybe open a discussion or debate.
Likes:
Short chapters
Modern
Easy read
Dislikes:
Fast in some parts, terribly slow in others (particularly part 1).
Interestingly, I like how the, almost 'unrealistic' storyline mirrors the unrealistic standards we, as a society, expect for ourselves - through the eyes of social media, posts, comments and pictures uploaded online.
I can't say I hated it, but I also didn't fall in love with it. I think there are some points that can be delved into further however - and maybe open a discussion or debate.
Likes:
Short chapters
Modern
Easy read
Dislikes:
Fast in some parts, terribly slow in others (particularly part 1).
Interestingly, I like how the, almost 'unrealistic' storyline mirrors the unrealistic standards we, as a society, expect for ourselves - through the eyes of social media, posts, comments and pictures uploaded online.
June 11, 2023
This book was pretty boring and the main character Lisa was so incredibly unlikable. She also acted like she's never heard of social media before and used Twitter in such a ridiculous way. She became so addicted to it that she has an affair very publicly, and doesn't stop using Twitter even when stalked and harassed?!
The figuring out of who the letters was from was too quick, but it was also extremely obvious.
Overall, no likable characters, a boring plot and parts that already feel outdated.
The figuring out of who the letters was from was too quick, but it was also extremely obvious.
Overall, no likable characters, a boring plot and parts that already feel outdated.
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