What do you think?
Rate this book
The Seduction
Beth lives in the tree-shrouded no-man's land by Camden Lock with her partner Sol and their daughter Fern. Life is peaceful, but Beth is troubled by increasing unease. It could be the uncertainty over her mother, who disappeared when Beth was a child. Or it could be her sense that Fern is keeping secrets from her.
So she goes to therapy. Dr Tamara Bywater is there to help her patients. But what if the very person who is meant to be the solution becomes the most dangerous problem of all? And why is what's bad for us so enticing?
So she goes to therapy. Dr Tamara Bywater is there to help her patients. But what if the very person who is meant to be the solution becomes the most dangerous problem of all? And why is what's bad for us so enticing?
384 pages, Paperback
First published August 25, 2020
24 people are currently reading
432 people want to read
About the author
Joanna Briscoe
14 books28 followersJoanna Briscoe is the author of two novels, Mothers and Other Lovers, which won the Betty Trask Award; and Skin, which was runner-up for the Encore Award. Her short stories have featured in several anthologies. She was a columnist for the Independent and the Guardian and writes regularly for all the major newspapers and magazines. Joanna Briscoe lives in London with her family.
Sleep With Me, was published by Bloomsbury in July 2005. A new tv-tie in edition, published in 2009, accompanies the TV series adapted by Andrew Davies, starring Adrian Lester and Jodhi May.
You is the unnerving and exceptional new novel from Joanna Briscoe, published by Bloomsbury in July 2011. It is a stunning story of sex, memory and family lies.
Watch the new book trailer for You by Joanna Briscoe
Sleep With Me, was published by Bloomsbury in July 2005. A new tv-tie in edition, published in 2009, accompanies the TV series adapted by Andrew Davies, starring Adrian Lester and Jodhi May.
You is the unnerving and exceptional new novel from Joanna Briscoe, published by Bloomsbury in July 2011. It is a stunning story of sex, memory and family lies.
Watch the new book trailer for You by Joanna Briscoe
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
July 9, 2021
did not enjoy.
Was actually very shocked to learn this was published by bloomsbury also, because I felt there was so many structural and formatting mistakes? Was not an effortless read, I was very aware of the lack of flow and the need to go back and try and figure out what is actually trying to be said and where we're at in the story. It felt both slow and rushed at the same time and I just think this type of story has been done before and better. Sorry!
Was actually very shocked to learn this was published by bloomsbury also, because I felt there was so many structural and formatting mistakes? Was not an effortless read, I was very aware of the lack of flow and the need to go back and try and figure out what is actually trying to be said and where we're at in the story. It felt both slow and rushed at the same time and I just think this type of story has been done before and better. Sorry!
July 9, 2020
NTMYCPOFT
August 11, 2021
The story could be promising, but then the flow of the story was so sloow.. I constantly find myself drifting out of the story. I admit the story was dark and compelling at times, but I am very disappointed not only with the style of writing but also how the story turned out in the end. It was frustrating and I kept on thinking that the characters failed to connect with me. Why does all the characters seems to be in negative emotions. Its just annoying and depressing.
Thank You so much @definitelybooks for the complimentary copy of this book!
Thank You so much @definitelybooks for the complimentary copy of this book!
September 25, 2021
A good story but it wasn't an easy book to read. The style of writing didn't appeal at all as it flitted about and became a chore to read.
December 7, 2021
One star for the premise. Bizarre sentence structure and dialogue at times, to the point I had to reread parts multiple times to try and make sense of it. Hard work.
September 21, 2020
I previously read a taster of The Seduction offered by NetGalley and was very much impressed by the first few chapters. The novel by Joanna Briscoe was an enthralling multi-generational story about grave misunderstandings, set on Camden Lock, London.
Beth is a happily married, successful artist, living in the house of her dreams. The story begins with Beth who is lying on a psychologist's couch then quickly moves on to the central character's home that she shares with her husband, Sol, and twelve-year-old daughter, Fern. Beth relishes her happy home life but is receiving nuisance calls that appear to be from her estranged mother, Lizzie Penn.
I immediately started to build a picture of troubled, nervous Beth, and the impulsive and rather fanciful Sol, though he initially came across as very thoughtful and caring. As Joanna Briscoe developed other characters, I got a feel for their different personalities. The suspense as to where this could be going next built gradually, along with suspicions that secrets were being kept. When Beth notices one of her friends, Aranxto, who also happens to be Fern's godfather, is texting Fern, she is curious.
With a strong plot, the author's fabulous prose really helped to draw me into the story and I could relate to the way in which relationships were examined. Beth's mental health and her growing detachment from her family as a result of her attraction to her psychologist, Dr Tamara Bywater who had her own issues, were expertly portrayed. Although I did not care for any of the characters, they all played their relevant parts and Beth's vulnerability was well manipulated. The Seduction is a great read about forbidden relationships with good doses of lies and obsession, that I can recommend. I have yet to read any of Joanna Briscoe's other novels but I found her easy-to-read writing style very evocative and appealing.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bloomsbury Publishing via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
Beth is a happily married, successful artist, living in the house of her dreams. The story begins with Beth who is lying on a psychologist's couch then quickly moves on to the central character's home that she shares with her husband, Sol, and twelve-year-old daughter, Fern. Beth relishes her happy home life but is receiving nuisance calls that appear to be from her estranged mother, Lizzie Penn.
I immediately started to build a picture of troubled, nervous Beth, and the impulsive and rather fanciful Sol, though he initially came across as very thoughtful and caring. As Joanna Briscoe developed other characters, I got a feel for their different personalities. The suspense as to where this could be going next built gradually, along with suspicions that secrets were being kept. When Beth notices one of her friends, Aranxto, who also happens to be Fern's godfather, is texting Fern, she is curious.
With a strong plot, the author's fabulous prose really helped to draw me into the story and I could relate to the way in which relationships were examined. Beth's mental health and her growing detachment from her family as a result of her attraction to her psychologist, Dr Tamara Bywater who had her own issues, were expertly portrayed. Although I did not care for any of the characters, they all played their relevant parts and Beth's vulnerability was well manipulated. The Seduction is a great read about forbidden relationships with good doses of lies and obsession, that I can recommend. I have yet to read any of Joanna Briscoe's other novels but I found her easy-to-read writing style very evocative and appealing.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bloomsbury Publishing via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
June 11, 2020
I loved this straight from the cover - with its artful invitation to be a Freudian fly on the wall for an analysis of what makes love and lust tick.
Following her recent detour into more ghostly realms with the wonderful Touched this latest novel finds Joanna Briscoe back on her usual stomping ground: the human heart. More specifically, the hearts of mothers and daughters, in all their depths and frailties, and the power they have to send those whose chests they beat in off kilter. Which is not to say the needs and desires of the central male characters aren’t also deftly handled - just that it’s the dynamics between daughters and mothers (and/or vice versa) - and how these can spill out into all other relationships, which drives the action.
Beth is a happily married, successful conceptual artist, living in the house of her dreams on Camden Lock. She loves her husband, who is also professionally successful; he loves her in return. But, lately, Sol’s become worried that issues long dormant for Beth are resurfacing. The catalyst for the novel comes when he suggests she could do with speaking to someone about it.
Although initially reluctant to engage with therapy, Beth soon finds herself as curious about her elusive and unfathomable shrink as Dr Tamara Bywater is about her. As their sessions progress it occurs to Beth that, if only they’d met in another context, the two might have become friends. (But as things stand, is she mad to be feeling they already seem to be tumbling passed that?)
As we learn from Tamara's colleagues - who are already worried about her cavalier approach to accepted/safe practice - the dynamic in play here is known as Transference. It's a well-known risk in any therapeutic relationship and therefore something the practitioner must not only be alert to, but also skilled enough to navigate their patient through it.
By twists and turns, Ms Briscoe cleverly exploits this dynamic to muddy both professional and personal boundaries in ways that tease the reader. Is Beth imagining things, or is her shrink really trying to seduce her? And, if it’s the latter, is the way in which Tamara seems to be using Beth’s abandonment issues against her consciously calculated - and therefore even crueller? Or is this just Tamara being Tamara?
I also loved the use of the art world as a backdrop. The way Beth’s work in particular paid off reminded me of Siri Hustvedt. The emotional range is similarly symphonic, the prose as limpid and the ending delivers just what I long for in a love story. Catharsis.
All in all, I found The Seduction to be Ms Briscoe’s most controlled and thought-provoking work yet.
With many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me see an advance copy.
Following her recent detour into more ghostly realms with the wonderful Touched this latest novel finds Joanna Briscoe back on her usual stomping ground: the human heart. More specifically, the hearts of mothers and daughters, in all their depths and frailties, and the power they have to send those whose chests they beat in off kilter. Which is not to say the needs and desires of the central male characters aren’t also deftly handled - just that it’s the dynamics between daughters and mothers (and/or vice versa) - and how these can spill out into all other relationships, which drives the action.
Beth is a happily married, successful conceptual artist, living in the house of her dreams on Camden Lock. She loves her husband, who is also professionally successful; he loves her in return. But, lately, Sol’s become worried that issues long dormant for Beth are resurfacing. The catalyst for the novel comes when he suggests she could do with speaking to someone about it.
Although initially reluctant to engage with therapy, Beth soon finds herself as curious about her elusive and unfathomable shrink as Dr Tamara Bywater is about her. As their sessions progress it occurs to Beth that, if only they’d met in another context, the two might have become friends. (But as things stand, is she mad to be feeling they already seem to be tumbling passed that?)
As we learn from Tamara's colleagues - who are already worried about her cavalier approach to accepted/safe practice - the dynamic in play here is known as Transference. It's a well-known risk in any therapeutic relationship and therefore something the practitioner must not only be alert to, but also skilled enough to navigate their patient through it.
By twists and turns, Ms Briscoe cleverly exploits this dynamic to muddy both professional and personal boundaries in ways that tease the reader. Is Beth imagining things, or is her shrink really trying to seduce her? And, if it’s the latter, is the way in which Tamara seems to be using Beth’s abandonment issues against her consciously calculated - and therefore even crueller? Or is this just Tamara being Tamara?
I also loved the use of the art world as a backdrop. The way Beth’s work in particular paid off reminded me of Siri Hustvedt. The emotional range is similarly symphonic, the prose as limpid and the ending delivers just what I long for in a love story. Catharsis.
All in all, I found The Seduction to be Ms Briscoe’s most controlled and thought-provoking work yet.
With many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me see an advance copy.
August 10, 2020
Interesting but oh so draggy.
I liked that it explored the “what if” of what happens when the therapist-client boundary is overstepped. The author captured the manipulation and emotional need exquisitely. I did find myself at times being so entranced by Dr Bywater. And that is coming from a READER. If I were actually in Beth’s shoes, I would probably crash and burn into flames with all the sabotaging and destruction I’m doing to myself.
That said, this book made me feel annoyed and frustrated. The characters seem to have strong negative emotions towards each other and most of the time, the reason was it very clear. It did not help that communication between characters were also lacking. It felt as if I was playing a guessing game in trying to Guess what they communicating with each other via their nonverbal responses. I’m okay with it but it got to the point where it’s just ridiculous. All these would not have happened if people were open minded and actually LISTENED to each other.
Then that got me thinking ... hmm is that what the author wanted to invoke in readers. The sense of frustration of caregivers in being helpless and not knowing what to do with the “troubled party”? If that’s what she wanted to do, then I think she did a good job.
Dr Bywater was a genuine PAIN. Her neediness and the control she has over Beth made me so angry. And I felt so bad that Beth can’t help but be drawn to her. I wanted to shake Beth at times and tell her WAKE UPPPP. I was quite surprised when Dr Bywater was painted to have NPD because to me it felt more like histrionic PD?
Overall, I didn’t like this but I did pick up new insights. Im so Glad I’m over and done with it.
I liked that it explored the “what if” of what happens when the therapist-client boundary is overstepped. The author captured the manipulation and emotional need exquisitely. I did find myself at times being so entranced by Dr Bywater. And that is coming from a READER. If I were actually in Beth’s shoes, I would probably crash and burn into flames with all the sabotaging and destruction I’m doing to myself.
That said, this book made me feel annoyed and frustrated. The characters seem to have strong negative emotions towards each other and most of the time, the reason was it very clear. It did not help that communication between characters were also lacking. It felt as if I was playing a guessing game in trying to Guess what they communicating with each other via their nonverbal responses. I’m okay with it but it got to the point where it’s just ridiculous. All these would not have happened if people were open minded and actually LISTENED to each other.
Then that got me thinking ... hmm is that what the author wanted to invoke in readers. The sense of frustration of caregivers in being helpless and not knowing what to do with the “troubled party”? If that’s what she wanted to do, then I think she did a good job.
Dr Bywater was a genuine PAIN. Her neediness and the control she has over Beth made me so angry. And I felt so bad that Beth can’t help but be drawn to her. I wanted to shake Beth at times and tell her WAKE UPPPP. I was quite surprised when Dr Bywater was painted to have NPD because to me it felt more like histrionic PD?
Overall, I didn’t like this but I did pick up new insights. Im so Glad I’m over and done with it.
June 24, 2020
The narrative follows Beth; wife, mother and artist. She lives in a doll-like house on Little Canal Street by Camden Lock with her husband, Sol, and their teenage daughter, Fern. Life appears happy and calm, yet a wave of doubt bubbles away under the murky waters of the canal. Beth is haunted by the face of her mother, Lizzie, who left her when she was a child. Beth also worries that her relationship with Fern is becoming strained and distanced. Beth keeps getting anonymous calls that repeatedly harass her day and night. On the request of Sol she decides to attend therapy with Dr. Tamara Bywater. The sessions soon become more personal, intrusive even, and a game of seduction is slowly teased. They start to break all the rules as they grow closer and begin to feel a deep desire for one another.
Beth is an intriguing character to follow. She is naturally a worrier and extremely protective of her daughter. She is always telling Fern she loves her and wants to kiss her goodnight. Beth is constantly on top of her and even convinces Sol to ring the police one evening when she is late home. It’s a suffocating atmosphere as she is desperate to prove she is a good mother and loves her daughter. This dedication and devotion is what slowly pushes Fern further away from her.
Beth’s relationship with her husband is stale. They care for and love each other but appear more like roommates than husband and wife. She is often elsewhere in her head and sometimes thinks about her ex boyfriend Jack Dorian whilst having sex with Sol. She hasn’t felt attractive in a long time and begins a slow downward spiral of lying to her family, the more intense her therapy sessions become. It is ironic as she has a fear of messing everything up and while attempting her best not to, she does exactly this. She spends a lot of her time worrying and working herself up into an hysterical state especially since Fern continues to keep coming home late. And with her therapy sessions becoming her only secret pleasure in life, Beth quickly becomes a tangled mess of highs and lows that has an effect on everyone around her.
As Beth’s feelings for Dr. Tamara intensify she sees moments were she could have made it all stop. Beth soon begins to eat, breathe and sleep for her therapy sessions. She often wonders what Dr. Tamara is doing and tries to find her online to no avail. She wants Dr. Tamara to like her, and to impress her Beth starts dressing up for their sessions. The reader can see she is becoming obsessed and feels concerned as Beth continues to be out of sorts. She’s confused and doesn’t understand why she feels so strongly for Dr. Tamara. She had gone there for help, to solve her problems and all it has done is create more messy, unfulfilling ones.
The scenes between Beth and Dr. Tamara are drenched in sexual tension. They play off each other well. Briscoe teases the possibilities, the foreplay between the two leaving the reader gripped to every page: Will they? Won’t they? It builds and builds to a point you find yourself shouting “Just kiss already!” It’s addictive to read as you soon discover how unreliable Dr. Tamara is for a therapist. There is a constant switch in behaviour as one moment she is throwing herself at Beth and then in an instant she is distanced and doesn’t contact her for days. It drives Beth and the reader mad as she jumps from hot to cold in quick succession.
I didn’t really know who the real Dr. Tamara was in the end. It left me questioning if she was using Beth because she was bored with life, or did she really love her? It kept me on my toes. At a first glance I thought Dr. Tamara would be a no-nonsense professional psychiatrist helping Beth come to terms with the departure of her mother, and possibly addressing the little crush situation. Nope! Wrong! I did not see what actually took place coming, it caught me off guard and made for titillating reading.
Briscoe’s writing is a beauty to read. She paints rich, vibrant and captivating imagery. I could hear the ducks on the canal and the slow movement of the ripples as I sat by Camden Lock watching the world go by. One of the many reasons that Beth enjoys painting landscapes is because they come with a history, a story. Whenever I read a scene where Beth was painting outside and taking in all the nature, I immediately felt relaxed. As the story unfolds Sol starts to notice that Beth’s paintings are becoming darker. I loved this little detail. Beth’s mood affects her art and she also enjoys a layering brushwork technique which plays well with her character as she starts to lie, building layer after layer of distrust in her family. The canal and art had a life of their own in this book, it was gorgeous to read. Briscoe has captured it superbly.
I give The Seduction By Joanna Briscoe a Four out of Five paw rating.
This book is throbbing with intense, pent-up sexual tension that will leave you yearning for more. You will find yourself biting your lip in anticipation for those forbidden moments of desire that are desperate to be unleashed and satisfied, again and again and again.
Beth is an intriguing character to follow. She is naturally a worrier and extremely protective of her daughter. She is always telling Fern she loves her and wants to kiss her goodnight. Beth is constantly on top of her and even convinces Sol to ring the police one evening when she is late home. It’s a suffocating atmosphere as she is desperate to prove she is a good mother and loves her daughter. This dedication and devotion is what slowly pushes Fern further away from her.
Beth’s relationship with her husband is stale. They care for and love each other but appear more like roommates than husband and wife. She is often elsewhere in her head and sometimes thinks about her ex boyfriend Jack Dorian whilst having sex with Sol. She hasn’t felt attractive in a long time and begins a slow downward spiral of lying to her family, the more intense her therapy sessions become. It is ironic as she has a fear of messing everything up and while attempting her best not to, she does exactly this. She spends a lot of her time worrying and working herself up into an hysterical state especially since Fern continues to keep coming home late. And with her therapy sessions becoming her only secret pleasure in life, Beth quickly becomes a tangled mess of highs and lows that has an effect on everyone around her.
As Beth’s feelings for Dr. Tamara intensify she sees moments were she could have made it all stop. Beth soon begins to eat, breathe and sleep for her therapy sessions. She often wonders what Dr. Tamara is doing and tries to find her online to no avail. She wants Dr. Tamara to like her, and to impress her Beth starts dressing up for their sessions. The reader can see she is becoming obsessed and feels concerned as Beth continues to be out of sorts. She’s confused and doesn’t understand why she feels so strongly for Dr. Tamara. She had gone there for help, to solve her problems and all it has done is create more messy, unfulfilling ones.
The scenes between Beth and Dr. Tamara are drenched in sexual tension. They play off each other well. Briscoe teases the possibilities, the foreplay between the two leaving the reader gripped to every page: Will they? Won’t they? It builds and builds to a point you find yourself shouting “Just kiss already!” It’s addictive to read as you soon discover how unreliable Dr. Tamara is for a therapist. There is a constant switch in behaviour as one moment she is throwing herself at Beth and then in an instant she is distanced and doesn’t contact her for days. It drives Beth and the reader mad as she jumps from hot to cold in quick succession.
I didn’t really know who the real Dr. Tamara was in the end. It left me questioning if she was using Beth because she was bored with life, or did she really love her? It kept me on my toes. At a first glance I thought Dr. Tamara would be a no-nonsense professional psychiatrist helping Beth come to terms with the departure of her mother, and possibly addressing the little crush situation. Nope! Wrong! I did not see what actually took place coming, it caught me off guard and made for titillating reading.
Briscoe’s writing is a beauty to read. She paints rich, vibrant and captivating imagery. I could hear the ducks on the canal and the slow movement of the ripples as I sat by Camden Lock watching the world go by. One of the many reasons that Beth enjoys painting landscapes is because they come with a history, a story. Whenever I read a scene where Beth was painting outside and taking in all the nature, I immediately felt relaxed. As the story unfolds Sol starts to notice that Beth’s paintings are becoming darker. I loved this little detail. Beth’s mood affects her art and she also enjoys a layering brushwork technique which plays well with her character as she starts to lie, building layer after layer of distrust in her family. The canal and art had a life of their own in this book, it was gorgeous to read. Briscoe has captured it superbly.
I give The Seduction By Joanna Briscoe a Four out of Five paw rating.
This book is throbbing with intense, pent-up sexual tension that will leave you yearning for more. You will find yourself biting your lip in anticipation for those forbidden moments of desire that are desperate to be unleashed and satisfied, again and again and again.
January 17, 2023
Poignant
March 4, 2024
Such a slow and boring read. I kept hoping it would get better as it went on but sadly not.
October 15, 2024
It was an okay read. The ending was slightly disappointing. The description on the cover doesn't match the contents. Not as thrilling as you'd aspect. The writing style wasn't my favourite.
June 15, 2020
**Includes outline of story and what happens**
We follow our protagonist Beth; wife, mother and artist. She lives by Camden lock with husband Sol and daughter Fern who has just turned 13.
Plagued by guilt, anger and flashbacks of her mother, who left Beth and her father when Beth was 13 herself, she is already in a distressed state when we meet her. Worried that her own childhood experiences will damage her relationship with Fern, Beth has become over protective and an over thinker when it comes to her daughter. Talking to her husband Sol doesn’t help much, as he seems to just brush aside all concerns and suggests Beth see a therapist about her feelings in general.
Enter Dr Tamara Bywater. At first she seems competent and professional, soon spotting and discussing the topic of transference that is clearly taking place between client and patient from the very start.
Beth, unhappy in so many ways feels an attraction to Dr Bywater and soon believes she needs her in all situations of her life to tell her the right thing to do. Thinking of her constantly she imagines she sees her by the tube, by work and the canal.
We soon see things start to move quickly in a different direction as Tamara admits to feelings for Beth and they decide to meet as friends outside the therapy rooms. Something that is highly irregular and could get her struck off. As Beth becomes more and more intoxicated by Tamara, lying to husband who by now has started to ‘take notes!’ on Beth’s behaviour, we see this new and passionate affair turn into something controlling and possible dangerous.
It’s hard to say any of the characters were likeable but that doesn’t make them characters that aren’t readable. Sol and his increasing distance, Fern and her behaviour, Beth utterly lost and Tamara controlling, teasing manner. Pulling Beth in, pushing her away and using all her powers on so many levels, playing Beth like some kind of puppet as she slides, like a drugged animal into Tamara’s seductive impulses.
Having never read this author before, it did take me a while to get use to her style of writing, particularly when it came to dialogue but her descriptive writing is memorising, with the heat and intoxication between them oozing from the page. The author uses the canal and Beth’s art to great affect in showing the reading her changing behaviour, and the tension, darkness and light within Beth and Tamara’s relationship is hypnotic. Both the sexual tension between them and the tension within the story line is deliciously dark.
I found this a real page turner, yet very unique read.
We follow our protagonist Beth; wife, mother and artist. She lives by Camden lock with husband Sol and daughter Fern who has just turned 13.
Plagued by guilt, anger and flashbacks of her mother, who left Beth and her father when Beth was 13 herself, she is already in a distressed state when we meet her. Worried that her own childhood experiences will damage her relationship with Fern, Beth has become over protective and an over thinker when it comes to her daughter. Talking to her husband Sol doesn’t help much, as he seems to just brush aside all concerns and suggests Beth see a therapist about her feelings in general.
Enter Dr Tamara Bywater. At first she seems competent and professional, soon spotting and discussing the topic of transference that is clearly taking place between client and patient from the very start.
Beth, unhappy in so many ways feels an attraction to Dr Bywater and soon believes she needs her in all situations of her life to tell her the right thing to do. Thinking of her constantly she imagines she sees her by the tube, by work and the canal.
We soon see things start to move quickly in a different direction as Tamara admits to feelings for Beth and they decide to meet as friends outside the therapy rooms. Something that is highly irregular and could get her struck off. As Beth becomes more and more intoxicated by Tamara, lying to husband who by now has started to ‘take notes!’ on Beth’s behaviour, we see this new and passionate affair turn into something controlling and possible dangerous.
It’s hard to say any of the characters were likeable but that doesn’t make them characters that aren’t readable. Sol and his increasing distance, Fern and her behaviour, Beth utterly lost and Tamara controlling, teasing manner. Pulling Beth in, pushing her away and using all her powers on so many levels, playing Beth like some kind of puppet as she slides, like a drugged animal into Tamara’s seductive impulses.
Having never read this author before, it did take me a while to get use to her style of writing, particularly when it came to dialogue but her descriptive writing is memorising, with the heat and intoxication between them oozing from the page. The author uses the canal and Beth’s art to great affect in showing the reading her changing behaviour, and the tension, darkness and light within Beth and Tamara’s relationship is hypnotic. Both the sexual tension between them and the tension within the story line is deliciously dark.
I found this a real page turner, yet very unique read.
September 3, 2020
There was lots of potential for psychological drama here, but for me book fell rather flat. The story moved very slowly and often descended into navel gazing, being in need of impetus and momentum - something to keep the reader’s interest from wandering. The characters were neither appealing nor offensive and the book felt somewhat bland overall - sadly, I couldn’t summon up the enthusiasm to finish it.
These impressions were not helped by the ARC being full of split words (without hyphens) and many, many extraneous numbers and symbols, making it very difficult to judge the flow of the writing.
These impressions were not helped by the ARC being full of split words (without hyphens) and many, many extraneous numbers and symbols, making it very difficult to judge the flow of the writing.
November 29, 2020
This is a terrible story about unlikeable people with an ending that made me wonder why I wasted my time on The Seduction. Beth lives in London with her American partner Sol and their precautious daughter Fern. Beth's mother walked away from her nuclear family when Beth was a child and Beth retains the scar of abandonment into adulthood. Sol suggests Beth see a psychologist who clearly is wackadoodle as she seduces Beth into a lesbian affair. The writing style is hip, the characters annoying. I wanted to reach into the pages and slap Beth silly, her behavior was grating on my nerves. I was hoping for a redeeming conclusion. Nope.
February 12, 2022
I really liked the concept of this book - obsession with one's therapist & the unlikely happening, i.e. the therapist being obsessed with the protagonist too. But it was entirely unbelievable - there was no real building of their romantic connection, the dialogue in therapy sessions was *nothing like* a therapy appointment, and the sections where Beth spends time in Tamara's home were ridiculous. SUCH A PITY, please someone else write a romantic therapy novel.
August 18, 2020
I thought the premise of this book regarding ethics and boundaries between therapist and client sounded interesting, but sadly I couldn't get into it at all. I started a couple of times but found the writing flat and the characters dull and I had no interest in finding out what happened to them.
Thank you to netgalley and Bloomsbury publishing for an advance copy of this book
Thank you to netgalley and Bloomsbury publishing for an advance copy of this book
December 10, 2020
Clunky and slow moving. In theory it’s great, but I was disappointed by it in actuality.
January 1, 2021
Odd one, this. Can’t explain why but I hated it, maybe because it was boring or because Beth was so bewilderingly self centred. Either way, immediately forgotten.
September 14, 2021
The premise of this book was good but it was written so poorly. Completely lost my interest.
June 13, 2020
Having read some of Joanna Briscoe's other works I guessed I was in for an intense ride with The Seduction. I wasn't wrong. I might also have been a tiny bit seduced myself by that stunning cover.
Beth is an artist, living in a house overlooking Camden Lock with her husband, Sol, and thirteen year old daughter, Fern. The lock itself plays a part in the story as the rippling of the water, the passers-by (who may or may not be looking at Beth), and the dark and rather sinister feel of it as night falls, all add to a general feeling of unease.
Beth's own mother left when she was thirteen and it's left her with a multitude of issues. Now Fern has reached that age herself and Beth's own childhood trauma seems to trigger something in her to the extent that Sol suggests Beth should seek help from a therapist. Enter Dr Tamara Bywater, a woman who seems to be one thing and then another, all the while beguiling Beth who is clearly at her most vulnerable at this difficult time.
The book is peppered with unlikeable characters. I can't think of a single one that I could take to. But I was utterly entranced by them all, reading on as their actions hurtled them recklessly towards self-destruction. I could empathise with Beth though, a woman who had clearly not dealt with the demons of her past. The last thing she needed was someone like Tamara, a dangerous and multi-layered character who should be there to help Beth. Their relationship had me fascinated, hardly wanting to take my eyes off the page. The characters have so much emotional baggage to unpack that I was practically getting the popcorn out and settling back to watch it all unravel.
I know that some of the author's other works have been made into TV dramas. The Seduction would definitely make a great adaptation. I found myself reading bits out loud, mostly Beth's dialogue for some reason. I think I was absorbed by her reactions to Tamara.
Briscoe has an unique writing style with a fairly stark tone that I really don't think I appreciated as a younger reader. Now I find myself delving more into the meanings, the ulterior motives, the nuances, looking to understand the characters' actions and thoughts, and wondering how I would behave in the same circumstances.
I found The Seduction to be quite the page turner with the issue of trust, and the abuse of that trust, at its heart. I enjoyed it very much.
Beth is an artist, living in a house overlooking Camden Lock with her husband, Sol, and thirteen year old daughter, Fern. The lock itself plays a part in the story as the rippling of the water, the passers-by (who may or may not be looking at Beth), and the dark and rather sinister feel of it as night falls, all add to a general feeling of unease.
Beth's own mother left when she was thirteen and it's left her with a multitude of issues. Now Fern has reached that age herself and Beth's own childhood trauma seems to trigger something in her to the extent that Sol suggests Beth should seek help from a therapist. Enter Dr Tamara Bywater, a woman who seems to be one thing and then another, all the while beguiling Beth who is clearly at her most vulnerable at this difficult time.
The book is peppered with unlikeable characters. I can't think of a single one that I could take to. But I was utterly entranced by them all, reading on as their actions hurtled them recklessly towards self-destruction. I could empathise with Beth though, a woman who had clearly not dealt with the demons of her past. The last thing she needed was someone like Tamara, a dangerous and multi-layered character who should be there to help Beth. Their relationship had me fascinated, hardly wanting to take my eyes off the page. The characters have so much emotional baggage to unpack that I was practically getting the popcorn out and settling back to watch it all unravel.
I know that some of the author's other works have been made into TV dramas. The Seduction would definitely make a great adaptation. I found myself reading bits out loud, mostly Beth's dialogue for some reason. I think I was absorbed by her reactions to Tamara.
Briscoe has an unique writing style with a fairly stark tone that I really don't think I appreciated as a younger reader. Now I find myself delving more into the meanings, the ulterior motives, the nuances, looking to understand the characters' actions and thoughts, and wondering how I would behave in the same circumstances.
I found The Seduction to be quite the page turner with the issue of trust, and the abuse of that trust, at its heart. I enjoyed it very much.
November 26, 2020
𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 - 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝗝𝗼𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗲
"𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗳-𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀, 𝘂𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗱; 𝘀𝗼 𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀."
It is my first Joanna Briscoe, and I liked the overall plot of the book. Beth is a wife, a mother and an artist. Living in her dream house with her husband, Sol, and their teenage daughter, Fern; life appears happy and calm, but soon the cracks start to become visible. Beth is constantly haunted by the face of her mother, Lizzie, who left her when she was a child. Her obsession with her mother soon strained her relationship with her daughter, and so she agreed to go for therapy with Dr Tamara Bywater. The sessions soon become more personal, intrusive even, and a game of seduction begins to play from both ends.
As Beth’s feelings for Dr Tamara intensifies, she finds herself living for her therapy session. I could imagine her longing to meet Dr Bywater day and night. I liked the way Briscoe has written her so well. From her worrying nature to her relationship with her daughter, Briscoe has thoroughly explained why she is like that.
I especially liked to read the scenes between Beth and Dr Tamara. They play off each other well. Briscoe teases the possibilities, and a scene begins to develop in your mind that will keep you hooked to every page.
Overall the writing was beautiful, and the plot was gripping and interesting. The only complaint I have from the book is that it got real slow at some points, which made me drift away many times only to come back to the plot later. It took me a while to read this book, but I am happy I managed to finish it. If the plot was a bit faster, it was a five-star read for me.
This book is throbbing with intense sexual tension that will leave you yearning for more.
𝗠𝘆 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 - 𝟯.𝟱/𝟱
"𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗳-𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀, 𝘂𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗱; 𝘀𝗼 𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀."
It is my first Joanna Briscoe, and I liked the overall plot of the book. Beth is a wife, a mother and an artist. Living in her dream house with her husband, Sol, and their teenage daughter, Fern; life appears happy and calm, but soon the cracks start to become visible. Beth is constantly haunted by the face of her mother, Lizzie, who left her when she was a child. Her obsession with her mother soon strained her relationship with her daughter, and so she agreed to go for therapy with Dr Tamara Bywater. The sessions soon become more personal, intrusive even, and a game of seduction begins to play from both ends.
As Beth’s feelings for Dr Tamara intensifies, she finds herself living for her therapy session. I could imagine her longing to meet Dr Bywater day and night. I liked the way Briscoe has written her so well. From her worrying nature to her relationship with her daughter, Briscoe has thoroughly explained why she is like that.
I especially liked to read the scenes between Beth and Dr Tamara. They play off each other well. Briscoe teases the possibilities, and a scene begins to develop in your mind that will keep you hooked to every page.
Overall the writing was beautiful, and the plot was gripping and interesting. The only complaint I have from the book is that it got real slow at some points, which made me drift away many times only to come back to the plot later. It took me a while to read this book, but I am happy I managed to finish it. If the plot was a bit faster, it was a five-star read for me.
This book is throbbing with intense sexual tension that will leave you yearning for more.
𝗠𝘆 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 - 𝟯.𝟱/𝟱
September 10, 2020
The Seduction is the first book I have read by Joanna Briscoe so was very interested to read the book and also discover Joanna Briscoe's style of writing.
The book focuses around the extremely intriguing Beth who is an artist, living in London with her husband Sol and teenage daughter Fern. Beth and Fern's relationship is very complex and is extremely strained. due to her own family issues when she was a child, her husband suggests that therapy may help the relationship between them. In comes, Dr Tamara Bywater, a clinical psychologist. Alongside the professional relationship, feelings and an obsession develop between therapist and client - every boundary that could be crossed was crossed. Whereas the whole idea of going to see a therapist was to help Beth and Fern, it actually turns out that the damage caused is much worse and causes so much more destruction than you can ever imagine.
Very cleverly written with a strong storyline, the characters have so much depth and are interwoven together very well. The dynamics and emotions between mother and daughter were skilfully portrayed. The issue of trust and mistrust were a core theme throughout the book - trust your instincts, your intuition and your gut - you know what is best for you and your family.
The Seduction is a book which is very hard to put down because you are always left wanting to know what happens next. I found it a haunting read which definitely makes you think! It is a complete page turner, a book full of tension, twists and turns and one which I highly recommend and just like Sleep With Me, I would love to see The Seduction adapted for TV!
The book focuses around the extremely intriguing Beth who is an artist, living in London with her husband Sol and teenage daughter Fern. Beth and Fern's relationship is very complex and is extremely strained. due to her own family issues when she was a child, her husband suggests that therapy may help the relationship between them. In comes, Dr Tamara Bywater, a clinical psychologist. Alongside the professional relationship, feelings and an obsession develop between therapist and client - every boundary that could be crossed was crossed. Whereas the whole idea of going to see a therapist was to help Beth and Fern, it actually turns out that the damage caused is much worse and causes so much more destruction than you can ever imagine.
Very cleverly written with a strong storyline, the characters have so much depth and are interwoven together very well. The dynamics and emotions between mother and daughter were skilfully portrayed. The issue of trust and mistrust were a core theme throughout the book - trust your instincts, your intuition and your gut - you know what is best for you and your family.
The Seduction is a book which is very hard to put down because you are always left wanting to know what happens next. I found it a haunting read which definitely makes you think! It is a complete page turner, a book full of tension, twists and turns and one which I highly recommend and just like Sleep With Me, I would love to see The Seduction adapted for TV!
August 5, 2020
The Seduction by @joanna_briscoe . Published by @bloomsburypublishing 💋💋
Firstly prior to this bookI hadn’t read anything by Joanna Briscoe before - I certainly wasn’t disappointed.
💋💋
Beth is an artist who is happily married to Sol and they have a teenage daughter.
Sadly Beths teenage year where marred by her mother abandoning her and the family in the middle of the night while Beth was 13 - which is quite a crucial stage in a teenage girls life.
💋💋
She does try to deal with her ongoing issues in relation to this herself but sadly with no real success.
💋💋
Her relationship with her own daughter is becoming strained and being tested. Could it be that subconsciously that what occurred to her is having an effect on their relationship.
💋💋
Sol encourages Beth to seek help/support from an outside professional- Dr Tamara Bywater.
💋💋
Dr Bywater has a very unorthodox approach to therapy- some of which are not always conventional nor approved off by her colleagues.
💋💋
As Beth participates in more sessions some doubts about Dr Bywater start to creep in. 💋💋
Is it Dr Bywaters intention to continue to support Beth purely on a professional level or is there something far more personal to it.
💋💋
Is Tamara exploiting Beths vulnerability or is she genuinely trying to be a support for her.
💋💋
Could it be that the good Dr is trying to seduce Beth. 💋💋
It all gets rather messy and at times rather muddy.
💋💋
I found the writing style flows well and the characters are really quite strong. You get the sense that Dr Tamara is quite and very strong/ dominating individual.
Firstly prior to this bookI hadn’t read anything by Joanna Briscoe before - I certainly wasn’t disappointed.
💋💋
Beth is an artist who is happily married to Sol and they have a teenage daughter.
Sadly Beths teenage year where marred by her mother abandoning her and the family in the middle of the night while Beth was 13 - which is quite a crucial stage in a teenage girls life.
💋💋
She does try to deal with her ongoing issues in relation to this herself but sadly with no real success.
💋💋
Her relationship with her own daughter is becoming strained and being tested. Could it be that subconsciously that what occurred to her is having an effect on their relationship.
💋💋
Sol encourages Beth to seek help/support from an outside professional- Dr Tamara Bywater.
💋💋
Dr Bywater has a very unorthodox approach to therapy- some of which are not always conventional nor approved off by her colleagues.
💋💋
As Beth participates in more sessions some doubts about Dr Bywater start to creep in. 💋💋
Is it Dr Bywaters intention to continue to support Beth purely on a professional level or is there something far more personal to it.
💋💋
Is Tamara exploiting Beths vulnerability or is she genuinely trying to be a support for her.
💋💋
Could it be that the good Dr is trying to seduce Beth. 💋💋
It all gets rather messy and at times rather muddy.
💋💋
I found the writing style flows well and the characters are really quite strong. You get the sense that Dr Tamara is quite and very strong/ dominating individual.
August 8, 2021
The inner monolgoue in The Seduction begins very.... well, seductively. It looks like she's going to have an affair with an ex, but the whole set-up is wonky somehow, it doesn't seem plausible that this spunky, highly driven woman would do that, so it's a relief when she doesn't, but then it goes right off on one about the psychiatrist/counsellor. I don't buy the build-up, I didn't feel it was really happening somehow. It never would happen, would it? The older woman, she's not got the hard-edged craziness she'd need to carry off the role. Her motivation isn't clear, and the people around them are not interesting enough in their own rights, especially Fern, a massive missed opportunity there as she could have been an interesting character with an important role to play but she's just sacrificed to the bigger narrative, the notion that Beth, the hero/antihero, lost her mother when she was 13 - and that that event justified the claustrophobic relationship she develops with Fern age 13. I found that annoying, but I guess one of the things you want an author to do is be provocative and get under your skin and Joanna Briscoe certainly ticks those boxes, but with this particular book it felt like listening to a piano piece for four hands and you were only hearing two hands in The Seduction, so it left me in a strange and liminal place.
August 25, 2020
As a trainee counsellor I was disturbed by this book. Beth is an artist who is haunted by her mother's absence. Her mother abandoned the family home when Beth was thirteen and it marked her for life. Now Beth's daughter Fern is turning thirteen. Her loving husband Sol encourages her to talk to a therapist. Beth is supposed to receive cognitive behavioural therapy with Tamara Bywater. Instead, Tamara throws out the rulebook. She draws Beth into talking about childhood trauma and the state of her marriage. At furst we are not sure if Beth's experience of Tamara is all in her head. At the same time, Beth's relationship with her daughter begins to break down very fast and she begins to rely on Tamara too much.
The story goes down the rabbit hole and Beth and Tamara are drawn closer together while her family life falls apart. The story is interspersed with distressing flashbacks from Beth's past. I read, aghast, at the speed life can fall apart. Lurking in the background throughout the book is Beth's mother and a devastating betrayal. This is a dazzlingly well written and pretty scary. I read most of it in one sitting.
The story goes down the rabbit hole and Beth and Tamara are drawn closer together while her family life falls apart. The story is interspersed with distressing flashbacks from Beth's past. I read, aghast, at the speed life can fall apart. Lurking in the background throughout the book is Beth's mother and a devastating betrayal. This is a dazzlingly well written and pretty scary. I read most of it in one sitting.
July 14, 2021
The Seduction by Joanna Briscoe is set on Camden Lock, London and revolves around Beth, her husband Sol and twelve year old Fern, their daughter.
Happily married and a successful artist, Beth seems to have it together but we soon learn she is haunted by the fact her mother Lizzie left her and her father when she was a child. Worried her childhood experiences will affect her relationship with her daughter, Sol suggests she seeks help from a therapist.
Dr Tamara Bywater initially comes across as quite professional but it’s not long before we see feelings and obsession developing, crossing all boundaries that could get Tamara struck off as this affair turns into something murky.
There was a lot of potential for this book and although it was well written, with some dark and compelling elements, I found it fell quite flat. The pace of the story is extremely slow and I also had a hard time connecting with the characters which didn’t help matters. Overall this book really wasn’t for me, but that won’t deter me from reading further works by this author.
Happily married and a successful artist, Beth seems to have it together but we soon learn she is haunted by the fact her mother Lizzie left her and her father when she was a child. Worried her childhood experiences will affect her relationship with her daughter, Sol suggests she seeks help from a therapist.
Dr Tamara Bywater initially comes across as quite professional but it’s not long before we see feelings and obsession developing, crossing all boundaries that could get Tamara struck off as this affair turns into something murky.
There was a lot of potential for this book and although it was well written, with some dark and compelling elements, I found it fell quite flat. The pace of the story is extremely slow and I also had a hard time connecting with the characters which didn’t help matters. Overall this book really wasn’t for me, but that won’t deter me from reading further works by this author.
November 16, 2021
2.5/5
Beth and Sol live in London with their daughter Fern. Beth is an artist and she's been getting calls from an unknown number. Her daughter Fern keeps acting stranger around her and hides what's on her phone. Sol convinces Beth to go to therapy so as to deal with her demons but why does Dr. Tamara Bywater, the therapist, intrigues Beth so much? Who is she, after all?
A psychological thriller set in London, The Seduction by Joanna Briscoe will wrap the reader in the arms of its plot. An intriguing premise tends to give the book a whiff of mystery to it. Unfortunately, the mystery isn't quite in the direction that the reader anticipates. There's a line between not being able to guess the suspense and being borderline disappointed from it and thats where this title sits for me. The plot tends to get you all worked up but alas! the reader is let down. The theme of the story has quite a lot of potential to it and upto half of the book, I was fairly certain it was going to be a good one. Sure, the prose and the writing style are quite absorbing but it simply didn't work for me. It was an upslope which drastically went down because of how the latter portion of the story was built. This was my first Joanna Briscoe title but I'm sad to say that it didn't leave a mark in any ways.
Beth and Sol live in London with their daughter Fern. Beth is an artist and she's been getting calls from an unknown number. Her daughter Fern keeps acting stranger around her and hides what's on her phone. Sol convinces Beth to go to therapy so as to deal with her demons but why does Dr. Tamara Bywater, the therapist, intrigues Beth so much? Who is she, after all?
A psychological thriller set in London, The Seduction by Joanna Briscoe will wrap the reader in the arms of its plot. An intriguing premise tends to give the book a whiff of mystery to it. Unfortunately, the mystery isn't quite in the direction that the reader anticipates. There's a line between not being able to guess the suspense and being borderline disappointed from it and thats where this title sits for me. The plot tends to get you all worked up but alas! the reader is let down. The theme of the story has quite a lot of potential to it and upto half of the book, I was fairly certain it was going to be a good one. Sure, the prose and the writing style are quite absorbing but it simply didn't work for me. It was an upslope which drastically went down because of how the latter portion of the story was built. This was my first Joanna Briscoe title but I'm sad to say that it didn't leave a mark in any ways.
February 11, 2022
The premise of the book was interesting. Several strands: mother/daughter dysfunctional relationships, therapist/ client and where the boundaries lie and husband/wife struggles as children grow and the hum drum of real life takes the shine off the romance. I can’t say I found any of the characters very likeable other than the husband Sol. Beth is a successful artist who seems to find everyday mundanity cloying. She starts seeing a therapist ( who doesn’t seem to have understood the ethics regarding client/therapist relationships. Beth is also struggling with feelings of abandonment as her mother left her when she was a child.
The book was well written but I felt it lost it’s way in the last third. I kept thinking ‘ please do something, come to a conclusion’. I even thought of just reading the last few pages and I’ve never done that before. I preserved and read to the end but I was disappointed.
The book was well written but I felt it lost it’s way in the last third. I kept thinking ‘ please do something, come to a conclusion’. I even thought of just reading the last few pages and I’ve never done that before. I preserved and read to the end but I was disappointed.
June 9, 2020
Thanks to netgalley i was offered a tease of this book. Thank you!
I loved the cover and never having read this author was excited to be given the opportunity to review.
Unfortunately, unlike the previous reviews i was unable to connect with the story. I found it very disjointed and scatty. I believe this is due to fact i was reading a 'sampler'.
I am still intrigued to discover where the story will go and i did enjoy the tone and style of the author.
I think it only fair to await the full title before I decide if this is a good book or not!
I loved the cover and never having read this author was excited to be given the opportunity to review.
Unfortunately, unlike the previous reviews i was unable to connect with the story. I found it very disjointed and scatty. I believe this is due to fact i was reading a 'sampler'.
I am still intrigued to discover where the story will go and i did enjoy the tone and style of the author.
I think it only fair to await the full title before I decide if this is a good book or not!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews