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The Parents
The other parents all seem so perfect. But it’s not long before I realise: I should have never made friends with them…
I knew it wouldn’t be easy for my kids to adjust when we moved to a tiny village where they didn’t know a soul. But after the death of my husband, we needed a fresh start.
Suddenly, we’re outsiders. I know the only way we’ll be accepted is if I throw myself into my new life, so when my son joins a local club, I volunteer to help along with the other parents.
Before moving here, I didn’t know people like this really existed; their lives seem too perfect to be real. Although my own life couldn’t be more different, they welcome me into the fold. For the first time since my husband died, I feel like I made the right decision for my family…
That is until I overhear something that tells me these other parents aren’t as perfect as they seem. Something that turns my world upside down again.
My secret has already ruined my life once. I thought the truth had died with my husband… I should have known that it wouldn’t be buried for long.
A completely addictive page-turner about the secrets and lies hiding beneath seemingly perfect lives. Fans of Big Little Lies, Lisa Jewell and Louise Candlish will be absolutely hooked by this pacey read with a jaw-dropping twist you just won’t see coming.
I knew it wouldn’t be easy for my kids to adjust when we moved to a tiny village where they didn’t know a soul. But after the death of my husband, we needed a fresh start.
Suddenly, we’re outsiders. I know the only way we’ll be accepted is if I throw myself into my new life, so when my son joins a local club, I volunteer to help along with the other parents.
Before moving here, I didn’t know people like this really existed; their lives seem too perfect to be real. Although my own life couldn’t be more different, they welcome me into the fold. For the first time since my husband died, I feel like I made the right decision for my family…
That is until I overhear something that tells me these other parents aren’t as perfect as they seem. Something that turns my world upside down again.
My secret has already ruined my life once. I thought the truth had died with my husband… I should have known that it wouldn’t be buried for long.
A completely addictive page-turner about the secrets and lies hiding beneath seemingly perfect lives. Fans of Big Little Lies, Lisa Jewell and Louise Candlish will be absolutely hooked by this pacey read with a jaw-dropping twist you just won’t see coming.
270 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 25, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
August 28, 2021
Well, it all happens with the parents of the Under 14’s football squad at Tenderton Tigers in Kent with an abundance of testosterone on display as various parents jostle to manage the team instead of Neil Forth. Pushy ambitious parents who give no quarter, there are rows, drunken debacles and worse. Patti Taylor’s son Ethan plays for the team and she tells her story warts and all and as she’s lived in the village for some years she gives us quite a lot of the low down on its residents. Then there’s Alex, recently widowed and returned from the USA, mightily strapped for cash and living in Primrose Cottage thanks to her generous brother in law. Her son Harry also starts playing for the team ... Alex tells her story.
The book starts well with Patti’s narrative offering some dark humour, the writing is lively and engaging with insight into shenanigans in Tenderton. Things take a toxic turn when a vlogger begins to reveal some very unsavoury information which provokes a lot of tension within the village, trust is lost and the atmosphere descends into frequent malice. The Kent village setting is a good one with the events set against a good backdrop of seventeenth century witchcraft and the surrounding area adds to this especially the woods. Alex’s story emerges a bit at a time with puzzling revelations and her storyline is a good one. So far so good and it is good until about the half way point and then it starts to get messy. The pacing becomes uneven which is ok, it doesn’t have to be rip roaringly fast the whole time but what starts to happen is too much is thrown into the plot. How likely is it that so many parents would harbour such dark secrets???? There’s so much going on my head starts to spin and I’m sorry to say it fizzles out at the end ... with so much early promise I’m not expecting a whimper! There are a lot of characters to get your head around and some feel a bit stereotypical. Patti’s seemingly constant use of ‘babs’ at the end of every sentence and a lot of ‘mates’ from the blokes gets on my nerves!!!
Overall, I’m disappointed as I’ve read the author before and liked her books and this started so very well. I loved it until half way and then it gets overloaded.
P.S. There are quite a few scenes where the team play a game, this may not suit all but as I’m a footie fan I do enjoy these sections!!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Bookouture for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
The book starts well with Patti’s narrative offering some dark humour, the writing is lively and engaging with insight into shenanigans in Tenderton. Things take a toxic turn when a vlogger begins to reveal some very unsavoury information which provokes a lot of tension within the village, trust is lost and the atmosphere descends into frequent malice. The Kent village setting is a good one with the events set against a good backdrop of seventeenth century witchcraft and the surrounding area adds to this especially the woods. Alex’s story emerges a bit at a time with puzzling revelations and her storyline is a good one. So far so good and it is good until about the half way point and then it starts to get messy. The pacing becomes uneven which is ok, it doesn’t have to be rip roaringly fast the whole time but what starts to happen is too much is thrown into the plot. How likely is it that so many parents would harbour such dark secrets???? There’s so much going on my head starts to spin and I’m sorry to say it fizzles out at the end ... with so much early promise I’m not expecting a whimper! There are a lot of characters to get your head around and some feel a bit stereotypical. Patti’s seemingly constant use of ‘babs’ at the end of every sentence and a lot of ‘mates’ from the blokes gets on my nerves!!!
Overall, I’m disappointed as I’ve read the author before and liked her books and this started so very well. I loved it until half way and then it gets overloaded.
P.S. There are quite a few scenes where the team play a game, this may not suit all but as I’m a footie fan I do enjoy these sections!!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Bookouture for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
September 29, 2021
EXCERPT: ALEX: Mist had begun to gather all along the edge of the woods - the Whispering Woods - as day slipped into night. When I'd arrived, I'd parked the Land Rover beside other cars, but now it stood alone near the looming trees, which looked like they were floating behind the carpark as tendrils of mist crept through them like smoky fingers.
There was something nameless but intensely intimidating in the air; something about the height and thickness of the trees, the twisted trunks just visible as I hurried to the car; something ancient and mythical and utterly uninviting. The surface of the dark pool by the gates was also seething with mist now, and the strange bottles stacked along the wall no longer glinted, the weak autumn sun having given up for the day.
ABOUT 'THE PARENTS': Moving to this village was supposed to be a fresh start for me and my thirteen-year-old son Harry. After the tragic death of my husband, it was a chance to leave everything bad behind and make better memories at Primrose Cottage, the postcard-perfect house with honeysuckle around the door.
However, things haven’t exactly been easy since we arrived, and after what we’ve been though, I’m scared of letting anyone new into our lives.
But when one of the local dads asks Harry to join the weekend sports club, I find myself saying yes. The smile on my son’s face gives me hope that I might have made the right decision in uprooting our lives.
All the other parents seem so kind in welcoming me into the fold. At least, they are to begin with… Until someone begins anonymously exposing secrets about everyone in the group.
As betrayals surface and the claws come out, I see how imperfect these people really are; and how far they’ll go to hide the truth. Then when one of the parents ends up dead at the end of a party, I realise that it’s not just lies and scandal they’re covering up.
Too late, I realise that I should have stayed away…
MY THOUGHTS: I should have stayed away too.
At 47%, when I found myself thinking that I would rather go get a tooth pulled, I closed the covers for the final time.
This author can write; there's no disputing that, and had she continued in the vein of the extract above, I would still be avidly flipping pages. Instead we get cardboard cutout characters with absolutely no depth, who fancy themselves as WAGS, and a bunch of wannabe footballers pushing their failed aspirations down the throats of the under 14 team.
Mystery? Who's behind the 'revealing' video clips that are tearing apart the lives of the footballers enclave? Don't care. Mysterious death? Hasn't happened yet, and I am not interested enough to wait around for it.
And I never want to hear the term 'babs' again - unless it's an abbreviation of Barbara. What is it, anyway? 'Babe' I can understand, but 'babs'?
Sorry, but The Parents gets a resounding thumbs down from me.
The Parents by Claire Seeber may well be a book that you enjoy, so please check out a selection of the more positive reviews if you are considering reading it.
⭐.5
#TheParents #NetGalley
I: @claireseeberauthor @bookouture
T: @claireseeber @Bookouture
#contemporaryfiction #domesticdrama #mystery
THE AUTHOR: After a stab at being a (bad) actress, best-selling author Claire directed factual TV for years, before writing the first of eight psychological thrillers, including the chart-topping Never Tell and The Stepmother. In 2012, she was nominated for a CWA Dagger for He Does Not Always See Her. She also writes for stage and screen, features for newspapers such as The Guardian & The Independent and is a qualified Gestalt therapist, when she’s not writing or herding feral kids (hers) or animals.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Parents by Claire Seeber for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
There was something nameless but intensely intimidating in the air; something about the height and thickness of the trees, the twisted trunks just visible as I hurried to the car; something ancient and mythical and utterly uninviting. The surface of the dark pool by the gates was also seething with mist now, and the strange bottles stacked along the wall no longer glinted, the weak autumn sun having given up for the day.
ABOUT 'THE PARENTS': Moving to this village was supposed to be a fresh start for me and my thirteen-year-old son Harry. After the tragic death of my husband, it was a chance to leave everything bad behind and make better memories at Primrose Cottage, the postcard-perfect house with honeysuckle around the door.
However, things haven’t exactly been easy since we arrived, and after what we’ve been though, I’m scared of letting anyone new into our lives.
But when one of the local dads asks Harry to join the weekend sports club, I find myself saying yes. The smile on my son’s face gives me hope that I might have made the right decision in uprooting our lives.
All the other parents seem so kind in welcoming me into the fold. At least, they are to begin with… Until someone begins anonymously exposing secrets about everyone in the group.
As betrayals surface and the claws come out, I see how imperfect these people really are; and how far they’ll go to hide the truth. Then when one of the parents ends up dead at the end of a party, I realise that it’s not just lies and scandal they’re covering up.
Too late, I realise that I should have stayed away…
MY THOUGHTS: I should have stayed away too.
At 47%, when I found myself thinking that I would rather go get a tooth pulled, I closed the covers for the final time.
This author can write; there's no disputing that, and had she continued in the vein of the extract above, I would still be avidly flipping pages. Instead we get cardboard cutout characters with absolutely no depth, who fancy themselves as WAGS, and a bunch of wannabe footballers pushing their failed aspirations down the throats of the under 14 team.
Mystery? Who's behind the 'revealing' video clips that are tearing apart the lives of the footballers enclave? Don't care. Mysterious death? Hasn't happened yet, and I am not interested enough to wait around for it.
And I never want to hear the term 'babs' again - unless it's an abbreviation of Barbara. What is it, anyway? 'Babe' I can understand, but 'babs'?
Sorry, but The Parents gets a resounding thumbs down from me.
The Parents by Claire Seeber may well be a book that you enjoy, so please check out a selection of the more positive reviews if you are considering reading it.
⭐.5
#TheParents #NetGalley
I: @claireseeberauthor @bookouture
T: @claireseeber @Bookouture
#contemporaryfiction #domesticdrama #mystery
THE AUTHOR: After a stab at being a (bad) actress, best-selling author Claire directed factual TV for years, before writing the first of eight psychological thrillers, including the chart-topping Never Tell and The Stepmother. In 2012, she was nominated for a CWA Dagger for He Does Not Always See Her. She also writes for stage and screen, features for newspapers such as The Guardian & The Independent and is a qualified Gestalt therapist, when she’s not writing or herding feral kids (hers) or animals.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Parents by Claire Seeber for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
November 23, 2021
The Parents by Claire Seeber is one of those books with a tagline that didn’t quite match up to what I found inside. This one is called an unputdownable, gripping domestic psychological thriller and I thought it more a drama with a touch of mystery. The story is one that is told by changing the point of view between the characters.
After losing her husband Alex decides to make the move from America back to England with her two children, Harry and Iris. The family moves to a quaint village into Primrose Cottage where Harry takes up playing soccer. Soon after this family dealing with their own tragic loss become involved in their new town someone begins leaking secrets of all those around them.
Claire Seeber was not a new author to me having read two previous books by her so I was fully expecting to go into this one and find myself completely engaged and loving the story. However, I actually ended up finding just the opposite of that when I couldn’t quite connect to the story or the characters. I normally love some drama and unearthing secrets and lies but somehow that wasn’t the case here and the mystery didn’t really seem compelling among the rest. Something just seemed off with this one to me but I’d still pick up another from the author in the future.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
After losing her husband Alex decides to make the move from America back to England with her two children, Harry and Iris. The family moves to a quaint village into Primrose Cottage where Harry takes up playing soccer. Soon after this family dealing with their own tragic loss become involved in their new town someone begins leaking secrets of all those around them.
Claire Seeber was not a new author to me having read two previous books by her so I was fully expecting to go into this one and find myself completely engaged and loving the story. However, I actually ended up finding just the opposite of that when I couldn’t quite connect to the story or the characters. I normally love some drama and unearthing secrets and lies but somehow that wasn’t the case here and the mystery didn’t really seem compelling among the rest. Something just seemed off with this one to me but I’d still pick up another from the author in the future.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
dnf
October 27, 2021This is a Slow Moving Family Drama Psychological Thriller. This book reads like a young/new adult thriller. Also, I felt this book was always talking about football (soccer in America) and school. I just found this book not to go anywhere and it still had not pulled me into by the time a read over half of the book. I did end up DNFing this book around the 60%. I did not think the storyline was going anywhere and the characters really fall flat to me. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Bookouture) or author (Claire Seeber) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.
October 21, 2021
2.5 stars
The Parents by Claire Seeber is a mystery novel, but felt more like a soap opera to me.
First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
My Synopsis: (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
When Alex lost her husband, she left America behind, and moved back to England with her 13-year old son Harry, and her 15-year old daughter Iris. She moved into the small picture-perfect Primrose Cottage, within an equally picture-perfect village. Harry immediately makes friends on the soccer field, and her daughter joins a band. Alex, however, is struggling. Iris is barely talking to her, and the insurance money from her husband's death has still not arrived.
As well, not everything is perfect in this small village, especially for the soccer team and their families. Secrets are being exposed in a video blog that is changing the dynamics of the people involved. The soccer coach is the first to be humiliated, and then the actress. It just continues.
This picture-perfect village has a lot of secrets.
My Opinions:
First, any novel that starts with a list of all the players and their families does not instill confidence in me. If there are that many characters to keep track of and it isn't an epic fantasy or historical novel, I'm already put off.
Second, British authors shouldn't attempt to write about American things.... for example, I've never known a carport to have a garage door. As well, the recurring words "babs" and "lover" for friends just didn't sit well with me.
The book is about families, and secrets, and lies. Deception was abundant, and typical family squabbles were momentous.
The whole book read like a soap opera, with one family drama after the next. However, after about 75%, I found I was finally interested in what would happen next. Too late for real enjoyment though. There was a rather major twist, but I had an inkling early on, so it was no real surprise.
Overall, the writing was okay, but the book just missed the mark (well, mine anyway).
For a more complete review of this book and others (including the reason I chose to read/review this book, as well as author information), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
August 31, 2021
I have previously read '24 Hours' by author Claire Seeber and really enjoyed it so I was looking forward to her latest offering. This is an exciting read with some interesting characters and plenty of twists and turns.
Widower Alex, her children thirteen year old son Harry and daughter Iris have moved house to Primrose Cottage following the tragic death of her husband due to a hiking accident. They are hoping for a fresh start and better luck but it is not long before Alex is wondering if they have made the right decision to move. Everything starts off positive when Harry joins the local football team and Alex makes friends with the parents who come along to watch. But problems are not far away starting with someone anonymously exposing secrets about everyone in the group. Tensions rise and the real characters are exposed culminating with one of the parents being found dead at the end of a party.
This is a good read but not up to the standard of the other books I have read by this author. 3.5 star rating.
I would like to thank both Net Galley and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Widower Alex, her children thirteen year old son Harry and daughter Iris have moved house to Primrose Cottage following the tragic death of her husband due to a hiking accident. They are hoping for a fresh start and better luck but it is not long before Alex is wondering if they have made the right decision to move. Everything starts off positive when Harry joins the local football team and Alex makes friends with the parents who come along to watch. But problems are not far away starting with someone anonymously exposing secrets about everyone in the group. Tensions rise and the real characters are exposed culminating with one of the parents being found dead at the end of a party.
This is a good read but not up to the standard of the other books I have read by this author. 3.5 star rating.
I would like to thank both Net Galley and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
September 15, 2021
Meet Patti. She is the owner of a beauty salon, yet she is walking around the village collecting and spreading gossip all the time, wearing her pink fluffy coat. Her marriage is at it's end, yet it is HIS fault - of course. She is always there for her mates when the prosecco is chilled, but she gives them a cold shoulder when they are in trouble. And she believes in astrology.
Then meet Alex, an American transplant trying to cope with her husbands' passing and trying to make ends meet without him. Why did she move to the UK to start with? No idea. She is being bullied by Patti into "friendship" and she is actually glad for it.
Put these characters in a setting of junior football (or soccer in the States), where parents are at their worst and mix in a bizarre story of a vlogger trying to divulge all their dirty secrets. Then you have a pretty good idea what this book is about.
I am sure there are readers who will love parental gossip and backstabbing at the sideline of the football field, but this is just not for me.
A sincere thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author in exchange for an honest review.
Then meet Alex, an American transplant trying to cope with her husbands' passing and trying to make ends meet without him. Why did she move to the UK to start with? No idea. She is being bullied by Patti into "friendship" and she is actually glad for it.
Put these characters in a setting of junior football (or soccer in the States), where parents are at their worst and mix in a bizarre story of a vlogger trying to divulge all their dirty secrets. Then you have a pretty good idea what this book is about.
I am sure there are readers who will love parental gossip and backstabbing at the sideline of the football field, but this is just not for me.
A sincere thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author in exchange for an honest review.
October 13, 2021
Moving to the village was supposed to be a fresh start for me and my thirteen year old son Harry and daughter Iris. After the tragic death of my husband, it was a chance to leave everything bad behind and make better memories at Primrose Cottage, the postcard-perfect house with honeysuckle around the door. One of the local dads ask Harry to join the weekend sports club. All the other parents seem so kind in welcoming me into the fold. At least they are to begin with. Until someone begins anonymously exposing secrets about everyone in the group.
The story centres round a boys football team. Alex is still getting over the death of her husband. She makes a new friend in Patti, the local beauty salon owner. There's a lot going on in this book. There is a history of witchcraft and everyone seems to have secrets. It's also a bit far fetched in places. There's lots of characters to try and keep track of. The pace is slow throughout.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #ClaireSeeber for my ARC of #TheParents in exchange for an honest review.
The story centres round a boys football team. Alex is still getting over the death of her husband. She makes a new friend in Patti, the local beauty salon owner. There's a lot going on in this book. There is a history of witchcraft and everyone seems to have secrets. It's also a bit far fetched in places. There's lots of characters to try and keep track of. The pace is slow throughout.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #ClaireSeeber for my ARC of #TheParents in exchange for an honest review.
October 24, 2021
I admit that I was excited to read THE PARENTS as I'd come across Claire Seeber before and had enjoyed what I had read through samples of her books, though I'd read not an entire book by her before. And I still haven't. Unfortunately, I couldn't finish this book as I found it boorishly dull with the quintessential version of "Desperate Housewives" gossiping amongst themselves down to the testoserone levels on the football pitch between the deluge of alpha males present. Added to that was the history of the village steeped in heavily witchcraft complete with new moons in Virgo, or something I can't quite get my head around.
THE PARENTS is supposed to be a domestic thriller mystery novel with lashings of suspense but it felt more like a soap opera to me. And I'd rather sit down to an episode "Corrie" or have my tooth pulled than try and wade through the deluge of gossip mongers that Tenderton appears to be rife with. My goodness, Patti always seems to be supercharged, Neil constantly grumpy, Dez flashing his pearly whites at whatever female graces his presence whilst the rest of them seem to bitch it out amongst themselves. Alex, on the other hand, seems permanently perplexed and wondering what the hell she has gotten herself into.
But I digress...
The story begins with an intriguing prologue which offered promise that seemed to deflate once we rewound a couple of months leading up to what obviously inevitably took place.
And so we meet Alex, newly widowed and having moved back from America with her two children Iris (15) and Harry (13). Her introduction is that of her ancient Land Rover, bequeathed to her by her brother Gray who set her up in Primrose Cottage in Tenderton before rushing back off to Africa, which is precariously parked across Neil Borth's garage driveway thus making him irate and cranky trying to shift the immoveable bulk. Salon-owner Patti witnesses the debacle and upon being told the offending motor belongs to "her in the cottage", they venture up the path to knock on the door. Of course, Alex is intent on hiding away in the cottage but her affable son Harry answers the door and welcomes to irate Neil by presenting his mother who was trying her best to hide behind the curtains, out of sight. Sounds almost comical.
And thus was Alex's introduction to Tenderton.
Patti then invites her son Harry to football practice on Saturday. Of course, having grown up in America, the concept was lost on him and merely known as soccer. However, Harry goes along and soon makes friends with the other boys in the under-14s. The parents, on the other hand, are a different kettle of fish. The non-stop chatter of them all gave me a headache...no wonder Alex made her excuses to escape, despite Patti extracting a promise from her to attend her son Ethan's 13th birthday in a couple of days.
And then there was her daughter Iris, who had been on holiday at her paternal grandmother's place in Inverness in Scotland. Upon joining her mother and brother in Tenderton, Iris promptly wrapped herself in her duvet and remained in bed for several days, hissing at her mother to "go away" and "leave her alone". So while Iris refuses to talk to her, Harry seems to be settling in, but Alex is still struggling. The insurance money from her husband's tragic death still has not arrived, some ten months after the event, and she is struggling to make ends meet.
And then there is the village itself, steeped in seventeenth century witchcraft superstitions and old wives' tales (which is more accurately old men's tales told to keep their wives at home and in line more like). While on the surface it appears to be a perfect little village nestled in the Kent countryside, not everything is as it seems...particularly for the football team and their families. Alerted by a WhatsApp group message, secrets about the villagers are being exposed in a vlog that is changing the dynamics and the villagers themselves. First it's the football coach, then the model...and so it goes...
A picture-perfect village with a lot of secrets...who is next to be exposed?
THE PARENTS is rather aptly named since the entire book is about these squabbling, bed-hopping, irate parents who should know better than to behave worse than the children they are supposed to be parenting. The story is about families that all come with secrets and lies, with deception in ripe abundance. With all the squabbles, I felt like I was watching a soap opera with words with one family drama after another...I just couldn't stick around for anymore. By 30%, I had lost patience and didn't care one way or the other what happened or how the story ended up after such a promising prologue.
There are a lot of characters to keep a track of and it was difficult to keep them in place as to who was who at first. While Alex is still grieving for her husband Fraser, she seemed a bit...what's the word?...standoffish maybe. While the rest of the women appeared to be completely wacky, flaky or just unconventional. The men were all just trying to flex their muscles as to who should take over the managerial position of the footall club in the wake of the scandal surrounding Neil coming to light. It's the boys who are left in the shadows of their completely nutty parents.
Slow moving from the off, THE PARENTS is a tad far fetched in places though some of the historical aspects were interesting in how they disposed of women suspected of being witches in the seventeenth century. It seems there was no coming out of it alive for them. Ultimately, while the story centres around the U14s football, it felt more like a "Footballer's Wives" gathering while the men just flexed their proverbial muscles.
Honestly, this book was a complete fail for me. And to be honest, I'm surprised some of the other reviewers didn't give up sooner. I commend them for lasting 50% or 60%, while I could only just manage 30%. And what's with the term "babs"? I know it's short for Barbara, but it came out of Patti's mouth as some kind of affectionate term for just about everyone! At first I thought it was a typo that was missed during proof-reading...but it appeared again and again and again...
I can't say that would recommend this book but at the same time I won't write off Claire Seeber altogether either. Not every book is going to appeal to everyone. And not every author can wow us with a sensational story. I know Ms Seeber is a brilliant thriller writer and I look forward to immersing myself in something a little more exciting than another version of "Desperate Housewives" meets "Footballer's Wives".
I would like to thank #ClaireSeeber, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheParents in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
THE PARENTS is supposed to be a domestic thriller mystery novel with lashings of suspense but it felt more like a soap opera to me. And I'd rather sit down to an episode "Corrie" or have my tooth pulled than try and wade through the deluge of gossip mongers that Tenderton appears to be rife with. My goodness, Patti always seems to be supercharged, Neil constantly grumpy, Dez flashing his pearly whites at whatever female graces his presence whilst the rest of them seem to bitch it out amongst themselves. Alex, on the other hand, seems permanently perplexed and wondering what the hell she has gotten herself into.
But I digress...
The story begins with an intriguing prologue which offered promise that seemed to deflate once we rewound a couple of months leading up to what obviously inevitably took place.
And so we meet Alex, newly widowed and having moved back from America with her two children Iris (15) and Harry (13). Her introduction is that of her ancient Land Rover, bequeathed to her by her brother Gray who set her up in Primrose Cottage in Tenderton before rushing back off to Africa, which is precariously parked across Neil Borth's garage driveway thus making him irate and cranky trying to shift the immoveable bulk. Salon-owner Patti witnesses the debacle and upon being told the offending motor belongs to "her in the cottage", they venture up the path to knock on the door. Of course, Alex is intent on hiding away in the cottage but her affable son Harry answers the door and welcomes to irate Neil by presenting his mother who was trying her best to hide behind the curtains, out of sight. Sounds almost comical.
And thus was Alex's introduction to Tenderton.
Patti then invites her son Harry to football practice on Saturday. Of course, having grown up in America, the concept was lost on him and merely known as soccer. However, Harry goes along and soon makes friends with the other boys in the under-14s. The parents, on the other hand, are a different kettle of fish. The non-stop chatter of them all gave me a headache...no wonder Alex made her excuses to escape, despite Patti extracting a promise from her to attend her son Ethan's 13th birthday in a couple of days.
And then there was her daughter Iris, who had been on holiday at her paternal grandmother's place in Inverness in Scotland. Upon joining her mother and brother in Tenderton, Iris promptly wrapped herself in her duvet and remained in bed for several days, hissing at her mother to "go away" and "leave her alone". So while Iris refuses to talk to her, Harry seems to be settling in, but Alex is still struggling. The insurance money from her husband's tragic death still has not arrived, some ten months after the event, and she is struggling to make ends meet.
And then there is the village itself, steeped in seventeenth century witchcraft superstitions and old wives' tales (which is more accurately old men's tales told to keep their wives at home and in line more like). While on the surface it appears to be a perfect little village nestled in the Kent countryside, not everything is as it seems...particularly for the football team and their families. Alerted by a WhatsApp group message, secrets about the villagers are being exposed in a vlog that is changing the dynamics and the villagers themselves. First it's the football coach, then the model...and so it goes...
A picture-perfect village with a lot of secrets...who is next to be exposed?
THE PARENTS is rather aptly named since the entire book is about these squabbling, bed-hopping, irate parents who should know better than to behave worse than the children they are supposed to be parenting. The story is about families that all come with secrets and lies, with deception in ripe abundance. With all the squabbles, I felt like I was watching a soap opera with words with one family drama after another...I just couldn't stick around for anymore. By 30%, I had lost patience and didn't care one way or the other what happened or how the story ended up after such a promising prologue.
There are a lot of characters to keep a track of and it was difficult to keep them in place as to who was who at first. While Alex is still grieving for her husband Fraser, she seemed a bit...what's the word?...standoffish maybe. While the rest of the women appeared to be completely wacky, flaky or just unconventional. The men were all just trying to flex their muscles as to who should take over the managerial position of the footall club in the wake of the scandal surrounding Neil coming to light. It's the boys who are left in the shadows of their completely nutty parents.
Slow moving from the off, THE PARENTS is a tad far fetched in places though some of the historical aspects were interesting in how they disposed of women suspected of being witches in the seventeenth century. It seems there was no coming out of it alive for them. Ultimately, while the story centres around the U14s football, it felt more like a "Footballer's Wives" gathering while the men just flexed their proverbial muscles.
Honestly, this book was a complete fail for me. And to be honest, I'm surprised some of the other reviewers didn't give up sooner. I commend them for lasting 50% or 60%, while I could only just manage 30%. And what's with the term "babs"? I know it's short for Barbara, but it came out of Patti's mouth as some kind of affectionate term for just about everyone! At first I thought it was a typo that was missed during proof-reading...but it appeared again and again and again...
I can't say that would recommend this book but at the same time I won't write off Claire Seeber altogether either. Not every book is going to appeal to everyone. And not every author can wow us with a sensational story. I know Ms Seeber is a brilliant thriller writer and I look forward to immersing myself in something a little more exciting than another version of "Desperate Housewives" meets "Footballer's Wives".
I would like to thank #ClaireSeeber, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheParents in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
September 3, 2021
2.5 stars
thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Nearly DNF'd this one. I found the beginning to be very blah. I wasn't intrigued by the characters and I didn't learn enough about them to like them. The first 50 pages are good but then things are very juvenile. I found it lacked depth and suspense in the plot department, which disappoints me because it's labelled as a thriller. I think if I had learned more about Patti and Alex and there was stronger plot development, I would have been more interested in seeing how things unfold than what I was. The ending was a bit too much for me - over complicated and a little busy.
Perfect for the Gossip Girl or Big Little Lies fans out there.
thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Nearly DNF'd this one. I found the beginning to be very blah. I wasn't intrigued by the characters and I didn't learn enough about them to like them. The first 50 pages are good but then things are very juvenile. I found it lacked depth and suspense in the plot department, which disappoints me because it's labelled as a thriller. I think if I had learned more about Patti and Alex and there was stronger plot development, I would have been more interested in seeing how things unfold than what I was. The ending was a bit too much for me - over complicated and a little busy.
Perfect for the Gossip Girl or Big Little Lies fans out there.
October 1, 2021
I really hate when I don’t like a book. I think I’m pretty good at picking books based on the synopsis, but whoever wrote the synopsis for this book LIED!
Okay, they didn’t lie. The synopsis is all true…Alex and her two kids move to a new town after the death of her husband/their father. She soon finds that the group of parents she’s surrounded by are snobbish, petty, competitive and full of drama. They are like teenagers, playing on WhatsApp, and someone knows a lot about them. Like, who they’re having affairs with, pictures to prove it, who is at what sex clubs, etc. Everyone is scared that their secrets are about to be exposed when the app starts dinging…
That part of the book was actually good, but it was less than half of the book. That premise alone could’ve made for a great thriller/drama, and I would have really enjoyed it. But you add in astrology, witchcraft, covens, Celtic folklore - all things I don’t care about - and it just got weird. If any of those things were mentioned in the synopsis, I wouldn’t have chosen this book to read. I also was not a fan of the writing style whatsoever.
Maybe you like those things, and you’d love this book. I’m just not into supernatural stuff and I couldn’t wait for it to end. Then I finally got there, and the ending was as boring as the rest of the book. I’m giving it 1.5 stars, rounded up to two because I’ve never rated a book one star and don’t want to start now. Plus, I did like the actual parts about the parents.
(I’d like to thank Bookouture, Claire Seeber and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)
Okay, they didn’t lie. The synopsis is all true…Alex and her two kids move to a new town after the death of her husband/their father. She soon finds that the group of parents she’s surrounded by are snobbish, petty, competitive and full of drama. They are like teenagers, playing on WhatsApp, and someone knows a lot about them. Like, who they’re having affairs with, pictures to prove it, who is at what sex clubs, etc. Everyone is scared that their secrets are about to be exposed when the app starts dinging…
That part of the book was actually good, but it was less than half of the book. That premise alone could’ve made for a great thriller/drama, and I would have really enjoyed it. But you add in astrology, witchcraft, covens, Celtic folklore - all things I don’t care about - and it just got weird. If any of those things were mentioned in the synopsis, I wouldn’t have chosen this book to read. I also was not a fan of the writing style whatsoever.
Maybe you like those things, and you’d love this book. I’m just not into supernatural stuff and I couldn’t wait for it to end. Then I finally got there, and the ending was as boring as the rest of the book. I’m giving it 1.5 stars, rounded up to two because I’ve never rated a book one star and don’t want to start now. Plus, I did like the actual parts about the parents.
(I’d like to thank Bookouture, Claire Seeber and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)
October 28, 2021
The Parents by Claire Seeber is a domestic drama that focuses on Alex whose husband dies so she moves to Primrose Cottage, Tenderton, Kent with her thirteen-year-old son, Harry, and her daughter Iris. The reader also meets local beauty salon owner, Patti Taylor, who sets out to befriend Alex. Patti's son, Ethan is part of the local Under 14’s football team, and Harry joins them. In this novel, Alex and Patti tell their stories, with all the melodrama and warts-and-all revelations that involves.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this absorbing drama full of secrets, lies, deception, malice, jealousy, and rivalry. It's a promising tale, the perspectives of the women and the alternating chapters adding to the suspense. The plot is also partly driven by the children in the story. The pace really speeds ahead in middle with many parents harbouring dark secrets. There's a neat spooky twist if you like that sort of thing. A worthwhile toxic tale.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this absorbing drama full of secrets, lies, deception, malice, jealousy, and rivalry. It's a promising tale, the perspectives of the women and the alternating chapters adding to the suspense. The plot is also partly driven by the children in the story. The pace really speeds ahead in middle with many parents harbouring dark secrets. There's a neat spooky twist if you like that sort of thing. A worthwhile toxic tale.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
November 11, 2021
The parents follows a small close nir community their one common thread is the local football team. Alex is newly widowed and has moved into her husbands aunts cottage , rumour is ifs hunted. Patti is highly superstitious and is in an extremely unhappy marriage. Suddenly the community is rocked with scandal when an anonymous blogger starts to leak secrets of those in the village. The question is who's secrets are next.
I'm not sure how to review this book. It was an interesting drama thriller but I wasn't hooked I must say. I found following just Alex and Patti limited the story. I wanted to follow other characters as well such as Medow she seemed interesting. However I understand the creative choice to limit the narrators though we have the newest member of the community Alex and Patti who has lived there for a while and is a hair dresser so gets the gossip. I found Patti's narration was much better and Alex's was a tad predictable.
In general though I think it was an interesting read I wish more secrets had been revealed I think it would've added more suspense to the story. But I must admit I enjoyed the ones that came out but enjoyed the reason behind them even better.
There's a back story regarding the village I found a tad confusing, they were very suspicious in general and were obsessed with witches. I got the link regarding penalising women but again did it add to the story? You can be the judge of that.
There is more about the story I didn't like compared to what I enjoyed. However the parts I enjoyed were great. The big reveals being interesting Alexs more so for me. About 70% j was hooked and couldn't put it down. The prose is written well with some great descriptions espically emotional ones.
Would I recommend this book? No I'm so sorry I wouldn't. But if you like the easier thriller and a family drama filled one then this is for you. If you read like I do you won't like it. I rate the book 2 stars
Thank you to Netgalley, The publisher and the author for the author for the digital advanced copy of the parents in exchange for my fair and honest opinions .
I'm not sure how to review this book. It was an interesting drama thriller but I wasn't hooked I must say. I found following just Alex and Patti limited the story. I wanted to follow other characters as well such as Medow she seemed interesting. However I understand the creative choice to limit the narrators though we have the newest member of the community Alex and Patti who has lived there for a while and is a hair dresser so gets the gossip. I found Patti's narration was much better and Alex's was a tad predictable.
In general though I think it was an interesting read I wish more secrets had been revealed I think it would've added more suspense to the story. But I must admit I enjoyed the ones that came out but enjoyed the reason behind them even better.
There's a back story regarding the village I found a tad confusing, they were very suspicious in general and were obsessed with witches. I got the link regarding penalising women but again did it add to the story? You can be the judge of that.
There is more about the story I didn't like compared to what I enjoyed. However the parts I enjoyed were great. The big reveals being interesting Alexs more so for me. About 70% j was hooked and couldn't put it down. The prose is written well with some great descriptions espically emotional ones.
Would I recommend this book? No I'm so sorry I wouldn't. But if you like the easier thriller and a family drama filled one then this is for you. If you read like I do you won't like it. I rate the book 2 stars
Thank you to Netgalley, The publisher and the author for the author for the digital advanced copy of the parents in exchange for my fair and honest opinions .
August 23, 2021
This book is best described, if that’s even possible, as Desperate Housewives meets Twin Peaks.
The lead character, a widowed mother, moves to a new area to make a fresh start. Soon after her son joins the local kids football team, someone starts exposing the secrets of the other parents. This ultimately leads to murder.
“The Parents” is a relentlessly gripping story of jealously and rivalry in Middle England, with a dark twist.
The lead character, a widowed mother, moves to a new area to make a fresh start. Soon after her son joins the local kids football team, someone starts exposing the secrets of the other parents. This ultimately leads to murder.
“The Parents” is a relentlessly gripping story of jealously and rivalry in Middle England, with a dark twist.
September 27, 2021
This book was really difficult to finish, it doesn't happen often to me with thrillers, sometimes it takes a while to get going but I always finish. While reading this book the temptation to skip was very strong, nothing to do with the writing style which is fine, but the story was messy and got a bit weird. I have nothing against books set in villages or that they feature a football team, this just wasn't for me, shame I wanted to like it. Too many characters for a start, which is a shame as it looked promising and certainly Claire Seeber is good at describing some feelings and characters but with too many characters some descriptions were too sketchy.
I was given an advance copy in exchange for a honest review.
I was given an advance copy in exchange for a honest review.
January 13, 2022
Despite the fact I know nothing about football, I could relate to the ambition of parents for their youngsters. I enjoyed this book with its twists and turns and I was kept guessing until quite near the end. Are all the characters quite what they seem? Read it and find out.
October 14, 2024
The Parents by Claire Seeber
8h 40m narrated by Katherine Press and Rebecca Travers, 270 pages
Genre: Domestic Suspense
Featuring: Parts, Character List, Football Club (Soccer Team), We Begin at the End, Newcomers, November, Dead Body, Halloween Party, September, Witches, Village in Kent, England, Multiple POVs, Los Angeles County, California, United States of America; Widow, Marital Issues, Who Is It Trope, Town Along Loch Ness, Highlands, Scotland; Secrets, Teens, WhatsApp Group, Santa Barbara, California, Racism
Rating as a movie: R for adult content and situations
Songs for the soundtrack: Astral Weeks by Van Morrison, "Love on the Brain" by Rihanna, "Kooks" by David Bowie, "Hot Legs" by Rod Stewart, "I Don’t Believe You Want to Get Up and Dance (Oops)" by The Gap Band, "Wake Me Up When September Ends" by Green Day, "Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?" by Rod Stewart, "For the Good Times" by Al Green
Books and Authors mentioned: Ultimate Comics: Avengers #3, Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, Agatha Christie, True Grit by Charles Portis, The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith, Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz aka The Wizard of Oz by L Frank Baum (Lyman Frank Baum) - Oz #1, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire - The Wicked Years #1, Peter Pan series by J. M. Barrie
My rating: ⭐️½⚽️🥅
My thoughts: 📱24% 2:04:58 Chapter 11 ~ Patti ~ Saturday 26th of September ~ Libra with Pluto Retrograde - Dull and boring but I'm going to keep pressing on. This is another British Thriller that's one big soap opera. I need print because there are two dozen characters out the gate and I can barely keep up. I do want to know about the dead body and the witch trial storyline seems fleeing it may become relevant later.
This story was odd and had too many storylines. The reveals ranged from disappointing to okay.
Recommend to others: No. It wasn't good.
8h 40m narrated by Katherine Press and Rebecca Travers, 270 pages
Genre: Domestic Suspense
Featuring: Parts, Character List, Football Club (Soccer Team), We Begin at the End, Newcomers, November, Dead Body, Halloween Party, September, Witches, Village in Kent, England, Multiple POVs, Los Angeles County, California, United States of America; Widow, Marital Issues, Who Is It Trope, Town Along Loch Ness, Highlands, Scotland; Secrets, Teens, WhatsApp Group, Santa Barbara, California, Racism
Rating as a movie: R for adult content and situations
Songs for the soundtrack: Astral Weeks by Van Morrison, "Love on the Brain" by Rihanna, "Kooks" by David Bowie, "Hot Legs" by Rod Stewart, "I Don’t Believe You Want to Get Up and Dance (Oops)" by The Gap Band, "Wake Me Up When September Ends" by Green Day, "Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?" by Rod Stewart, "For the Good Times" by Al Green
Books and Authors mentioned: Ultimate Comics: Avengers #3, Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, Agatha Christie, True Grit by Charles Portis, The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith, Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz aka The Wizard of Oz by L Frank Baum (Lyman Frank Baum) - Oz #1, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire - The Wicked Years #1, Peter Pan series by J. M. Barrie
My rating: ⭐️½⚽️🥅
My thoughts: 📱24% 2:04:58 Chapter 11 ~ Patti ~ Saturday 26th of September ~ Libra with Pluto Retrograde - Dull and boring but I'm going to keep pressing on. This is another British Thriller that's one big soap opera. I need print because there are two dozen characters out the gate and I can barely keep up. I do want to know about the dead body and the witch trial storyline seems fleeing it may become relevant later.
This story was odd and had too many storylines. The reveals ranged from disappointing to okay.
Recommend to others: No. It wasn't good.
August 28, 2021
As a high school counselor I was drawn to this title plus I loved the cover (yep I do judge a book but its cover!)
Alex and her son move to England after her husband died in an accident. They are adjusting to their new neighbors and the son has joined the neighborhood weekend football team. Soon someone starts to reveal secrets of parents which then leads to a murder after a party.
This is a story of parent jealously and rivalry.
I went into this sure I was going to enjoy this story. It wasn’t the wow read I was expecting ~ that doesn’t mean it wasn’t good!
.
Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for October 25, 2021
Alex and her son move to England after her husband died in an accident. They are adjusting to their new neighbors and the son has joined the neighborhood weekend football team. Soon someone starts to reveal secrets of parents which then leads to a murder after a party.
This is a story of parent jealously and rivalry.
I went into this sure I was going to enjoy this story. It wasn’t the wow read I was expecting ~ that doesn’t mean it wasn’t good!
.
Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for October 25, 2021
April 22, 2022
I liked the concept of the story, but the delivery left me feeling quite bewildered as I couldn't connect to the characters and nothing in the writing felt compelling. I didn't find the mystery mysterious. So not for me.
September 14, 2021
First, thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. If I had just picked this up on my own, I likely wouldn’t have finished. It is described as a gripping psychological suspense but I would say it is more domestic suspense. There are so many characters that it is hard to keep them all straight. There is a legend at the beginning of the book describing all of the characters but even that isn’t helpful in keeping the members of each family straight. The story is told by Patti and Alex and it was easy to differentiate between their voices.
There is essentially no character development of any of many characters, an endless amount of dialogue, and really no plot movement or action until about 65% of the way through. There is someone releasing the secrets of the parents of the members of a soccer club, a dead body, and the mysterious past of the new family. Too much going on, too busy at the end, and by the time something happened, it was wrapped up but I didn’t really care because I wasn’t invested in anyone. I read this but maybe listening to a good narrator audiobook would have been better?
2.5 stars—the story was there but too much filler to really get to the meat of the story.
There is essentially no character development of any of many characters, an endless amount of dialogue, and really no plot movement or action until about 65% of the way through. There is someone releasing the secrets of the parents of the members of a soccer club, a dead body, and the mysterious past of the new family. Too much going on, too busy at the end, and by the time something happened, it was wrapped up but I didn’t really care because I wasn’t invested in anyone. I read this but maybe listening to a good narrator audiobook would have been better?
2.5 stars—the story was there but too much filler to really get to the meat of the story.
October 22, 2021
It’s hard to describe this book as it was flagged as a psychological thriller but us more of a drama.
There were far too many characters in the story and this made me lose interest a few times.
The main thing that brings them altogether is a boys football team and this featured very heavily in the story, which again made me lose interest.
I stuck with it and the last few chapters were good, but it really wasn’t one for me.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
There were far too many characters in the story and this made me lose interest a few times.
The main thing that brings them altogether is a boys football team and this featured very heavily in the story, which again made me lose interest.
I stuck with it and the last few chapters were good, but it really wasn’t one for me.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
December 28, 2023
Interesting but too many characters that spoils the plot, because it ends up taking the main focus from the mystery.
Thank You NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC!
Thank You NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC!
October 18, 2021
loved the message behind this story and found it very important: your kids are not an extension of yourself, but independent people with their own goals and dreams.
Also very interesting themes are treated and there's also a spooky twist if you like the genre. For me there were too many characters so I couldn't really get into it unfortunately, but I'm sure it may appeal to other readers.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Also very interesting themes are treated and there's also a spooky twist if you like the genre. For me there were too many characters so I couldn't really get into it unfortunately, but I'm sure it may appeal to other readers.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.
September 12, 2021
This book was slow moving and had a lot of different characters. It was hard to keep track of who was who but easy to differentiate between Alex and Patti as narrators.
I feel like there were two storylines competing for the plot, the vlog and what happened to Alex’s husband. I think this would have been better if it just focused one on. For as big as the description made the clog to be, it felt rushed over in the book.
I did enjoy the talk and witches and haunted woods, perfect for a spooky read!
I’d like to thank NetGalley, publisher and author for an advanced copy for an honest review.
I feel like there were two storylines competing for the plot, the vlog and what happened to Alex’s husband. I think this would have been better if it just focused one on. For as big as the description made the clog to be, it felt rushed over in the book.
I did enjoy the talk and witches and haunted woods, perfect for a spooky read!
I’d like to thank NetGalley, publisher and author for an advanced copy for an honest review.
October 6, 2021
Really really had a hard time getting into this one. Just no ump to the story line. Found myself bored and just wanted to finish it. Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an earlybrekesse if this book.
September 28, 2021
Having not enjoyed her previous novel, I decided to give Claire Seeber’s work another chance. Nope, not for me this time, either. It’s too bad because it started off strong; the wording, POV, and pace was spectacular. The premise of a small, country village with a newcomer and lots of secrets appealed to me as much as the “completely addictive page-turner” and “jaw-dropping twist.” However, the five-star start quickly fizzled out to a three-star finish despite the late entry suspense. It was as if a different person wrote the rest of the book.
According to Seeber, the book exposes what happens when things go awry, and ambitions and dreams are horribly broken. She has used the parents and the vlog to carry her domestic suspense.
The main problem? It was the same as the issue with The Street Party – too many superficial characters and activities NOT MENTIONED IN THE SYNOPSIS that didn’t interest me. I don’t care to read about back-stabbing and gossiping adults, football, parent drama, astrology, Celtic lore, witchcraft, ‘babs’ nor vlogs. Had I known this going in, I wouldn’t have selected this book. I also think other readers will struggle with the competing storylines. I felt let down by the ending and completely deceived by the synopsis….again.
Please don’t make my personal tastes a gauge as to whether this book would interest you. It’s been likened to HBO’s Big Little Lies in several reviews. The cover and tagline is great and the author has published several books.
Publishes October 25, 2021.
I was gifted this advance copy by Claire Seeber, Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
According to Seeber, the book exposes what happens when things go awry, and ambitions and dreams are horribly broken. She has used the parents and the vlog to carry her domestic suspense.
The main problem? It was the same as the issue with The Street Party – too many superficial characters and activities NOT MENTIONED IN THE SYNOPSIS that didn’t interest me. I don’t care to read about back-stabbing and gossiping adults, football, parent drama, astrology, Celtic lore, witchcraft, ‘babs’ nor vlogs. Had I known this going in, I wouldn’t have selected this book. I also think other readers will struggle with the competing storylines. I felt let down by the ending and completely deceived by the synopsis….again.
Please don’t make my personal tastes a gauge as to whether this book would interest you. It’s been likened to HBO’s Big Little Lies in several reviews. The cover and tagline is great and the author has published several books.
Publishes October 25, 2021.
I was gifted this advance copy by Claire Seeber, Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
September 18, 2022
I wouldn't really classify this as a thriller or even mystery/suspense. It's more of suburban domestic drama and took me ages to get through.
The synopsis makes the book sound more interesting than it really is. It's simply about an anonymous blog viciously dishing out everyone's dirty secrets.
I found the large cast quite confusing at first. I'm sure the author knew this would be an issue since there is a family tree map at the start of the book to show who's who. Unfortunately, I did not refer to the map much as it was too much hassle on my Kindle.
So many kids and they all blur together... I don't get why Sheila is known as "Little Sheila" either. Imagine my surprise to learn that she's actually in her 30s and not a little girl! Also, what's with Patti calling everyone "babs"? Be it her own children or the other neighbours. It's so weird and annoying.
The only vaguely interesting thing was the town's history with regard to the persecution of witches. Sadly, there were only fleeting mentions and it never really amounted to anything.
Overall, both the story and characters are really bland.
I received an e-ARC of this book via Netgalley.
The synopsis makes the book sound more interesting than it really is. It's simply about an anonymous blog viciously dishing out everyone's dirty secrets.
I found the large cast quite confusing at first. I'm sure the author knew this would be an issue since there is a family tree map at the start of the book to show who's who. Unfortunately, I did not refer to the map much as it was too much hassle on my Kindle.
So many kids and they all blur together... I don't get why Sheila is known as "Little Sheila" either. Imagine my surprise to learn that she's actually in her 30s and not a little girl! Also, what's with Patti calling everyone "babs"? Be it her own children or the other neighbours. It's so weird and annoying.
The only vaguely interesting thing was the town's history with regard to the persecution of witches. Sadly, there were only fleeting mentions and it never really amounted to anything.
Overall, both the story and characters are really bland.
I received an e-ARC of this book via Netgalley.
December 13, 2021
This is my first Claire Seeber book and it definitely won’t be my last. Great characters and a well-written plot with plenty of twists and turns and an unexpected ending.
November 19, 2021
Here's the deal - when I am sad to leave the characters behind at the last page, I know that it was a strong book. In this case, I was glad to be finished with the characters. There was just too much stuff going on, with all the parents and all the kids and all of the peripheral characters. A lot of the story didn't seem plausible to me (i.e. a presumed dead husband coming back near the end of the book). I wasn't into this from the first page, but I stuck with it and it was just not a favorite. I tried. The story will not linger in my mind. As soon as I pick up my next book, I will have forgotten all about this one. Sorry, but that is my brutal truth.
October 28, 2021
Marshalling the under 14 football team does not come easy, especially considering many of the parents are at loggerheads. The chief protagonist in this story is Patti Taylor as her son Ethan begins playing. Other parents and their children have a story and it is mostly unpleasant.
In addition to Patti and her viewpoint, there is a vlog called The Tales of Tenderton and it proves to be a rather awful vlog. The posts are rather distasteful and the vlog is consistently referred to as something very unpleasant. If the parents were not already worried about their children and the soccer team, the vlog most definitely made things worse, increasing already sensitive tensions with everyone involved.
In addition to the drama and the vlog, there is an additional plot line, and that involves seventeenth-century witchcraft and dark woods that gives everyone an eerie vibe. Pulling all of these things together created a rather convoluted story, one that required more than a bit of attention to remain invested.
The Parents is the first book I've read by Claire Seeber. I do look forward to reading more of her books in the future as I do love psychological thrillers, especially when they are as twisted as this one was.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
In addition to Patti and her viewpoint, there is a vlog called The Tales of Tenderton and it proves to be a rather awful vlog. The posts are rather distasteful and the vlog is consistently referred to as something very unpleasant. If the parents were not already worried about their children and the soccer team, the vlog most definitely made things worse, increasing already sensitive tensions with everyone involved.
In addition to the drama and the vlog, there is an additional plot line, and that involves seventeenth-century witchcraft and dark woods that gives everyone an eerie vibe. Pulling all of these things together created a rather convoluted story, one that required more than a bit of attention to remain invested.
The Parents is the first book I've read by Claire Seeber. I do look forward to reading more of her books in the future as I do love psychological thrillers, especially when they are as twisted as this one was.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
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