The Writing Circle

by Corinne Demas

They call themselves the Leopardi Circle -- six members of a writing group who share much more than their works in progress. When Nancy, whose most recently published work is a medical newsletter, is asked to join a writing group made up of established writers, she accepts, warily. She's not at all certain that her novel is good enough for the company she'll be keeping. Her novel is a subject very close to her heart, and she isn't sure she wants to share it with others, let alone the world. But Nancy soon finds herself as caught up in the group's personal lives as she is with their writing. She learns that nothing -- love, family, loyalty -- is sacred or certain. In the circle there's Gillian, a beautiful, scheming, world-famous poet; Bernard, a pompous but lovable biographer; Virginia, a respected historian and the peacemaker of the group, who also happens to be Bernard's ex-wife; Chris, a divorced father and successful thriller writer; and Adam, the youngest of the group, an aspiring novelist who is infatuated with Gillian. And then there's Nancy, an unassuming fiction writer embarking on a new chapter in her own life. They meet to read their work aloud and offer feedback. Over the course of a year, marriages are tested, affairs begin, and trust is broken. Through their complicated relationships, these eccentric characters share their families, their beds, and their histories, and soon find that buried secrets have a way of coming to light. Hearts break and emotions are pushed to the limit in this richly engaging tale of love, betrayal, and literature.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Book Club, Books About Books, Adult Fiction, Writing, Ebooks

308 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Corinne Demas is the award-winning author of thirty-nine books, including six novels (Daughters, The Road Towards Home, The Writing Circle), two short story collections, a memoir (Eleven Stories High, Growing Up in Stuyvesant Town, 1948--1968), a poetry chapbook, and numerous books for children (The Littlest Matryoshka, Saying Goodbye to Lulu, The Disappearing Island, The Perfect Tree). She is a Professor Emerita of English at Mount Holyoke College and a Fiction Editor of The Massachusetts Review. Along with her family, two donkeys, and a precocious puppy, she divides her time between Western Massachusetts and Cape Cod, two settings that have inspired her books.

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I saw what this book was about, I wanted to like it. But I just couldn't.

First, there are too many characters to keep track of (and I'm not one who ever says this!), and the style - a third-person narrator with the focus switching between characters - just never seemed to gel. Possibly because reading the editor's (in particular) answers to people's questions in an advance copy readers' group, she constantly talked of how it "switched perspectives". So given her lack of understanding of what "perspective" is, I'm not sure she knew how the book should have been edited. When I pointed out that for perspective to switch, each chapter would have been told in first person by the character and asked genuinely if I had a bad copy since other people were also saying it changed perspective each chapter, the editor's response was "You're right that there's only one removed narrator. It's really hard for someone to write in first person and keep the characters sounding different." Um thanks, but you completely missed my point and question.

Second, the writing style for me made it difficult to follow. Add to that the author's apparent liberal use of a thesaurus to find the most obscure word to use in a situation (several of us participating in the group have Masters degrees and had to turn to dictionaries to find out what a word was), and it came off as pretentious and wanting to do far more than it actually did.

Third, the characters just aren't sympathetic. By that, I don't just mean I didn't like them. A sympathetic character is someone who, while you may not like what they did/are doing but you can understand it. In this case, I couldn't figure out why anyone did what they did beyond "Oh this will make a good plot twist" in the author's mind. I found the characters extremely stock and flat.

There are two prologues that open the book, and while I got that they were in no way related to each other - as in I got that one was action in the main story and one was part of one of the character's stories - many, MANY did not and kept trying to tie them together. There was never a twist that surprised me.

In short, the only reason I finished the book is that I was participating in this reading group. If I'd picked it up on my own, it would have been put down after my three chapter rule.

I guess the one plus side is it made the writer's group I've refused to join because of snarkiness about it and the pieces discussed in it that have shown up in blogs and on twitter feeds look slightly less despicable. Slightly.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am being generous even giving this one three stars, it is more of a 2.5, really. We get to know bits and pieces about the members of this writing circle, but with one exception, they are all rather vile. Even the heroine, Nancy, ends up being vindictive and rather awful by book's end. While some of the storylines were reasonably interesting, the lack of people to root for and the absolutely DREADFUL sex scenes (so stilted and ridiculous as to defy description and positively shoe horned into the book for no reason I could discern) kept me from finding it more than okay, at best.

[Dale Harcombe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I admit I'm ususally a sucker for books about writing groups eg I loved the Fiction Class by Susan Breen and a couple of others. This one interested me but perhaps not as much as I expected, though I have to say the last few chapters had me reading at a great pace.It concerns a writing group called the Leopardi Circle and events that happen after Nancy is brought into the group. I found it hard to like any of the characters in the writing circle except perhaps for Virginia and Nancy
(there are some others as well that pop in from time to time)It feels like too many characters at times. If I ever joined a group like this one I would run a mile. It is certainly not one I would want to belong to. Some bits of the novel I found very off putting, like the details of Bernard and Aimee's sex life, and other incidents. They really served no purpose. But the ending I never saw coming, so that to me was a plus.The ending is quite shocking.
Interesting that the author is herself in a group with two writers I admire in Jane Yolen and Patricia MacLachlan.How cool would that be!

[Laura K · Rating 3 out of 5]

SPOILER ALERT!! Reading this book was kind of strange for me, because I couldn't put it down, yet really didn't care for the characters. Well, maybe that's not completely accurate - it is more accurate to say that I despised Gillian from her first appearance (and, to answer one of the questions in the "reader's guide" 'yes, I would describe her as a sociopath, and a total b!*ch.") I liked the other characters at the beginning, but lost respect for at least two of them later.

I kept thinking that the book would be so much better without Gillian, and almost gave up half-way through because of that. Once I discovered how essential to the story she was, I tolerated her. But, at that point I turned my distaste towards Bernard, a character that I had liked until then, but who turned out to be a limp, spineless wimp. "Oh well, I thought, I still have Nancy." Not so. Nancy who did 'the right thing', then is bothered by not being "good enough" and whines to her husband about it.

But, Ok, I get it. Nancy is grieving her father and was always trying to please him, and live up to his example, so I can cut her some slack. I had not one ounce of sympathy for Gillian. At least Gillian had negative consequences, especially considering the ending of the book.

Because of all this, I would recommend the book. We have all known people who are heartless, selfish, egotistical and presumptuous, yet no one in their circle has the spine to "call them on it", so they continue to get away with dominating their family, group, workplace or whatever. These are the people who never help clean up when at a holiday dinner, the people who take the credit for someone else's innovation in the workplace and get the raise they don't deserve. This is the family member that everyone tiptoes around while they create havoc with everyone's lives. When I hear these stories from others in "real life", I always say "why don't you stop inviting him/her?", "why don't you tell her that is unacceptable?". And receive in reply some excuse. Which is why these bullies gained strength over time.

So, in this way, the book succeeds. It is more than just a nice story. The Writing Circle has the ability to take the reader away and call forth strong emotions, therefore the author did an excellent job with her craft.

[Nicole · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book for a book club and lemme tell it was B-A-D. Truly bad...was basically the general consensus of the entire group. The irony is that the plot of the book revolves around the members of a writer's circle who are regarded as excellent writers. Bad choice of plot given that the book itself is poorly written. I may not have had as strong a dislike for the book if it hadn't been for the ending....THE ENDING. As one member of my book club put it, "You gotta be F***ing kidding me!"

One thing I did learn about reading a bad book for a book club is that is makes for an excellent discussion. We had more to say and laugh about than we usually do. For that I give it 1 star.

[Diane Dachota · Rating 2 out of 5]

Being a member of a writing group myself, I thought this would be an interesting read but was very disappointed. The novel is dry, the characters dull and their are really no likable people here. The group of writers are pretentious East Coast authors who seem oddly British to me. They are forever drinking tea and sherry and hanging around in drawing rooms and parlors.

My personal writing group doesn't do the kind of things these people do (have affairs with each other, plagiarize), yet we are a million times more interesting.

[Paddy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to enjoy this book, but it just never really grabbed me. Too many characters, underdeveloped and not enough depth to be likeable or not. The ending made absolutely no sense and provided zero conclusion to anything. There was a plot, but it wasn’t well played out. I managed to finish it, but it definitely didn’t draw me in or make me want to rush back to reading it.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Members of writing groups are always generously thanked in the acknowledgements at the end of a novel. Authors note the importance of the group, the difference between the novel as a string of ideas and then, the final product, as a result. I’ve always thought of writing groups as “serious business,” reserved only for those disciplined few who write with an eye focused on publication and who are open to the kind of feedback that will bring their writing to the next step.
I came to know each member of the writing group, who called themselves the Leopardi Circle, to care about most, despite their flaws. The novel offered more than a glimpse into the world of publishing today; yet, the relationships among the group and their lives beyond the group were more important. Their lives (and perhaps the entire novel) reflected what Nancy, one of the principal characters, shared of her unpublished novel with her mother, a novel that would play a significant role in the unraveling of lives…”It’s about the changes people make in their lives…the choices they don’t realize they have, and the choices they take advantage of.” Second marriages, new babies, single parenting, struggling adolescents, the self absorbed,…”Bernie should have been a novelist. Biography lets him escape himself to some degree, but it doesn’t give him the latitude of fiction, doesn’t give him the necessary drama,” the selfless…”I think I’ve lost my moral center. I’m not good.” Over a year’s time, the lives of the six members of the group change dramatically perhaps because of the choices Nancy spoke of her to her mother.
The dialogue among characters – witty, sharp, intelligent – could almost be read as a play at times. Sometimes had to I close my eyes, shuddering at the sadness or naked truth the characters’ words revealed and the consequences they had for the members.
With its unusual structure, connecting preface to the final pages…“A third-person, limited-omniscient narrator can handle it all,” I found this a gem of a novel, a morality play, and was left with great sadness at the novel’s final pages at the end of a driveway.

[Jennifer Defoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was weird. I really liked it, but I didn't really connect with the characters. I understood what they were going through (well, except for Gillian) and I liked them (again except for Gillian) but I just didn't connect with any of them.

I liked Nancy, she was pretty grounded. I liked Virginia, she seemed liked someone I could be friends with. Bernard was an odd character, as was Adam. I felt so bad for Adam, I could tell he was in love with Gillian, but I didn't fully understand why.

The story wasn't slow, but the big stuff didn't really start happening till near the end. Even though Gillian was a bit of a witch, I didn't really think she had the gull to do what she did. Just after that curve ball I did become slightly endeared to Nancy, but as the story jumps between characters I moved onto the next character's emotions.

The writing was good. The story jumps between the characters, and just when I would start to connect with one character the story would jump to another. It didn't really detract from the story, but I think it kept me from really connecting to any one character.

I liked the idea of the writing circle. I'm not an author, but I think it would be nice to belong to a group of other authors that can give you advice about what you're writing. I know I like my knitting group because I can bounce ideas and get feedback on what I'm doing, I would imagine a writing group would be similar.

I'd say this was well worth the read. It didn't really take all that long to finish, and the end was satisfying...

[Robyn Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd been hearing a lot about this book, and I finally decided to check it out after agent Rachelle Gardner recommended it on her blog. I'm in a "writing circle" (for 6 years) and so I figured I'd be able to relate. The writing circle itself plays more of a minor role; I think that might be why I didn't like this novel more -- I expected more writing circle and writing talk and less individual story lines (of which there were many since the chapters shift from different POV). One of the characters (Gillian) is completely unlikable, which is fine, except that the ending and resolution (and I'm not sure that's the best word) involved too much of the spotlight being shone on her. That said, the book is well written and the story lines ring true. The parts with the writing circle were accurate, in my experience, so I think writers, especially, might enjoy checking out this book.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author did a great job of making me hate one of the main characters from beginning to end: Gillian.. But her development of other characters was uninteresting: my feelings toward each was a mere "meh", and no hero to counter the antagonist Gillian emerged for me. I was left with the impression that Demas didn't know how she wanted the book to end, and thus, the ending seemed abrupt and forced. A book about a writers' group drew me in, and I was excited to read it, but it could have been so much more.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was about fellow writers and their support of each other, or lack there of. One, a famous poet, who writes a novel in secret, and actually takes the idea of one of the writing circle members. This causes her not to win a Pulitzer Prize that she was hoping for, and as she speeds down her driveway in the night to flee to her private cabin to be alone, hits her stepson who is on the driveway. We do not know if he is killed, however, I do believe that he was. It also tells the story of their families and the fallout of Bernard’s affairs and selfish behavior. Overall a good read but a lot of side stories happening that is too much to mention!

[Eva Marie Everson]

Took me a minute to get into it ... then I couldn't put it down.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

When it comes to buying books by authors I’ve never heard of before, my choices can sometimes be spontaneous. Or, in the case of Corinne Demas’ “The Writing Circle,” inspired by coincidence. I’d been part of a local writer’s group for a couple years when Demas’ novel caught my eye at a bookstore. My reaction was immediate: “Hey, I’m in a writing circle! So maybe I should read this book.” Of course, I read the critical praise as well as the summary on the inside cover before making my purchase, so I knew well in advance that this book was more than just a discussing about editing and literature.

“The Writing Circle” explores the interconnected lives of the members of The Leopardi Circle, based somewhere in Massachusetts. The members range in age, personality, and writing skill and specialty (a poet, a successful thriller writer, a biographer, a historian, and two aspiring novelists). The reader gets a first glimpse into the Circle when Nancy joins the group to share a novel-in-progress that’s deeply personal for her. From there, the story builds momentum quietly, almost as if it sneaks up on the reader, as the writers of the Leopardi Circle share their writings, their lives, and (in some cases) even more with one another. And what begins as a quest to improve one’s storytelling and improve the chances of publication turns into an intricate tale of relationships, betrayal, and loyalty – and a lesson of how buried secrets always find a way to be discovered.

One important element of “The Writing Circle” is its narration style. Each chapter is dedicated to the point of view from one member of the Leopardi Circle, or a family member of one of the members. It’s sort of like the narrative technique in “A Game of Thrones,” where the reader gets different perspectives on events throughout the book. This way, the reader learns about each writer’s eccentricities, struggles, and redeeming qualities. The amount of detail that Demas pours into each character, as well as her ability to ensure each character has a distinct personality, makes them seem real and the dynamics of The Leopardi Circle like that of a family: dysfunctional at times, yet always supportive.

As much as the narrative style of “The Writing Circle” is a strength, it’s also a weakness. As the story winds down, some of The Leopardi Circle members don’t have an opportunity to appear one last time. A couple writers are last heard from with 40 or 50 pages before the final chapter. I realized this as soon as I closed the book for the last time, and I found myself thinking, “But what about this person? What happened to him? How would she have reacted to this?” Thus, I feel as though my experience with “The Writing Circle” was incomplete; not all of the loose ends were tied adequately, in my opinion – and I doubt it was done intentionally to leave room for a sequel – and that frustrated me.

I do think that other readers will like “The Writing Circle.” It’s smoothly written and the characters are drawn to impeccable believability. It also provides great insight on what it’s like to be in a writing group. Those aspects of “The Writing Circle” met my satisfaction. I’d probably give this book a higher rating had Demas found a cleaner way to end each member’s involvement in the primary plot. However, I’m glad I took coincidence’s hand and read “The Writing Circle.” It brought back memories of my own experiences and helped me appreciate the initial purpose of a writing group: to help other writers improve their craft.

[Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Type: {Commuter Read: format lends easily to starting/stopping}
Rating: {Me Likey: Enjoyable! Particularly for fans of this genre.}

Why You’re Reading It:

You are a writer, have taken a writing course, or are part of a writing circle
You like to see the inside worlds of writers
A good twist in the plot keeps you reading
Multiple character viewpoints float your boat
What I Thought:

I have only taken one writing course (and have never been part of a writing circle), but know the feeling of having to share your writing with others and have them critique it. It was interesting to get an insider’s scoop on what a professional feels like during this process (albeit fictional).

Nancy joins the Leopardi Circle per invitation of one of it’s members. This small, elite writing circle in Massachussetts consists of writers of multiple genres and varying personalities. The chapters are told from different character’s viewpoints so the reader is able to form their own opinion about these fictional writers. As in many good stories there is love, family, complications, and webs of deceit. In this novel, you won’t see it coming before it hits you in the face. I can pretty much promise that.

Honestly, it took reading about half the book before it picked up. The first part is mostly to get to know the characters and understand what’s going on in their lives. Do I wish this could have happened faster? Sure. But I did find that by the time the story begins to gain speed, I had defined feelings for the characters involved. So maybe it was worth the time invested in getting to know them. Besides, it’s not an entirely long book anyway, so the amount of pages that you spend learning about the writers isn’t that much of an investment.

You will not guess where this story is headed, and you will not guess the end. But you will read the last fourth of the book with your mouth hanging open. Guarantee it.

(source: This was a free review copy sent to me by Hyerion/Voice in exchange for an honest opinion.)

[Andrea DeAngelis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good read, not a great read. Went quickly for sure, a page turner. Why not great? Key details about the mechanics and makeup of the writing circle in the beginning verged on preposterous to me.

The first time the writing circle meets, they don't read the submitted pages beforehand. Instead of reading beforehand, the submitted pages were read out loud and then commented on. In reality that would only be somewhat effective and most times not effective at all. It smacks of a device to make the book more film-friendly if it gets optioned.

Then the make-up of the types of writers in this writing circle also seems very unlikely. That you would have a poet, biographer, another non-fiction history writer and three fiction writers wouldn't work so well in reality. Fiction writers who were different kinds of writers like detective, literary, mainstream, etc. would work but throwing a poet in there, asking for critiques of her poetry seems a bit of a stretch as well as nonfiction writers. It's hard enough to get as helpful feedback on fiction writing that is different from each other (genre vs. literary, etc.) but throwing in entirely different (and radically so at times) categories into one writing circle seems fantastical and not mired in reality.

These two points set up a filmsy foundation for the beginning of my reading experience.

But I got into it. Still there were two "twists" that were predictable. At least to me. But maybe as a reader, you were supposed to know what was going to happen, maybe it was important that you knew more than the main sympathetic character of Nancy. (I was much more interested in the point of views from outside the circle, a stepson of the poet, Gillian, and the daughter of two formerly married members of the group. Without their points of views the book would have been a much less interesting read). However, figuring out these twists beforehand didn’t ruin my enjoyment of the book especially since the climax was unexpected, poetic and real.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Writing Circle by Corinne Demas sat on my wishlist exactly a year. I don't remember who recommended it to me or why I added it. It's outside my usual reading.

The book starts as the story of Nancy, a twice published author being invited to join a writing circle. Nancy's had some trouble getting published after her initial success. She's been invited by Bernard, a biographer. The first meeting though doesn't feel like a success. No one seems to want her there, except for Bernard.

With that set up I expected the book to follow how Nancy earns the trust of her group, gets the advice she needs on her book and regains her confidence to finish the book and get it published. But, this book is a little more literary. And while all those things are there in Nancy's stories, the book as a whole is a character study of the people in the circle and those immediately associated with them.

As things progress, a series of events, little mistakes or off handed choices, lead to an unexpected and tragic ending. When I first finished, I thought of Nancy's description of her first chapter, where she just says that stuff happens; the tragedy isn't anyone's fault.

But as I thought more about how one decision leads to another, clearing a path towards the unfortunate ending, I thought of a better term, hitsuzen. Instead of it being coincidences, it's meant to be, even if it seems like the result of a series of random events. That's when the rambling nature of the story clicked into place and I was able to see the bigger picture.

[Relyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is slow going. I like it fine, but it's not marvelous. Of course, I am just coming off three absolutely wonderful books. That's a hard follow.

OK, the book got better and better as it neared the end. How often does that happen? If it were possible, my rating would likely be a three and a half stars rating. Only once in my reading life have I ever been as surprised by an ending as I was by this book. I can't tell you much more, or you won't get to enjoy the surprise ending. Or, maybe you won't be surprised. If you read it, I'd be interested to hear what you think.

I also really enjoyed her shifting narrative style. At first, I thought, "Oh, Elizabeth Nobel does this already." But, Demas does it very, very differently, and after the first chapter or so, it doesn't feel cribbed from Nobel. Demas is much more snarky or modern or something. Far less plain old nice than Elizabeth Nobel's books.

I'd be interested in having a conversation about this book with you, if you read it. I'd really love to talk to published writers about plagiarism and what they think of the ideas in this book. It strikes me that this would be a great book for a book club. Lots of conversation fodder here.

[laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was uneventful really and I would say okay. I didn't connect fully with any of the characters and was disappointed at that. The introduction to writing clubs was neat and interesting; gathering ideas, plots, characters, reading their respected stories to one another before any other person has seen or read their work and other eliciting the professional input and suggestions from the group members.
Some characters, specifically Gillian are unlikable and other characters who the reader would perhaps want to know more about seemed unfinished, left wondering why they had been introduced in the first place.
It bounces around a bit too much at the end leaving many lose ends.
The ending was probably the worst part of the book, because it just ends.....no resolution to any topics, no idea what becomes of the tragedy but to just suppose.
This book could have been written much better, it is a wonder why it was not. Why some characters who were main characters just drop out during the story and are never heard of or mentioned again. (i don't want to name the characters so that it doesn't spoil it for future readers.)
I recommend a library read, not a purchase book although I believe that I downloaded the ebook for a minimal charge.

[Jasmyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was probably one of the hardest I had to write. I was so torn on what I thought of the book overall. I loved some of it, but at the same time I found it rather annoying and frustrating. The story follows a group of writers that get together to share their thoughts and their stories with each other. The story follows their lives as their lives quickly become intertwined on a variety of levels - from romance, to hate, to respect, to lasting friendship.

The book is rather confusing at first. It was very difficult to follow the changing narrators at first, but as the story continues and you begin to know the characters, it becomes a wonderful way to tell the story. I think the part that threw me off the most was when people from outside the writing circle became narrators and also became very central to the story. There was almost too much going on to know where you were supposed to be.

After thinking on the book for a few days, I literally could not get it off my mind, I decided that I enjoyed the book enough to be glad that I read it, but not enough to try and read another like it.

3.5

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three and 3/4 stars. I can't say I loved this book, but I can tell I will think about it for quite some time. The characters were so realistically flawed and the story lines rang true. Definitely not a feel good beach read; somewhat depressing because most of the situations described were so hauntingly and frustratingly true to life (i.e. Chris' ex-wife Susan manipulating their sons to strike against Chris but he can't do anything about it without further hurting them).

At first I wasn't sure I liked the chapters from the POV's of non-writing circle members, but came to see that they did add quite a bit to the book. The betrayal hinted at in the synopsis was a complete shock, as was the ending.

As others have commented this would be a really good book group read. I know I'd love to be able to discuss this with someone! I'll certainly check out more work by this author.

[Tattered Cover Book Store]

Jackie says:

This is a book about a writer's critique group made up of all levels of literati-- historians, popular fiction writers, biographers, poets, all at various levels in their careers. It's a bit of a literary soap opera with former and current relationships among the members, secrets kept and ideas stolen. There are 7 characters, all well represented, and the story moves along at a brisk pace. I found it thoroughly entertaining.

[Peggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Giving this book three stars is stretching it a bit. Six characters belong to a writers' circle. Each chapter highlights one member of the group. For the most part, the characters are unlikable, and one is truly vile. The story is rather boring until the last few chapters when something unexpected happens. If I belonged to this writers' group, I'd get out in a hurry.

[Eileen · Rating 1 out of 5]

No wonder I quit reading it after a couple of chapters several months ago; too bad I tried again. It's still boring.

[Kimberly Patton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it. Any book on writing and reading and all that is fascinating to me, but this one was too cluttered with characters. They did all tie together at the end so that was good and the ending did surprise me.

Not all characters were likeable and I definitely was not jealous of their writing circle. I like my writing groups way better than the way this group was described!

The plot kept me going though and I was very curious with the last third of the book. The author did a great job keeping me interested until the very end. The shocking ending was perfect. Endings are hard and she did something really unique.

[Cristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I took this book from the Central station of Utrecht, I didn't expect it to be so good and "unputdownable". When reading it you get sucked in each of the characters, and the drama that already starts humming since the beginning of the book.
Surprising, for good, I expected it to be an easy-to-read soap opera, but ended up having a deep, interesting plot, with surprising actions from diverse of the characters.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really slow to start, and the changing pov make it drag a bit. The characters are almost like modern flat fairytale characters. There’s the “virtuous princess” who’s just oh so kind even when really wronged, Nancy and the beautiful and powerful but sociopathic “Queen”, Gillian. The other writers kind of fit into other roles like fairy godmother, knight, queen’s jilted lover. Just not what I’m looking for in this type of book.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel has a great premise, a writing group. It would seem assured that the characters would be colorful and deep and interesting I was enjoying it up until three quarters of the way through when it became a literary thriller in a way. There are more characters than the author could make come alive. I enjoyed reading it but did not love it.

[Purplelion · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book up until the end. Didn't like the way it ended at all. It felt rushed and open-ended. I can't say anymore without producing a spoiler. As for the rest of the book, I felt that it should have been told in Nancy's and Gillian's POV. While the other characters were interesting, I felt that they could have been woven into Nancy's and/or Gillian's POVs without a problem.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel intrigued me and I was drawn into the story almost from the very beginning. I would have given it 5 stars, but I didn't due to the difficulty of keeping track of so many different characters. However, this became easier as the story progressed. There is a very interesting twist in the second part, which I won't give away. This was simply a book I could not put down. I highly recommend!