Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

The Book Club by C.J. Cooper

9 reviews

lmdov's review against another edition

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medium-paced
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

We read this for our book club and I did not enjoy it at all. WhatsApp and Instagram clearly banned in this village probably the "bad signal" all the men in the book are 2 dimensional misogynists, two of the women have made up jobs where they stop for cake everyday at 11. It is a Desperate Housewives plot set in the Cotswolds. Nothing of substance to discuss at book club as the only thing to critique is the writing style. All characterisation is bland, plot is unbelievable but not in a fun villinette way
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kateea7536's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This was a gripping book and I was able to read it really quickly. It was tense and I always wanted to read on. Alice, one of the main characters, was extremely creepy and I think the writing was effective to make me feel so creeped out by her. However, I felt that there was so much coincidence in the book and things always worked out for Alice, it was often very unbelievable. Some of the detail in the writing felt unnecessary and cliched. I don’t think a lot of the writing style was for me but it was an ‘easy read’ and the plot did have twists and turns and I liked the exploration of the side characters’ trauma and in some cases wrongdoing. But the fact the characters were meant to be a group of friends wasn’t that believable because they didn’t seem to talk to each other about the glaringly obvious issues that were happening. I would’ve liked to have seen the friend group be tighter knit and more believable. 
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staceyinthesticks's review against another edition

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mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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emmasrambles's review against another edition

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mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

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bookcentipede's review against another edition

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mysterious tense fast-paced

3.75

Had some predictable twists but also some unpredictable twists. Cleverly intertwines classics into the book such as Jane Eyre, Tess D'urbervilles, Fanny Hill, Inspector calls and Emma Bouveray in a way that only clicks after! Has some modern references and thought I was in for an alright read but was pleasantly surprised at how clever and enjoyable it was! Would recommend.
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jeunefillereads's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

4.0

The beginning is a bit slow, but once it gets it's footing it's a great book to sink your teeth into! The mysteries are so well presented you can guess then without the author having to spell them out, but they are explained within the different perspectives. I think the ending was good. Overall an enjoyable read. If you like getting a look into other people's messy secrets definitely a book for you. 
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elsemma's review against another edition

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I am the grand total of 17 pages in and I have DNF'd this book. I get that not every mystery thriller needs to be a mystery but I struggle to understand what the point of this book is when you know everything but the motive of the "bad guy" from Chapter 1.

(Also I did spoil myself and her motive is not a good enough twist and continued trope of women only having emotions about babies means this will go no further.)
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alicebennett's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I have mixed feelings about this. I really enjoyed the character development throughout, they all felt like real people in an everyday setting. 

However, it’s the writing of the plot that lets it down. There are constant changes in perspective, but no indication of who it is you just have to read and half-guess it. I found this jarring in a book that should be gripping and fast-paced. 

The ending was greatly disappointing, predictable and rushed. I wanted to see more of Alice’s story drawn out and developed. I also think the side characters/ other members of the book club came off very badly and nothing in their relationships was rectified. It was almost as if the author had forgotten about them as the book drew to a close. 
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ella_1203's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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