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harley_ann's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
lorrainewardy's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this book, from the start I was gripped in Ruth and Sams life. The ups and downs, the injustice of it all, it was brilliantly written. My only complaint is I found the ending very rushed.
missredreads20's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying
javierfp82's review
4.0
I knew it! I knew that one was shady! Reading so many domestic suspense stories is making my mind more devious and twisted than usual.
I hadn’t heard much about “The secretary” so I came to it with no expectations at all and it was quite a nice surprise.
I’ve lost track how many despicable male characters I’ve read about this year and “The secretary” has plenty of them. Is it a 2020 trend? But to be fair it also has a group of awful, sanctimonious women I called the Playground Mafia, I couldn’t help to grit my teeth every time they appeared. Oh, what a surprise, a wife directing her anger towards the other woman instead of her hubby, woman who was also deceived by said husband. It was such a joy when Ruth decided she was not gonna be humiliated by anyone and decided to get in on revenge mode. Although she did some questionable things I couldn’t help but to root for her all the time. All her antics were fun to read about but at the same time I had the constant feeling they were gonna backfire and truly suffered along her.
Although I think the story was a bit drawn out, the tension kept growing through the last chapters, reaching an ending that although a bit over the top I found satisfying enough. Also, the story was interspersed with letters sent from prison, but we don’t get to know who’s writing them till the very end.
Taut and gripping read that proves that parents will do anything for their kids.
Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I hadn’t heard much about “The secretary” so I came to it with no expectations at all and it was quite a nice surprise.
I’ve lost track how many despicable male characters I’ve read about this year and “The secretary” has plenty of them. Is it a 2020 trend? But to be fair it also has a group of awful, sanctimonious women I called the Playground Mafia, I couldn’t help to grit my teeth every time they appeared. Oh, what a surprise, a wife directing her anger towards the other woman instead of her hubby, woman who was also deceived by said husband. It was such a joy when Ruth decided she was not gonna be humiliated by anyone and decided to get in on revenge mode. Although she did some questionable things I couldn’t help but to root for her all the time. All her antics were fun to read about but at the same time I had the constant feeling they were gonna backfire and truly suffered along her.
Although I think the story was a bit drawn out, the tension kept growing through the last chapters, reaching an ending that although a bit over the top I found satisfying enough. Also, the story was interspersed with letters sent from prison, but we don’t get to know who’s writing them till the very end.
Taut and gripping read that proves that parents will do anything for their kids.
Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
missmesmerized's review
5.0
As a single mother with a highly sensitive 8-year-old son and a very tight financial situation, Ruth already has a lot to carry. When one morning she comes across Rob in front of the school where she works as a secretary, she cannot believe what she sees: the man who pretended to be single when she spent a night with him obviously is happily married with kids. Ruth is furious and so is Janine, Rob’s wife, when she realises what she is witnessing. Ruth made her biggest enemy with Janine, the one woman in the community who is great at networking and friends with everybody. The same day, the school gets a letter demanding Ruth’s lay-off because of how she behaved in front of children. But this is only the beginning of a totally nasty fight.
Zoe Lea’s novel is a real page turner. It is unbelievable what happens to Ruth who seems to be a caring mother who’d do anything for her boy and who only tries to live a decent life after the divorce. Nobody wants to believe her and everything is simply turned around making her appear to be to aggressor. The most awful thing is that you get the impression that money and power are more important than the truth and that those who are already at the end of the food chain hardly have a chance to be heard and taken seriously.
A fast paced novel that was hard to put down. I was hooked immediately and liked the development of the events, a downward spiral which once set in motion couldn’t be stopped anymore. With each chapter, Ruth’s actions became more drastic since she was pushed more and more in a corner and like a threatened animal, did not see another way out of the menacing situation. Yet, her character is not too obvious, I started questioning her more and more towards the end which, actually, I totally liked since I couldn’t be too sure about what to believe anymore.
All in all, very entertaining and enjoyable.
Zoe Lea’s novel is a real page turner. It is unbelievable what happens to Ruth who seems to be a caring mother who’d do anything for her boy and who only tries to live a decent life after the divorce. Nobody wants to believe her and everything is simply turned around making her appear to be to aggressor. The most awful thing is that you get the impression that money and power are more important than the truth and that those who are already at the end of the food chain hardly have a chance to be heard and taken seriously.
A fast paced novel that was hard to put down. I was hooked immediately and liked the development of the events, a downward spiral which once set in motion couldn’t be stopped anymore. With each chapter, Ruth’s actions became more drastic since she was pushed more and more in a corner and like a threatened animal, did not see another way out of the menacing situation. Yet, her character is not too obvious, I started questioning her more and more towards the end which, actually, I totally liked since I couldn’t be too sure about what to believe anymore.
All in all, very entertaining and enjoyable.
graceemreads's review
3.0
‘The Secretary’ is an anxiety-ridden thriller that follows Ruth. She split from her husband Will four years earlier and they have an eight year old Sam who is struggling at school, with bullies and anxiety. On Valentines Day, Ruth has a one night stand that gives her a fake number and she thinks that’s the end of it. Until she spots him with his wife and children at the school gates where she works as a secretary. Once word gets out about Ruth and Rob it’s up to Ruth to find out who’s been threatening her and put a stop to them once and for all...
This was a well written thriller, there’s a lot going on and it really created a sense of terror and anxiety that matched how Ruth was feeling. There are several clues as to who has been threatening Ruth so that did take some of the surprise out of the reveal at the end. Regardless, the final pages of the novel were dramatic and tense, tying up the whole story nicely. Ruth was definitely the most fleshed out character, you could really feel her mood as if it was your own. This was an interesting take on exploring the stigma of anxiety and post-natal depression as well as how gaslighting affects mental health. It was an enjoyable read, would suit a reader who prefers a suspenseful thriller as we know what’s going to happen it’s about how we get to that point.
✨Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the eARC ✨
This was a well written thriller, there’s a lot going on and it really created a sense of terror and anxiety that matched how Ruth was feeling. There are several clues as to who has been threatening Ruth so that did take some of the surprise out of the reveal at the end. Regardless, the final pages of the novel were dramatic and tense, tying up the whole story nicely. Ruth was definitely the most fleshed out character, you could really feel her mood as if it was your own. This was an interesting take on exploring the stigma of anxiety and post-natal depression as well as how gaslighting affects mental health. It was an enjoyable read, would suit a reader who prefers a suspenseful thriller as we know what’s going to happen it’s about how we get to that point.
✨Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the eARC ✨
booklady72's review
4.0
Single mum Ruth has a one night stand with a guy called Rob, only she is horrified to discover that he lied to her. He told her he was single, and even worse, he is married to Janine, the head of the PTA at the primary school where Ruth works as a secretary in the office. When the truth of their fling gets out Ruth suddenly finds that she has a lot of enemies at the school gates.
Letters arrive, rumours start and the staff are hostile. But when it starts to affect her son Sam, Ruth realises you can do anything if you convince yourself it is for the sake of your child.
A fast paced book, which had me gritting my teeth at times wondering how far was too far and how would it all end? In every chapter the incidents were twisted and I found myself racing to the end to see how far Ruth would go for her child Sam. Very far, using whatever means she needed to! An enjoyable read and would recommend.
Letters arrive, rumours start and the staff are hostile. But when it starts to affect her son Sam, Ruth realises you can do anything if you convince yourself it is for the sake of your child.
A fast paced book, which had me gritting my teeth at times wondering how far was too far and how would it all end? In every chapter the incidents were twisted and I found myself racing to the end to see how far Ruth would go for her child Sam. Very far, using whatever means she needed to! An enjoyable read and would recommend.
etienne02's review
2.0
And again… I need to stop picking thriller on their premise or cover and start being more meticulous about it. Way too light for my taste. Some one night stand getting out of hand. This book is no thriller; this is romance taking a bad turn. Not badly written, the writing style is totally okay for this kind of book, but the characters, again not poorly develop, just a bit passive and trying to hard to be good. Not my style at all. I understand how some might like it but personally, I can’t recommend this book and not an author I would be curious to read more from. It happens…
mummyisreading's review
4.0
The Secretary by Zoe Lea publishes 20th August and I highly recommend it!
This was a story about a school secretary and how dangerous it can be to make enemies at the school gates. It deals with a mother’s love and the lengths we go to for our children.
This was a fantastic thriller and one that had me staying up late to read more and more of the story; you could see how someone might fall into the traps that were laid and how easily it would be to miss the signs.
As a mother reading this - I couldn’t help but see Ruth’s decisions as being choices I’d have to make, and asking the question - would I do/ feel the same? We would do anything to protect our children, but is it ever too much? Too far?
A really enjoyable read. Thanks @netgalley and @piatkus of @littlebrownuk
ruthparker16's review
3.0
When the school secretary Ruth spots a man she didn’t think she’d see again at the school gate, she becomes public enemy number one with Janine the head of the PTA. With so much influence over the teachers and the parents as PTA head, Ruth soon finds herself with her job on the firing line and her personal life in tatters. And then the threatening messages start...
This was an intriguing book with some good ideas. I liked the ending and was happy with the way it turned out. I guessed who was sending the threats pretty early on but there were clear clues in my opinion. I didn’t guess exactly what would happen in the end, or who was writing the letters. It was an interesting premise... but I didn’t find Ruth as a character someone I could root for. All these awful things happen to her and part of me things she made it so much worse every single time!
This was an intriguing book with some good ideas. I liked the ending and was happy with the way it turned out. I guessed who was sending the threats pretty early on but there were clear clues in my opinion. I didn’t guess exactly what would happen in the end, or who was writing the letters. It was an interesting premise... but I didn’t find Ruth as a character someone I could root for. All these awful things happen to her and part of me things she made it so much worse every single time!