Overall I enjoyed the book. I wanted to DNF somewhere around 25% as it was super slow and wasn't keeping me focused. I stuck it out, and about halfway or so, it drew me back in and ended up being really good. It was set during the pandemic, and I don't really enjoy reading about that, but still found it an enjoyable book with twists and turns

The book is absolutely gripping and unputdownable. The uber rich setting with mysterious characters is perfect. Love the setting of Cutters Neck, Massachusetts. So a lot of things happens in this book and the intricate details matters a lot. Conor O’Toole is a recent law graduate, his mother is chronically ill. He is struggling to get a job so he accepts the summer job of teaching tennis. Free lodging is too appealing to decline. Catherine is a divorcee and she hires him but when things go horribly wrong with her, Connor gets tangled in the unthinkable happenings, secrets and suspense. Things become complicated and chaotic and take a different turn. While with Emily, he shares a real bond. But Connor didn’t think things will get this complicated and they will tangle him in the perilous web.

Thanks to the Publisher and Author

This is a quick and entertaining read about a young law grad who finds himself in a complicated situation.
The writing style was engaging in the beginning, becoming a bit plain for my taste, and then being engaging again in some chapters.
The pace and the tone are slightly uneven. I enjoyed the introduction to this gated, privileged community with the pandemic at the backdrop, and also the introduction to the characters. I did not read the later chapters as a thriller - though, the plot is cinematic. What kept me going was I wondered what will become of the MC. Hence, it is fair to say that, I enjoyed the character study and the revelations, however, there is a case to solve, lies to be told, sex to be made, and a liar to be invented.
I did not root for any of the characters, but to explore them from afar was mostly fun. Funnily, on a personal note, I read this a week or so after I saw the film, Challengers, and could not help but draw parallels between some of the themes. They are very different in essence though, yet the coincidence made this book more memorable in my mind alongside the writer’s craft.
Story 3.5 stars
Characters ranging from 3-4.5
The ending/resolution 3.5
The writing, although uneven, still kept me reading 4
Overall, thriller lovers would like this plenty. 3.5-4.5 stars

An interesting read about an insider finding a life in the world of privilege. We learn about the struggles of the character and why he needs to do what he does. We see his view of privilege and how he feels the lack of opportunities and wealth stack up against him as he works what he has to get a leg up. We see both his dilemma and what he's prepared to do in order to make the best of what he has.

While it's a bit of a slow burn in the beginning it peaks up and races midway. It's a mix of both literary fiction and thrillers and mixes it up well.

Thank you HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, The Borough Press and NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange of my unbiased review.

I genuinely think the twist ruined what was a perfectly interesting novel. Teddy Wayne could've leaned into the moral conundrum a bit, made things tougher and tighter for Conor, the working class boy ought of his depth in a gated community in Massachusetts. Instead, the twist changes the whole nature of the novel and it becomes more of the same stuff one has read in the past, which is a real pity because the three principal characters are extremely interesting.

Conor is a poor law graduate without the social contacts or the benefits of having "gone to the right school" to give him any prospect of easing himself into a job with a top legal firm. With no job and a diabetic mother back in New York who he wants to help financially he takes a summer job as a tennis teacher in an exclusive Massachusetts gated community.
He's immediately drawn into a steamy "Mrs Robinson" type relationship with one of his students, middle-aged divorcee Catherine, a lady who knows what she wants........and is willing to pay for it. When he meets Emily,a young woman of his own generation,he's smitten and ,unknown to either woman, he's soon juggling 2 very different relationships .............then things get really complicated with tragic results.

This is an enjoyable read with 3 damaged main characters circling around each other in a web of deceit , 1 is one of life's victims while the other 2 deserve each other,neither being particularly pleasant people.
Conor is a poor man amongst the entitled rich and this is a theme in the book,he knows that they have the advantage in every way,from employment opportunities right through to how the police treat them and leaves him with a very big chip on his shoulder.
An entertaining read,with a clever plot,a lot of sex and a main character who gives Tom Ripley a goof run for his money.

This looks so good! It gives not only White Lotus vibes but also Salt Butn as well. I absolutely cannot wait to share my thoughts on this! Please keep an eye out for a full review. Perfect summer beach book or book club pick

I expected this to be more about social commentary but it switches into a murder/psychological thriller. The pacing is slow at the start and I struggled to believe the change in Connor over a few months from normal guy to the kind of privileged 'winner' he ends up. With hindsight, the Talented Mr Ripley vibe is flagged in the blurb but feels less slick and tense than in the Highsmith original.