Carrie is a successful TV producer in a high pressure job. She is talented, liked and well-respected. She and her husband, Adrian, an award-winning screenwriter, decided years ago that they did not want to have children. But now, as they are both hitting the peak of their careers, Carrie discovers she is pregnant and is shocked to realise she wants to keep the baby. But in a competitive industry where time off is seen as a sign of weakness, Carrie regards the prospect of maternity leave with trepidation. Enter Emma, the temp, who is everything Carrie could wish for as a cover: smart, willing and charming. Carrie fears that Emma is manoeuvring her way into her life, causing turmoil in her marriage and work. The problem is everybody else adores her increasingly isolated from Adrian and her colleagues, Carrie begins to suspect that Emma has an agenda, or is she just being paranoid?

‘The Temp’ is a delight to read, incredibly engaging for the reader and I was engrossed in the story from beginning to end. This has been billed as a thriller and whilst there are some thriller threads running through, it is not a true thriller. Instead, we have a detailed read focusing on three central characters and the suspicion that engulfs their lives, they are all engaging and whilst not especially likeable they are realistic and there are traits that as a reader can be supported. Despite not fitting into its given genre there is still something in this that kept me engrossed and kept me wanting to know more.

Frances explores a very real issue of mothers working and does so with aplomb and sensitivity whilst still creating an exciting read. I for one, was taken in by the suspicion surrounding Emma and enjoyed the process of Frances revealing the truth. This brings me to my next point that the plot is incredibly clichéd. I had pretty much every twist worked out early on as I thought there was only one conceivable resolution and I was proved to be right. Now, this is not a massive problem as like I say it works well for the plot and it did not necessarily detract from my enjoyment but again this is another reason that ‘The Temp’ is not a true thriller.

I have touched on the characters already but I must emphasise how perfect a character Carrie is, yes she is not one hundred percent likeable but she feels real and the decisions she makes are credible, Carrie is the only one that I was rooting for throughout. Adrian and Emma are good characters and fit in well to the book but some of the decisions are beyond ridiculous and they lost a bit of credibility for me. I did enjoy the overall effect that Frances is going for, exploring the changing relationships between Carrie, Adrian and Emma, they are an intriguing trio and reading about their lives provided nothing but pleasure.

‘The Temp’ is an engrossing read, exploring the relationship between a working mother and child and the complications that arise from work. ‘The Temp’ is a book saved by the wonderful character creations of Frances.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an advance copy.

Well, of all the outcomes I had in my head for how this one was going to play out, I never quite envisaged it happening quite like that!
Set in the world of television, we follow Adrian and Carrie, married writer-producer duo, and Emma, the temp that is brought on board as maternity cover when Carrie finds she is pregnant. Carrie is worried that Emma will either stink and ruin things or that she will be brilliant and totally usurp her - kinda damned if you do... So she keeps a close eye on the two of them and it isn't long before her hackles are up and she starts to get really worried for both her job and her marriage.
This book was a bit of a slow burn for me, but then that's how the story needs to be told. There is a lot to get to grips with before the reveal will have the impact that it does and so sadly it is a necessary evil that just needs to be accepted. But please, if you do feel it is dragging a bit for you, stick with it, trust me, when it goes boom, it delivers a big bang and a fair few aftershocks to accompany it.
Where do I start with the characters... Well, I pretty much hated all of them. Not my people, definitely. Emma was a bit whiny but then I guess with parents like hers you can't really blame her for acting like she does at times. Carrie and Adrian, well, he was just obnoxiously horrible and she was, well, I'm not sure, I never did get to grips with her. Maybe it was the hormones!?
The plot was well crafted and, on the whole, also well executed. It was set in a world of which I knew nothing so that in itself was interesting, the power games, the fawning, the pretence, the backbiting and stabbing, and the masks they all wear. All a bit false on the face of things. Definitely a cut throat world. But intriguing nevertheless. It also held my attention quit well, especially in the latter stages.
All in all, a good second book to follow The Girlfriend which I also enjoyed. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I think this books stroryline is much better than the blurb (which doesn’t seem to me to quite sum up what the story is about). Definitely worth a read!

Thoroughly engrossing, rollercoaster of a read! Is Emma she trying to steal Carries life????? Read it to find out!

This story tells of Carrie and her Husband Adrian. They are both flying high in their careers at the top of the TV industry, as a producer and screenwriter. Along comes Emma who wants to be part of it all. Initially covering for Carrie at work, Emma weaves her way into their lives, both at home and professionally. As the story unfolds we find out just what Emma is after.
Having read and really enjoyed The Girlfriend by Michelle Francis, I was keen to read her next book. Unfortunately, for me this book didn’t stand up as well as her first. I found the lead characters difficult to engage with and I didn’t particularly like them. I though the plot was unique, but it just dragged on for too long and in the main was rather flat. I struggled to finish it and found myself skimming over some pages.

If you enjoy a slow paced psychological thriller then The Temp is for you. It’s a good read and a book of quarters. The first three a slow burner and the last fast paced.

I was a bit disappointed in this book. The blurb had me intrigued, but I don't feel that it lived up to its potential. Although it was a enjoyable read, certain parts were a bit far-fetched, and I had worked out what was going on within the first few chapters.

Another great read from Michelle Frances. From the synopsis I thought I knew where the story was going but it kept me guessing and had a twist I didn't see coming. Loved it and can't wait for the next one.

Having adored The Girlfiend, I couldn’t wait to read The Temp. Carrie is a high flying tv producer, who unexpectedly finds herself pregnant and realises she is happy and wants to continue with the pregnancy. However, she has worries about her career stalling due to maternity leave. Her temporary replacement, Emma the temp, steps in and everybody loves her. It seems she is talking over Carries life, but is it all in Carries head? A brilliant twisting tale that really keeps you guessing.

This was OK, I did finish it but by the end I was skim reading really, since I'd figured out the 'twist' half way through and found that I wasn't really feeling any empathy for any of the thoroughly unlikeable characters. The setting wasn't overly appealing and the style a little superficial. Have read far better.

A first for me by this author but will be looking for her other title.

This book has a good plot and well developed characters. Adrian is not a very likeable character and I found myself rooting for Carrie all the way through the book. I loved how her bond with her son continued to develop and she starts to realise just what kind of a person Adrian is.
As the story unfolds there are many twists and turns which will keep you guessing.

It’s rollercoaster of a read with ups and downs, full of twists and turns you really don’t see coming!

A well written, entertaining story which I can recommend if you like fast paced thrillers. I particularly liked the character of 'Carrie. I didn't see the end coming and thought it was a great twist.

Thoroughly gripping story that by the last quarter had me on the edge of my seat while I saw how everything unfurled.

To start with this feels like a nice reasonably gentle women's fiction novel, about a couple who are having a baby, but the father is rather reluctant, and the mother is fearing for her job while she is on maternity leave. All issues that people face on a regular basis.

However it soon becomes apparent that there is something just isn't quite right with Emma, the temp, yes she is amazing at her job but I found it hard to warm to her. I wasn't too keen on her parents either who just didn't understand their daughter.

As events unfold, the tension ramps up, and its becomes a more compelling read, and slightly unsettling, as everything was a bit too realistic and easy to believe!

With each chapter, the focus was on a different character, so we did get to know all the main protagonists, especially Carrie and Emma very well. I'm not sure how much I particularly liked anyone apart from Carrie who I did enjoy but the others weren't horrible, they were just harder to like, and the reasons do become apparent as you read.

This was the first book I have read by the author and I would be tempted to read more. The writing really drew me in and I'm sure accounted to my disturbed sleep, last night!

This was a very good book, which for most of the first half I wasn't too surprised by but then the second half ramped it up a notch and I was completely wrong footed with the outcomes.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pan for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

I absolutely loved the author's first book The Girlfriend, and while I enjoyed The Temp, I felt it didn't quite live up to her first book. The Temp is well written and keeps you reading and I would certainly recommend it if you enjoy twisty thrillers. However, it was perhaps the subject matter, that of the world of television writing and production that didn't engage me as much as other settings might. The main characters were all pretty flawed which always makes for an interesting story, but I felt if they had just spoken to each other and admitted their true feelings and motivations, things could have been resolved an awful lot quicker!
I thought the character of Carrie, struggling with an unexpected pregnancy in her 40s, was extremely well written, I really felt for her when she was expected to cope with a newborn baby basically on her own, at the same time as keeping her career afloat. I would certainly read more from this author.

I'm sorry but this book just didn't do anything for me at all. I read it to the end but it was a struggle. I found myself turning the pages in the hope it would take off. But nothing really happened until three quarters of the way through. Too slow for me.

I read Michelle's first book The Girlfriend last year and loved it. I was really pleased to see that she had a new one out and couldn't wait to read it.
I really enjoyed The Temp, it kept me reading any spare moment I had and was pretty gripping till the end.
It's a chilling psychological thriller with several twists in the tale and fabulously flawed characters, just the kind of story I love.
I was completely wrapped up in this book and if you like psychological thrillers I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this one. After two brilliant books, I can't wait to see what the author comes up with next.

Thank you!

I loved The Girlfriend so was keen to read Michelle's new book.. It is a completely different kind of story but equally good. Highly recommended

The Temp by Michelle Frances was a thriller about the makers of a television show. The writer with a big ego, his wife the producer who has just had a baby and is jealous of the temp who is very ambitious and has taken her place. It has a few twists and turns in the story.
I found this story very slow moving and I didn't like the characters at all.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

A rollercoaster of a book. Page turning frenzy - such strong characters and lots of twists and turns. This book was fab

Excellent story. Wonderful characters and plot line. I really enjoyed it. I would recommend this book.