Unfortunately this is just one of those books I struggled with. I kept picking it up reading a bit and putting it back down. I just couldn’t engage with it.

I didn’t bond with the main character Annie it just didn’t work for me. The writing is good. I think it was just the fact the story didn’t pull me in.

I will look out for whatever the author writes next. This is just my opinion I am sure many others will enjoy it as we know that books are subjective.

So this was totally unexpected - I loved this. Really really interesting and highly recommend! It went above my expectations!

The book begins as Anna is meeting someone in subterfuge. The book then fast forwards three years. Without giving anything away this part of the book is then repeated at the end so it felt like some kind of deja vu when I got to the end of the book. It also slightly spoiled the book for me as when the tension was building I was aware of what was going to happen near the end of the book.

The book then reverts back to Anna's earlier life when she had just left Uni and has a sub heading of "Then". At this point I felt the book got a little too drawn out and I thought I was going to struggle to stay with it. Eventually the plot turned into more of a spy type thriller and at times I was on the edge of my seat, but then the beginning of the book would come back to me. It felt a little like an episode of Star Trek, when you know nothing will ever happen to the main characters just those who have a walk on part.

Somewhere around part three of the book there was so much double, treble crossing that I got really confused about who was working for who and what was actually happening. Then came the ending - apart from the bit from the beginning of the book, there is a twist and then what felt like falling into a black hole. I have been trying to reconcile it in my mind - what did it mean? I've re read it and I'm no clearer with it, just wondering if there is a follow up book maybe?

It has taken me a while to be able to write this review because I have such mixed feelings about it. I was happy with the writing, but cared little for Anna or David. They were both so self absorbed in their own worlds and most of the supporting characters were too.

A well written thriller with plenty of twists and turns. Fell a little flat in places and the ending with left too open for my liking, but still a great read.

Thank you to Charlotte Philby, Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for the ARC of THE MOST DIFFICULT THING..
I really enjoyed the premise of this novel, but there were a few things that didn't quite chime. Anna seemed to be an intelligent, forward thinking woman with an enviable job, but she allowed herself to be put in danger by Harry. Okay, he was a kind of Svengali she fell for, but she married a man she didn't love and had his children to find out what his father was up to in his business dealings. On the face of it, it would seem far-fetched, yet we know people do some odd things for love, and in her defence, once she was in it up to her neck she didn't know how to get out. Also, David's death was kind of a shock, not in terms of his death, but one minute she's hunting for a receipt in her father-in-law's study, then she's at David's funeral.I had to go back and re-read it because I didn't know where I was. or if I'd got something wrong.. I'm not saying this novel wasn't good. It was. I enjoyed the spy thing and trying to work things out. I just think maybe some of this could be made clearer. Even with that it deserves 4 stars.

I have to confess I have slightly mixed feelings about this book. Part domestic drama, part spy thriller, there is much to like about this book - it is well written, with well developed characters and strong descriptive writing, as well as an intriguing story line. The book is well structured, told from alternative points of view through Anna, the main character, a successful journalist, mothers of twins and husband to David who works for his family firm, and Maria, nanny to the family and a childhood friend of David.

It drew me in from the beginning and for the most part it kept me engaged right to the end, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. However, at times I found it a little frustrating - the plot was almost too drawn out at times and I found myself somewhat confused as to what was going on and whose side people were on. The ending was also rather too open-ended for my taste, leaving many questions unanswered. If there is to be a follow up I would certainly read it and liked it enough to ensure I am interested to see where this author goes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for a copy of this novel.

I loved this, you got to hear two different versions of the truth, however the ending is far too open, even I cannot read between the lines.

Great premise and build up, excellent writing – as you’d expect from Philby – unfortunately the dismount was flawed. That ending just fell a bit flat for me. I would still recommend it because it’s so well written and the rest of the book is intriguing and compelling.

I am sure some readers will love this book which is written in an engaging way but it just didn’t thrill me at all.
I read it in one long hot summer day out with the grandkids ( they were busy so I had some peace) but if it hadn’t been such an easy sort of day I may have given up on it. The ending I hav3 to say was too vague for me.

I expected a lot from Charlotte Philby and she did not disappoint. A well written thriller, although the end was a bit disappointing. If you enjoy spy novels do give this a try, it is interesting and very readable.

Read in a day on holiday - perfect reading for this. Very compelling, a real page turner.

But what was that ending?!!!

Intriguing premise, but I gave up on this one about a third of the way through. The writing was good, I just couldn't warm to the main character.

The Most Difficult Thing by Charlotte Philby
This book is an interesting combination of a domestic drama and a spy novel and with its author being the granddaughter of Kim Philby the spy element is to be expected. Also a book which hooks you and keeps you reading as you attempt to unravel the mysteries of the lives of Anna and Maria. The characters are extremely well drawn and you are emotionally involved in their drama.
The first part of the novel focuses on Anna and is told from her view point we then get a different perspective on the story as Maria takes over the story and we see events from her viewpoint. There are some very good twists and the end of the novel leaves you mulling events over in your head. Many thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

The Most Difficult Thing was a compelling, gripping read - full of twists and double bluffs - a good one for fans of Carolyn Martyns in Killing Eve, and the layers of complexity in MI6! I really enjoyed a female spy protagonist and how Philby portrayed the blurred lines between the different faces we present to the public. Also one for fans of Douglas Kennedy. A great holiday read.

There was some great writing in this book but I just didn't get on with the storyline and found it hard to relate to the central characters. They just weren't very likeable. As for the end, I found it very unsatisfying. If you liked Gillian Flynn's 'Gone Girl' you will probably like this. Sorry, this one is not for me.

Having read the synopsis for this book, I was really looking forward to reading this book. Unfortunately, it never lived up to my expectations for a number reasons.

Firstly, I took a severe disliking to the main character who is self-centred to the extent that despite having a husband and young family her attention is purely fixated on her own needs.

Then there is the espionage element of the plot line which to say is confusing is an understatement. Essentially, Anna’s boyfriend at the time Harry persuaded her to act as a spy to bring down her future father in laws business empire. It’s hard to understand who Harry is working for, what the aim of the organisation is, why they are paying Anna these large sums of money. At first we are led to believe that Harry works for a government intelligence agency, which appears to be what Harry is thinking, but then this changes near the end of the book.

The ending was disappointing as there were a number of unanswered questions, which makes me think there will be a follow up book, which despite my negative review I will probably read it as this book had the potential of being really good.

The positives are the book was well written and the character descriptions were good.

I’d like to thank NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book. (less)

I loved this book.

This is perfect for fans of big little lies, which i was a huge fan of.

It is a thrilling read. It was so captivating and did not take me long to get through.

It was weird that I could see traits in the characters of people around me, but I like being able to relate to books.

I really liked this and cannot wait for more by the author.

An excellent debut!

Such promise from a writer with an interesting background. Unfortunately being the granddaughter of the notorious spy, Kim Philby, does not guarantee a good result.

Anna, Meg and David have been friends since meeting at university; David, shunning his father's successful company goes to work in the City, whilst the girls work at a fashion magazine. David is obviously smitten with Anna, but she's oblivious, and once Harry is on the scene David has no chance as Anna becomes besotted with Harry. Meanwhile Meg mysteriously packs her bag and takes off with no explanation.....and Anna and David get together. Hang on – what? Yes, Anna and David get it together and produce twin daughters, but all the while Anna has been leading a double life – spying on David's father's company which is involved in Dirty Dealings. But who is her Handler? Harry, who disappears more often than a rabbit down a burrow.

I struggled with this book. Anna is probably one of the most unsympathetic and unlikeable characters I've come across; she is so self-absorbed, so pathetic and self-pitying, it's all about Anna. I found it difficult to accept that, given her lack of interest in David, she would dive into a relationship with him and produce children. She fails to bond with them and is so lacking in anything but self-pity, I could have hit her. No wonder David is moody and unpredictable, one minute declaring his love for her, the next speaking to her in a most disparaging way.

The book is written from two points of view – Anna, and Maria, a young Greek woman, who has known David since they were both children, and is now working as a nanny for the Anna's children, because Anna Can't Cope. All is not what it seems with Maria, who is obviously also leading a double life. The construction is odd as there are endless short chapters all headed Anna, followed by the same for Maria. Certain phrases and terminology irked me, as did occasional clunky writing.

One would think that given the themes of this book: domestic thriller, spies, and the odd bit of romance chucked in, you'd have an interesting book, but I found it boring and confusing, hopping about with no warning, nothing in the text to indicate that certain bits are memories. It actually feels as though two people have written this, as the beginning was really attention-grabbing. Unfortunately the author(s) couldn't sustain it and by the time I got to the third part I skimming through to the end, which was a disappointing fizzle and left me thinking Ms Philby struggled to find a suitable ending.

This book is about as exciting as clipping your toenails.

I was surprised by how much this book hooked me. All the other reviews of this I've seen either tend to be very positive, or very negative, and I can see both points of view. The positive aspect, is that the protagonists are very well rounded, three dimensional, and intriguing. They reel you in with their good intentions but push you away with their bad decisions. It's a constant to-and-fro of liking and not liking them, and you spend the entire book unsure of what's going to happen. This for me is a great thing, because I like to be surprised. I don't enjoy predictability in my books, and the ambiguous ending didn't disappoint.

Now for the negatives - it's a bit of a whirlwind. You have to accept this new state of unsurity to truly enjoy this book. If you're someone who likes things tied up in neat bows, this is not the book for you. There are moments where it jumps from one situation to another seemingly random one, until you read on and discover why. There's a LOT of jumping between time periods and at times it can get a bit difficult to keep up, but that might be the point of the book. To keep you in that constant state of confusion, the same thing that Anna feels throughout.

I think I liked this book, but I'm not really sure. It kept me hooked throughout but I can't recall what it is about the book that did that. It's a confusing one. It is well written and easy to visualize the locations, and the characterization remains constant throughout, and there was a clever ending, but it doesn't leave you feeling satisfied.

3/5 stars.

One to read on the beach perhaps? Maybe not the most believable of stories but the intrigue and secrecy draws you in but at the same time you think 'really'. I did enjoy it though.