Thank you to NetGalley for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited and confused as to why Adele Parks was releasing 2 books so close to each other (Just My Luck and this one) and then I realised this book wasn’t new, just a re-release from 20 years ago and I had already read it!
I was left disappointed. You can definitely tell how Adele’s style has changed and her writing has improved over the years and this was no where near as good as her books usually are.
Lies, Lies, Lies was the last book of Adele’s I read and it was like this book had been written by a different person.
My best advice would be to read this authors newer books as this is not her best work, Adele Parks is a fantastic author who has clearly got better over the last 20 years!

I recieved a free digital copy from the publishers through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinipns expressed are my own and given freely.

I read this book in two sittings in less than 24 hours... Why? Because i wanted to finish because i found the book incredibly disappointing. Not only was the storyline rubbish and not well spaced and timed it was truly boring.

Luke was the best character and honestly i hated him at the end... What a way to ruin someone else's wedding than to take back your adulterous, estranged wife in your best man speech.
Connie was pathetic and she was so annoying and stupid that i couldn't even enjoy her character growth, which was rushed compared to the rest of the story which seemed to crawl by.
There was nothing remotely exciting about Connie having an affair, there was nothing attractive about her lover nor was there anything attractive about the idea of adultery

I also really hated the long chapters... They seemed to go on and on, and never get anywhere.

This being my second read by Adele i probably won't be reading another, her writing style is not for me

I enjoy Adele Parks writing and recently finished Lies, Lies, Lies, so I was excited to see another new book so soon… turns out it’s not so new! First released 20 years ago you can definitely tell how Adele’s style has changed and her writing has improved over the years.

This will transform you back to the ’90s though and the lives of four friends who have known each other for many years. Their lives are in different places and I am unsure how realistic it is that they spend so much time together. They all greatly admire Connie and Luke which feels bit unnatural but perhaps they are living love’s young dream, that is until Connie’s eyes are turned by the stunning John Harding.

While not my favourite of her books, and feeling a little predictable, I still found myself wanting more and to see what happened next. It was nice to find that Lies, Lies, Lies is effectively the third in this story following the same four friends and I found myself moving onto the second in the series (that isn’t written as a series in a conventional way!) and I moved directly onto Young Wives’ Tales!

Thanks to Netgalley for the copy of this books. Parks is one of my favourite authors. She writes engaging fun & great books. Unfortunately for me this wasn't one of them. The main character wasn't likeable & I felt that the book dragged on a bit too much. The ending genuinely surprised me as it is not one I would have expected

Having recently read Adele Parks', Lies Lies Lies but missed Playing Away when it was originally released in 2000, I was excited to read this book - the story of Connie - a woman who on the surface has everything; a loving husband, a great home and the perfect host of perfect parties with her beautiful friends. When Connie meets John however, she is tempted to do something she never thought she was capable of, and starts an affair that very quickly spirals out of control. Is John her destiny? Did she marry the wrong person?

I wanted to love this book, and granted to some extent I did. I certainly didn't want to stop reading. Completing the book in a day, I was invested in the plot and wanted to see where it lead me, with some unexpected twists and moments that took me off guard. However, the biggest issue I have with this book is the ending, I didn't like how it concluded. With a bit of a 'REALLY?' moment at the end. I felt disappointed., I didn't feel it was what Connie deserved, and it all just felt a bit too easy, too simple and too 'chick flick' for me - part of the reasons many women have unrealistic expectations of marriage and romance is that men are never quite like they are in a book or in the movies, and for me, this felt like another example of this.
Lots of build up, but not the ending I would have chosen.

Playing Away by Adele Parks
I rate this book 3.5 stars
Imagine the sexiest man you can think of. He's disrespectful, confident and completely unscrupulous. He's about to destroy Connie's peace of mind and her plan for living happily every after with her husband Luke.
This is my 2nd time of reading this. The book explores cheating, relationships and friendships.An easy,enjoyable,chick lit,sexy read. Definitely one for the ladies!
Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publishers.

I love Adele Parks books but this one was definitely not one of my favourites. I was not surprised to learn it was written almost twenty years ago because Adele’s writing style has definitely developed

Luke and Connie are the envy of their friends because of their perfect marriage and evident love for each other. This all changes when Connie meets John Harding at a work conference. Flattered by his attention she begins an affair with him and seems to lose all control of herself.

The graphic descriptions of their encounters to me were unnecessary and took away from the storyline. Connie came across as selfish and immature. Luke was long suffering and in my view deserved more than his selfish wife.

This novel was not my favourite but I will definitely continue to read Adele’s books as I have enjoyed all her others that I have read .

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for my chance to read this book

Playing Away by Adele Parks
⭐️⭐️

Luke and Connie are the model marriage- the one that all their friends aspire to be. But when Connie meets John Harding at a work conference she enjoys the attention she receives from him. Connie leads herself to believe that she could have a life with John and begins to pursue the relationship.

This book is shocking. So predictable, boring writing style and I did not connect with the characters. Do not waste your time.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC

I have been reading Adele Parks for years so I was somewhat surprised to hear Playing Away was written twenty years ago. In all honesty if this had been the first book of hers I had read I am not sure I would have continued reading her books. Connie, as the main character comes across as selfish and egotistical. Her husband, Luke is extremely long suffering and Connie treats him badly. As we start the story it would appear that Connie has everything she wants, good friends, a loving husband and a nice house in London. These are the things most people aspire to but Connie is not content and starts an affair with John who appears to be totally without morals. He has none of the charm that Luke has and yet she falls head over heels. Much of the story is a graphic description of the torrid sex they are having. I don’t think I am a prude but after a bit I found this quite boring. I think some of this at least could have been left to the imagination. I normally love Adele’s writing and think as she has got older she has come up with some wonderful plots full of intrigue and mystery so although this was not my favourite I will continue to read her books. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Gosh I read this book 20 years ago – wow! Still just as good, this was my first read by Adele Parks and it took me back to being on holiday too, as this was when I first read it!

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is not my usual genre, I’m more into crime/thriller books and even psychological thrillers too so I am extremely pleased and grateful to them for opening up my mind to something totally different.

I enjoyed this very much. 4 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Connie is married to Luke and surrounded by good friends. Her job is not the most exciting but it keeps her going. She is plodding along doing the same things every week, working, shopping, drinking and being with Luke but her life is not that exciting. This is, until she meets John Harding! He becomes a colleague when their businesses merge and he is gorgeous and sexy!! And he wants Connie! A trip to Paris brings them together and an affair starts. She then gets on the rollercoaster, she spends her time trying to catch Johns attention and wanting to see him. Her friends notice something is up and eventually all have a say in her life.
The story follows the fallout from an affair, how does it affect the person, the spouse and the people around them. I didn't particularly like Connie, she was a very selfish character but it was a good read
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for the change my to read and review.
This book has been republished as it is 20 years since the first release.
To be honest I found it crude and dated and I really disliked the main characters and the writing style.
I managed to funky and actually the last few chapters were actually quite good and it made me think they were written at a different time.

I absolutely adore this author and this book has been no different.
This is another book I have devoured in just one sitting. It has gripped me and been impossible to put down. I have loved every page from beginning to end.

I have to admit, this wasn't my favourite book from this author.

I struggled with it at times.

The characters weren't very likeable and the story just seemed to drag in places.

I wouldn't call it a romance, more what not to do to get/keep a man!

Connie and Luke have been happily married for 9 months and are still in their “Honeymoon Period.” At a work conference after heavily drinking, she shamelessly flirts with John Harding, their companies are merging so they will be soon working alongside each other. Can she face John again?

Luke and Connie’s close friends look up to their relationship and hope to find their own soul mates. When Connie starts an affair with John and tells her closest friend she is horrified that she would risk such a loving relationship, but Connie is completely hooked by John’s sex appeal.

From the start I hated John’s sexist, very childish attitude to sex and relationships hoping Connie quickly bores of their sexual liaisons.

When her friends find out about the affair, it soon affects the dynamics of their friendship. Can Connie be convinced that what she is doing is wrong!!

Although this is not one of my favourite Adele Parkes books, I still enjoyed it.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

Playing Away by Adele Parks a five-star read that will set your world on fire. I am so surprised that this is the 20th year anniversary of this story, I loved it the first time, and I loved it the second time just as much. The first time I read this story, I hadn’t long turned 20 and was shopping in Cardiff and when it started raining I went into a bookshop and picked up three books, they had a 3 for 2 offer on and I took a chance on this one. I had always been a reader but in the previous couple of years I hadn’t read much, this book changed that and I started my journey into the voracious reader I am now, reading this the second time just raised a fire in me again. It even pushed me to do something I never thought I would and started a blog just for me with a pseudonym with the surname of a character from this novel. This current climate and pandemic have just pushed me too far, and I was starting to lose the enjoyment I got out of reading, but once again this story lit a fire in me and made me love reading once again. I will be picking up all those Adele Parks novels again and giving them, another read. Connie Green taught me that you don’t have to be likable to be liked and your life is your own to lead, I hope that she now gets to give another generation of young people some hope.

I’m an Adele Parks fan but had never read this book the first time round! Wow it was very sexy..... believable characters and storylines ( showing how easy it could be to be drawn into an affair) I loved Luke and hated John so for me the ending was perfect! Keep on writing....

I read this book many years ago and I throughly enjoyed it. It was lovely to re-read it.
I adore Adele Parks’ writing and books. I’m a huge fan.
Thank you to both NetGalley and publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review

This was a wonderful novel with characters that draw you right in and don’t let go. The storyline flowed seamlessly and kept me glued to the pages. This was the debut novel of Adele Parks, who never disappoints. Highly recommended!