The Pretenders starts off slow. Give it a little time and the characters draw you in. During the course of one day the characters have to own up to their secrets.

This book had me engaged almost from the start. All of the characters have secrets that are slowly revealed as the book evolves. Some are small and some are big but all have interesting impacts on the other characters. Highly recommended.

Ovidia and Edmund have made arrangements for their Saturday in Spring but their plans are to be thwarted when Edmund's brother, Jasper and new fiancée, Holly decide to pay Edmund an impromptu visit to celebrate their recent engagement, inviting friends Anne and John along, too. The Pretenders follows the six friends over the course of one day, with flashbacks over several years, as long-held secrets are uncovered.

Little by little revelations are made, concealments surface and lies are exposed. The tension gradually builds and I soon found myself rapidly flipping the pages in my desperation to find out what was happening and what had occurred. Agatha Zaza's fresh, sharp writing style worked for me and the story included some convincing shocks along the way. A dark and compelling family-drama-style thriller that I highly recommend and a really great début to boot!

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Agora Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Did not realize this was the author's first book until after I read it. She writes like a pro. Story line was engaging. I thought it was going to be a thriller, but the story line was more thought provoking as we learned more and more about each character, their secrets and how they were intertwined with each other.

Got through about 50%. Found this one really boring. Nothing happens really. Edmund and Ovidia are strange characters as are the rest of their family and friends. Whilst this was well written, there was too much dialogue,no action and no real plot. Sadly not for me and I was unable to continue.

🌟🌟.5

This is an okay book but it's not that great. I mean there are too many point of views and it's confusing as hell lol More than 3 pov goshhh!!!

I don't understand why Edmund date his brother's ex and hide their relationship eventho he know what she did to his brother. I was like damn this is fucked up!!

I finished this book to find out what happened to Edmund and her gf because I don't understand why they act like that. Duhh I still don't like them! Or any of the characters in this story.


Thank you Netgalley, publisher and author for The Pretenders ARC!

This was slow to start but worth sticking with. The slow unfurling of secrets and lies was fascinating and well done albeit a little heavy-going in places.

I found this book very confusing from the start. I struggled with it but I persevered and found it an interesting story. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers and the author for the privilege to read this book for my honest opinion

Initially I found this book slow to start but once I got into the swing of things, I really started to enjoy it. I’d say this whole book was a slow burn as it didn’t really pick up the pace for me, but it will still an easy read with great character development. I wouldn’t call this a thriller as some people have. I picked the main ‘twist’/secret straight away, but the story was still intriguing as I wanted to see it all unfold. I enjoyed reading about each couple and watching their secrets and histories unfold.

I enjoyed how the story moved from past to present and how Agatha Zaza used this to introduce the characters and slowly reveal their lives as the story progressed. I was a little underwhelmed with the ending as it wasn’t what I had hoped for – Yes, I was looking for a happy ending. Overall a good read with great character development. I will definitely be picking up more books by Zaza in the future.

I’m on the fence with this book, the premise was interesting but I found the writing style and character development confusing.

Not a great story at all. None of their secrets were anything big or crazy except for the main characters which turned out to be a bad ending and pretty much non existent. I skimmed through most of this book as I knew it wasnt going to be that interesting.

I found it difficult to grasp what was happening or more importantly why it was happening. While reading I felt like I didn’t get what was going on, not sure if that was the aim of the plot but it had me questioning everything and feeling like I had missed something. I did finish the book and looked forward to picking it up each night however it wasn’t as enjoyable as I would of liked as I just found it a strange read.

At 25% of the way through nothing had happened/I had no idea what was happening. Not in a tense or thrilling way, but in a bored way that lead me to not finish the book. Edmund is supposed to be mysterious and seems to be having somewhat of a mental breakdown, but the plot didn't develop anywhere near enough to keep me intrigued or invested. His partner Ovidia that no one else seemed to know about is a gorgeous black woman which is overemphasized and somewhat grotesquely described. She's also the past lover of one of the other brothers which is weird, and I just didn't understand why anyone acted the way they did, nor did I care enough to continue to find out.

Love the concept but the writing wasn't strong enough for so many characters and stories. I kept thinking "surely we are near the end" but then I'd be like a third in. A better editor could have helped I think. It just went on and on and the ending was satisfying enough to be worth the slog it took to get there.

An interesting read with a strong storyline and a range of credible characters.
I liked the way each of their stories and secrets unravelled over the course of the book, with a steady pace.
I certainly had no expectations as to where the story would go when I started it and was pleasantly surprised. A slightly different read from usual, which made it refreshing.
But I would have liked a bit more depth and insight into the taboo subjects. ***no spoilers here***
I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and independent review.

The Pretenders is well written by Agatha Zaza, but it isn't a read for me. I am not sure who the audience is for this one, but I just didn't love it enough to finish it.

Thank you to Agora Books and NetGalley for the Reader's Copy!

Now available.

Part dramatic comedy, part romantic tragedy, part family drama, "The Pretenders" has a bit of everything for everyone. When Jasper surprises his reclusive brother Edmund with the news of his engagement, he ends up uncovering a lot more than he expected. Along for the ride are his fiance Holly, his best friend John and his uptight wife Anne. What starts as a group of acquaintances quickly evolves into a tangled web of deception, romance and deeply held secrets.

One of the things that amazed me is the timespan Zaza covers in this book. All the central action occurs in a single evening but the book itself spans over ten years. An ultimate indictment of our "polite" society, Zaza mimes what happens when the gloves come off. If you enjoyed the Netflix show Lovesick, then this is the right book for you.

Absolutely brilliant from beginning to end. I just wanted more of the book cos I enjoyed it so much.

When Jasper and his friends drop in on his brother Edmund one Saturday morning, all Jasper wants is to share the good news of his engagement to Holly. But when he discovers his abusive ex-girlfriend Ovidia is now living with Edmund, Jasper’s mood starts to change. Edmund is also battling his own problems, and the happy outing soon turns sour. Will life ever be the same for any of the group?

The Pretenders took a while to get going. It’s a rather complicated telling of the story, with many unanswered questions for much of the book. Most of the action takes place over a single day, with flashbacks to events in Jasper and Edmund’s lives, but it’s a day where things change for all three couples. Every character is found to be hiding something, and gradually their stories, and lives, begin to unravel.

A good book, different to many, with many twists and turns along the way.

I will start by saying i loved this book. The story revolves around 6 people whose lives are all connected from the past to the present. Some of the stories are tough to read but it is very well written. I can really recommend this book and I will look out for other books by Agatha Zara.