To celebrate his engagement to Holly, Jasper arrives unannounced at his brother Edmunds house, together with friends Anne and John.
As the reader is introduced to the couples in a fly on the wall exposé, we learn the secrets they have been keeping from one another which force them to examine their futures.
This book easily draws you into the action, which takes place over one day with occasional flashbacks. The couples lives are cleverly interwoven into strange patterns which I found uncomfortable with at times. and as the story unfurled became even darker.
This is a book I will remember.

Well, where to start with this book? It was really not what I was expecting but after a bit of a slow start as I settled in to the story I was soon drawn into the lives of brothers Jasper and Edmund. In some ways they seem very close siblings but in others they barely seem to know each other at all.
Jasper has decided to call in to surprise Edmund at his home in London to announce his engagement to girlfriend Holly. Best friend John and his wife Anne have tagged along too, having heard so much about Edmund and his high-flying career from Jasper. So when they arrive at Edmund's home something feels very off. He's sitting in his contemporary glass cube conservatory in his pyjamas and food-spattered dressing gown staring out into the garden. Hardly the successful, focused businessman they were expecting.
The enigma grows as a woman arrives at the house dressed in running gear. Her body language at first suggests that she lives here but then changes in an instant as she becomes unsure of herself and the situation she finds herself in. Meanwhile, Jasper is looking as if he's seen a ghost.
The book gradually peels back the layers of the six people's lives and we are presented with twist after shock revelation until we get to point where it all makes some kind of sense. There are quite a few triggers which people should be aware of before indulging in this book - domestic abuse and depression to mention just a couple.
This won't be a book for everyone as it's a bit of a slow burner which hits on some sensitive subject material but the style of writing is excellent and the facts are disclosed very cleverly so I would encourage people to stick with the slow introduction as it leads to a pretty shocking conclusion.

This suburban noir story takes place over a long day, which is full of discomfort, secrets coming out, pain and tragedy. None of the characters are likeable. I enjoyed hearing how their lives intertwined and their secrets unravelling. A good first book from this new author.

Three couples are celebrating an engagement. As time travels on, secrets are revealed.

Jasper has just got engaged to Holly. Anne and John also turn up at Edmunds House. But when they arrive at Edmonds, they are surprised to see that Edmund is in a relationship with Jasper's ex, Olivia.

This is the story of three couples who's deceptions and indiscretions reach a climax one night over a period of around twelve hours. The pace is steady as more and more secrets are revealed. The story touches on: love, misunderstandings, depression and abuse. There are some parts that some readers might find difficult. It's hard to believe this is a debut novel. It's well written with lots of twists.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #AgoraBooks and the author #AgathaZaza for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wasn't For Me... 🤔

Not really sure what to say about this book. I couldn't really get into it, I found it too slow throughout. Lots of secrets, toing and froing of peoples memories then present time. Personally I found it was like being stuck in the same day with a handful of characters in a tv soap. Sadly not for me.

This book follows three couples, Jasper and Holly, ready to celebrate their engagement.
John and Anne are ready to join in celebrations. Edmund and Ovidia who had different plans for their Saturday.

I liked that this book really took a deep dive into these characters. They each had a well developed personality.
It also tackled some difficult themes (TW for miscarriage, infant death and domestic abuse).
It's a deeply complex, domestic drama that takes place over one afternoon.

For me, I just felt that this book was little like wading through mud, it was a bit too complex and heavy at times, however it did deal with very complex topics so that's to be expected.
If you really enjoy character development, domestic drama, complex, narrative driven books, then this is for you.
For me this was 3.5 stars.

Thank you to Agora Books, Netgalley and the author for this eArc in exchange for an honest review.

This is a masterfully written story about three couples and the secrets that they hold and how on one fateful afternoon, each couple's carefully constructed set of lies is blasted to smithereens. The reader can't anticipate any of it, but is compelled to turn pages, digging deeper behind the false face each person has presented to the world. This novel takes the reader on a page turning ride of unexpected twists and turns.
#netgalley

With thanks to NetGalley and Agora Books for the arc for an honest review.

This book was a slow burner but for a reason, it took time to get to know the characters well. Each one was intriguing in their own way and had their own hidden secrets.

A dark read that I found a bit hard to read towards the end as it came to a climax. But the ending was definitely the best part of the book, with the author not shying away from such a difficult topic.

This is an uncomfortable read, quite claustrophobic as the present day element is set in one house with a group of six people over the course of one day. I didn’t find myself particularly warming to any of the characters, although I didn’t dislike them either. We are gradually drip fed their back stories, intertwining in some cases. I think this would be a great book to read as a book group as it poses lots of ethical questions about relationships.

This was SO disappointing. The premise sounded great, and some of the reviews mentioned trigger warnings that had huge potential for a great book. But it took way too long to get to anything. There were no subtle hints about any of the trauma or secrets to keep me interested. A slow burner that crept along at a snail pace and just lost me for too long.

At times I struggled to engage with this book and think I expected something more thriller-like from the description. I was quite confused as to what was happening at times and at times the chapters jumped in time back into the past which wasn’t always clear. It definitely picked up in the second half as I found myself wanting to know how it ended. It did also tackle a lot of important subjects such as depression, domestic violence, child loss, grief, cheating - there was a lot explored which I felt was important and definitely added to the book.

Wow!! It's not often I give a 5* review but this book deserves it. Massive thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this one.

The book begins with Edmund and Ovidia in their luxury house seemingly living the dream. They are shortly joined by the newly engaged Jasper and Holly and their friends John and Anne. Gradually as the book progresses we learn more about the 6 and the secrets that they are keeping. I can say no more on this because the discovery is part of the beauty of this book.

Zaza's dark writing style puts the reader on edge right from the beginning. We know something has happened and that that something is bad but it's not until the very end that everything is revealed. The reader is given just enough at just the right moments to keep the momentum up.

A truly fabulous read.

The Pretenders follows the story of 3 couples over one day, when one of the couples (Jasper and Holly) with their friends (Anne and John) visit Jasper's brother (Edmund) to celebrate his engagement to Holly without announcing his arrival. That day, Edmund and his partner Ovidia already had other plans, which they don't want to disclose to the other couples.
Although the story is told always in the third person, each chapter focuses on one character or couple, and each of them has some secret they're not telling to the others. It's a tense story, in which you're continuously expecting one of the characters to burst in some way. I won't spoil the ending, but I was surprised about the final secret being revealed.
The stories are compelling and I could definitely relate to one of the couple's situations, which really brought it home for me. I really enjoyed (if that's the right word) this book and will definitely be recommending it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Agora Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a well-written book, and the idea of using the events of one day to gradually tell the story of the six characters is a good one. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy the book. I couldn't relate to any of the characters, and they, and their relationships seemed unconvincing. I can't really fault the book, it (and its mainly unlikeable characters) just wasn't for me.

The book takes place in one day involving three couples that have come together to celebrate Holly and Jasper’s engagement. As soon as the engaged couple and their 2 friends arrive at Jasper’s brother’s house, it is clear there is something off with his brother Edmund. When Edmund’s significant other arrives Jasper is left astonished. He had no idea Edmund had a girlfriend. I can’t say much more without giving away some of the plot, but there are many dark secrets and pieces that fall together as you follow along on this supposedly celebratory Saturday.

A dark and emotional domestic drama with well developed characters. While it did not wow me from the beginning, it definitely had me hooked about half way through as secrets start to unravel.

The Pretenders is a dark, atmospheric, perfectly written character study. Tension builds as the unavoidable problems in their lives bubble to the surface over the course of one terrible day.

As the drama begins, Edmund, fueled by an early morning whiskey, is ripping apart a pristine child’s playhouse in the backyard of his eclectically decorated Victorian home. His partner Ovidia, planning to leave Edmund later that day, has left for one of her regular long runs. They don’t know that soon they will have a surprise visit.

Edmund’s brother Jasper, his new fiancee Holly and friends John and Anne, arrive at Edmund’s for an unexpected visit. Jasper wants to surprise his brother and celebrate his new engagement. Many other surprises follow. Jasper is at first shocked by the usually impeccably dressed Edmund’s appearance in dirty, blood-stained pajamas. If that weren’t unsettling enough, he sees a sweaty Ovidia in running clothes standing in the kitchen. Not everyone in the room knows that she was Jasper’s former girlfriend. John and Anne only know some of the story. They are busy concealing their situation from the others.

The Pretenders is a difficult book to read. You know something(s) bad has happened and you turn the pages with apprehension. The ending is far from satisfying but it is understandable. 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Agora Books and Agatha Zaza for this ARC.

I saw this book netgalley and requested to read it immediately and OH MY GOSH.

I can't find any words.... The entirety of the book pretty much takes place in one dinner party. There are 3 couples, all hiding some huge secrets. Lots of betrayal, deceit and
shock factor!

Firstly, i spent most of the book thinking they spelt Olivias name wrong but turns out her name is Ovidia and secondly i JUST WANTED TO KNOW WHAT THE SECRET WAS

I'm so not good with suspence. It's such a good book though, i read it in one sitting. The themes explored are SUPER important and frankly written so well! The characters are all interesting in their own rights and overall i just really enjoyed reading this!

Highly recommend to pre order or buy /read when it's released!

This book follows 3 couples and a multitude of secrets. And in addition to a multitude of secrets, there are even more surprises and twists in the plot!

It was brilliantly written, I was hooked on the plot, what was the huge secret Edmund and Ovidia are keeping?

You won't see the ending coming!

The only thing I will say is that it did end quite abruptly but it was still an immensely enjoyable read.

The synopsis for this book sounded so interesting. For me, it did not live up to its description. I was looking for some kind of thriller, especially from the opening scene. Unfortunately, it didn't pan out. I found that I wasn't all of that interested and the writing was awkward. The best part of the entire book was that it was fairly quick to read. I was hoping that the ending would redeem it for me but it did not.

This was a bit of a slow starter for me with some real vagueness about who was where, with whom and why.
However, once you get the complexities of the relationships and their interactions straight this was a fascinating book, touching on depression, grief, loss, family tribulations, abuse, misunderstandings and love.
In parts it is a difficult read from an emotional standpoint but the tough subjects are sensitively approached and are an integral part of the story so feel appropriate in their inclusion.