Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

The day after Jasper proposes to Holly they make a surprise visit to this brother Edmunds house. Along with Anne and John the turn up at Edmund house but nothing is as it seems. All three couples have secrets from each other and have been lying to themselves. They all need to face up to the secrets and lies and face the consequences of them.

Good first book from Agatha.

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.

Jasper is ready to surprise his brother; Holly is ready to celebrate their engagement.

Anne tags along for fear of missing out, and John might just be going for another drink.

But Edmund and Ovidia had other plans for their Saturday.

Over the course of one day, these couples must own up to the secrets they’ve been hiding from one another and the lies they’ve been telling themselves. And face the devastating consequences.

Three couples. Two exes. One day. One reckoning.

I found this book to be a great debut! I will certainly look out for more by this author in the future

The author tackles some unique subjects but she does it great and I raced through the book in one day to find out what was going to happen!

At first I didn’t like the characters, but I knew there would be a reason for it!

The book is not suitable for people who do not want to read about child abuse, miscarriages and domestic abuse. But if you are okay with these subjects, I highly recommend this book!!

Thank you to the publishers for an advanced review copy of this book!

The Pretenders, a debut novel by Agatha Zara. Out on the 5 November 2020.
Three couples. Two exes. One day. One reckoning.
Jasper and Holly are just engaged, they are on their way to surprise Edmund and Ovidia, Jasper's brother and partner with their news, they are travelling with John and his wife, their friends to tell Edmund the great news. When they arrive, it is clear that all is not well between Edmund and Ovidia.
The entire story takes place over one day. As the day advances, dark secrets are revealed.
Domestic Violence, Deception, Depression, Alcoholism, and Miscarriage are just a few of the topics touched on.
In terms of the characters, they are either weird or horrible. Their relationships with their partners are bewildering and complicated. The plot from the beginning felt disjointed, unclear and chaotic. I found it consequently challenging to read.
I want to thank NetGalley, Agora Books and author Agatha Zaza for a pre-publication to review.

What's supposed to be a celebratory day turns into a disastrous one full of secrets and deceit. The Pretenders had me on the edge of my seat as I sifted through the pages. As I progressed through each chapter, I truly liked that I had no idea what was going on at times. The secrets between the dynamic of these three couples had me wanting more. The storyline continuously kept unraveling and each secret exposed had me mind-blown!

It's interesting that each shocking event that occurred, happened all in the same day. Talk about an exhausting day full of unexpected emotion and shock for these characters! I thought this debut from Zaza proved to keep the reader on their toes as the story developed, and kept them wanting to know more about the hidden secrets of these character's prior history with one another. This was a fascinating thriller that was FULL of unexpected, dark bombshells that will leave each reader guessing!
Thank you to Netgalley and Agora Books for sending me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Three couple get together all with painful secrets and over the course of one day their worlds are shattered. This is a slow burner of a novel that reveals itself page by page. At the start of the novel you will never guess the ending and when you get to the end you want it to continue and know more about the lives of the couples involved.
I was invested in the main characters early on in the story and wanted to know what their secrets were. I read late at night and again early in the morning to get to the end of this fascinating tale of love, loss and intrigue. Well worth reading.

This book is well-written but incredibly dark and depressing. There really were no moments of light and the subjects it deals with are potentially triggering. Edmund starts the day demolishing a playhouse in his back garden. When his brother Jasper turns up unexpectedly with his fiancee Holly, and friends John and Anne, a whole pandora's box of secrets and lies is opened. Each character is hiding something, and as the secrets are revealed there are devastating consequences for all involved. I won't talk much about the nature of the plot, as it would spoil it for other readers, but I will say that this book deals with domestic abuse, and it does not sugar coat the effects of such abuse on those who are on the receiving end of it.

A complex and original story, it was absorbing, but far from an easy read.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.

I found this an interesting read but I struggled with the characters. I just couldn’t believe most of the things that happened and the way they were all behaving

This story slowly unfolds. It really keeps you hooked. It’s quite claustrophobic and I felt it’s quite slow but you really can’t put it down. The characters though, I didn’t find believable and more than one of them I wanted to shake. On balance I did enjoy it. it’s cleverly done and well written. The story slowly unfolds until the ending which to be honest I found quite depressing.

The Pretenders is the debut novel from Agatha Zaza, a simmering dark and shocking domestic dramatic thriller. Three couples, two brothers and two exes come together on a Saturday and by the end of the day all their lives will be changed forever. Jasper and Holly got engaged the previous evening and are going to celebrate by visiting Jasper’s brother Edmund. John is Jasper’s best friend, so together with his partner Anne they go along for the celebration. Edmund and his partner Ovidia are not expecting Jasper and his friends and don't want them to stay, They have an appointment to keep and something is obviously wrong. Over the course of the day secrets are revealed that have catastrophic consequences. 

This is a good debut and it’s clear that Agatha Zaza has a lot of talent. She has created a interesting domestic thriller where you don't know what's going to happen next. There are some shocking revelations which will catch you off guard. All the characters have secrets and some of the secrets are HUGE. The characters of Jasper, Edmund and Ovidia are fleshed out but Holly, Anne and John not quite as much. The storyline does take a little while to get going and it is a slow burn but it’s worth staying with it because it really revs up and becomes gripping as the book goes on. I found the book enjoyable and look forward to Agatha Zaza's next novel.

I enjoyed The Pretenders - a clever story of three couples and their relationships told over one day. When Jasper and Holly go to his brother Edmund's house to announce their engagement they arrive with Jasper's best friend John and his wife Anne in tow. The first surprise that Jasper encounters on their arrival is that Edmund is in a relationship with his ex, Ovidia As the day continues the secrets of the three couples are revealed and the ending is a tear-jerker. Many thanks to NetGalley and Agora Books for the opportunity to read and review this unusual book.

This book keeps you gripped in from the outset and lots of questions added throughout. I couldn't put this down!

Jasper and Holly go to his brother, Edmund's house to help him celebrate their engagement. His friend John and his wife Anna come along too. But when they get there, a surprise awaits. It seems that Edmund has a secret relationship with Jasper's ex, Ovidia. All six have secrets and tonight is the time of reckoning.
I am not sure about this debut story from Agatha Zaza. It's certainly un unusual. It is a study in relationships and how even great relationships are not as perfect as they may seem. The narrative takes place over one day and by the end, nothing will be the same.
Does the book make you think? Yes.
Is it a comfortable story? No.
Will it shock you? Possibly.
Does everything get resolved at the end? No and I think that although the stories of the six people affect each other going forward, there is not much hope.
Thanks Netgallery for ARC for an honest review

This book had me from the first page...and kept me until the end. It is a tragic tail of relationships, deceit, family, abuse, and love. 3 couples spend an unexpected day together as the story twists and turns and unravels. The reader is unable to put the book down trying to solve the tragedy of the character’s lives.

I love a novel where everyone has secrets and that you know it’s going to end with it all being out there in the open. This is that novel. Well worth a read and as a debut can’t wait to read more.

This is a taut psychological drama about lies, sibling connection and betrayals. Set in one place (Edmund’s soulless mansion) and on one day (unannounced guests arriving to celebrate an engagement) it has the intensity of a well-written play where drop by drop hidden truths are unveiled and the characters’ worlds are irrevocably shaken. The pace of the novel is good, with drama from the offset quickly segueing to the uninvited party, the tensions that follow, and deftly woven in backstories. I found it gripping and enjoyable, but one to avoid if you’re in the mood for some cheering up!

I’m not one to give up halfway through a book but I have conceded defeat on this one.. I found it really slow going and the ‘secret’ between Edmund and Ovidia became orating rather than intriguing as it dragged on and on. I stopped reading at Chapter 14.
I was curious what the link between Jasper and Ovidia but not enough to read on. I was also confused about why Anne and John were dragged along on this impromptu visit to Edmund’s house to
announce an engagement,
The characters seemed nice enough and I felt a bit annoyed that I couldn’t get to know them a bit better.. I think I would have liked both Holly and Ovidia but couldn’t warm to Jasper at all.
Sorry but this wasn’t for me.

Sorry this book was not my cup of tea. I could not get interested in the characters at all.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I could not get into this book at all. I really tried but it was just so slow with not nice characters. Sorry could not finish it#ThePretenders#NetGalley

Sorry I couldn't like this book or really get into it. I was aware it was well written, it was just the subject matter and the characters I couldn't warm to or care about.