The Affair sounded like it would have it all.
I expected a thriller and found it more of a drama. Many will love this book as an easy beach read - sadly it was not for me.

A Glorious Setting….
Travel to the stunning, glamorous and sun drenched shores of Lake Como in this escapist Summer read. Connie McCabe is a travel guide leading seasonal tours across the continent. This time, the romantic setting of Lake Como is also to be home to her Summer long affair with a younger man, Jared. Will Connie be able to return home, to her husband, as if this affair had never happened? An engaging and well drawn tale of human nature, life and loves in a glorious setting.

Couldn't put this book down. Connie is a travel guide who goes with groups to foreign countries, what happens in Italy changes her life forever. Once she has let Jared into her life, she can't stop thinking about him, he always just turns up when she least expects it. When she tried to end it he has other ideas . Just how far will be go to try and keep her from staying with Devan?

Many thanks NetGalley for letting me read this book.

Actual rating 3.5 ⭐️

If you play with fire you’re going to get burned!

Connie and Deavan McCabe’s marriage is in crisis when Hilary Boyd introduces us to the pair in a novel best described as a domestic drama with a psychological thriller edge. Deavan, now retired from his job as the village GP is depressed, his days lacking purpose whilst Connie is still thoroughly enjoying her work as a rail tour manager, spending a great deal of time away from home. Tension between the two is at an all time high, which together with a lack of physical intimacy is widening the cracks within their 30 plus year old marriage and Connie begins to relish her time away more and more. Hardly surprising then that during a trip to Lake Como when she attracts the attention of Jared, Connie feels immediately flattered having been starved of affection for so long. How will she cope with the temptation to seek solace in another man’s arms and if so will what happens on tour stay on tour?

I think from the moment Connie sets eyes on Jared it’s a foregone conclusion as to how events of this one particular summer will unfold. Really there are no surprises in this department and if you’ve read the publisher’s synopsis then I’m not guilty of giving away any spoilers! Hilary Boyd’s exposure of a long term marriage where the romance has all but died, the state of their marriage resembling a comfy and well worn pair of slippers, whose fabric is riddled with resentment and angst paves the way for any ensuing drama. In observing how their individual behaviour (such as Deavan’s heavy drinking and Connie’s refusal to consider giving up a job she loves) gives rise to impatience and frustration until they’ve reached an impasse, she casts neither blame nor stands in moral judgement. This is an aspect of the novel Hilary Boyd executes well, allowing the reader to appreciate the validity of husband and wife’s opposing views leaving it entirely up to us to choose sides! I felt some sympathy for Deavan, desperate to spend quality time with his wife but like Connie was irritated by his malaise and refusal to find something meaningful with which to pass his time. None of this excuses what comes to pass but pretty much everything about this scenario is entirely realistic. So much so it made me squirm with discomfort at how weak willed some of us are and how flawed we are by nature, succumbing to at least one or more of the recognised seven deadly sins. How ironic then that at a time when Connie feels neglected and unloved by her husband she finds herself travelling around the seductive, romantic setting of the Italian lakes, in the company of someone who makes her feel alive in every sense. What a dangerous combination!

Totally enamoured by visions of the beautiful scenery, wrapped up in the intensity of Jared and Connie’s mutual attraction, it comes as no shock when the author introduces a more sinister edge to the drama, initial passion giving way to obsession. Caught at her most vulnerable, Connie’s transgressions are moments of madness in an otherwise exemplary led life. But oh dear! Is Connie really the only one who fails to see beyond her lust filled vision, missing the tell tale signs that something’s not quite right with this fantasy. Her naivety is astounding! Every cliche springs to mind at this point, not least of all “I told you so” but despite finally coming to her senses Connie has dug herself a hole from which it becomes increasingly difficult to escape. Unfortunately because I could anticipate the author’s every move, the psychological thriller element feels lacklustre and not as menacing as it could be, the culmination of which is frankly ridiculous. What is otherwise an enjoyable and easy if predictable read was ruined for me in one fell swoop.

I liked that Hilary Boyd proves that age is no barrier when it comes to affairs of the heart. Connie’s character is by far the most well developed and her actions are wholly believable, indicative of a woman whose marriage is crumbling and whose strength of love and commitment is sorely tested. The author gives just enough insight into Deavan’s thoughts and feelings to emphasise his role in all the drama but I only wish Jared’s character had been as skilfully portrayed. He deserves a bigger slice of the pie when it comes to character development, rather than the incomplete version we are presented with. Perhaps then he would have been more convincing.

All in all this is novel that is great in places, less so in others. I like Hilary Boyd’s writing style which is uncomplicated yet astutely perceptive in relation to flawed human behaviour. This had been a 4 star read for me until the very end and if the author had explored other avenues involving a more spirited reaction from Deavan in retaliation to his wife’s behaviour then I may even have classed this read as excellent.

My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really lovely ,well written book dealing with marriage and the relationships that exist in your later years having been married for so long . It explores the emotions that revelation themselves when everyday life gets staid and boring. It also shows what can happen when you get tempted and the hurt it can do to the whole family . Not my usual sort of book but I really enjoyed it , may be reading more from this author

Connie's marriage has gone a little stale; her husband once a busy respected GP has retired but he is not finding it easy. His back is playing up, he drinks a lot and he is generally feeling very sorry for himself, and is ignoring Connie and their relationship.

Connie's job as a holiday tour guide takes her to some glamourous, gorgeous places, although the job can be trying, herding and looking after demanding groups of ,mainly elderly people.

It's at Lake Como that she is flattered by the attention of Jared, one of the group's godson. He is a lot younger than her but he sweeps her off her feet and so begins an affair. Connie realises her mistakes, her marriage is at stake and o she tries to end the affair..... but Jared will not be deterred. He has other ideas.

Will Connie's marriage survive this trauma?

Read on. A fab book, I gave it 5 stars

2.5*

I was lured to read this novel because the blurb heavily mentioned Lake Como, and who wouldn't be tempted by a bit of Italian sunshine, food and wine and beautiful scenery? I like the cover, too!

Connie and her husband Devan have been married for several decades, and now Devan has retired as the local GP, they have hit a rough patch. He is sliding into drinking and depression as he has lost his focus and she is only too happy to nip off on her various trips abroad as a European tour guide in order to escape his gruff and lugubrious moods. She loves her job and will not be persuaded to give up her touring just yet and join him in retirement. The future in that sense doesn't look particularly rosy.

On her trip to Lake Como, she is flattered by the attentions of one of her clients and she becomes smitten by his turquoise eyes. It is at first a simple and confidence-restoring dalliance, but when he materialises on one of her next trips, she succumbs to a knee trembler down a cobbled street. And from there on in she is hooked until it dawns on her that perhaps things are turning pretty weird.

The reader will probably have worked out pretty early on that there was a growing creepiness in his devotion to her, and  the burgeoning connection between Connie and her new-found beau didn't work for me. She liked the attention, yes, but there was neither real build up nor subtle exploration of the connection they were supposed to be making. "It" just happened. Boom. Therefore her attraction to him seemed forced and without any real substance, the scene for what was to come hadn't to my mind  been credibly fleshed out. And all of a sudden, there she is, sucked in. There is no insight or background why her beau was motivated to do what he did - he therefore had no depth of character as a result, which in turn left a bit of a hole in the story. As a reader I really want to know why he was doing what he was doing.

Quite how she unpicks herself from this whole situation becomes the tenet of the narrative (after she has her long awaited damascene moment).

"Escape to Lake Como this summer" trumpets the description on Goodreads, but it is a rather misleading strapline for the book. I haven't counted but there can't be more than about 40 pages set around this beautiful lake. There are trips to the Scottish Highlands, Italy and to Poland, so the reader does get a bit of a tour thrown in, and indeed there are some very nice and well drawn settings, but much of the novel is set in Connie's home village in the West Country and briefly in London.

It feels like a rather thin storyline that could be so much more and I really hoped there would be a crescendo of psychological fireworks as the book came to its conclusion.... But you can decide for yourself if the ending merits the 'heart stopping' moniker. The writing, however, is really very good and that kept me looped in, hoping that the story would develop into a meaty and psychological astute narrative.

she struggles to cope with her husband’s post-retirement depression. Inevitably, given the title, she embarks on an affair with one of her travelers and before long has serious reason to regret it.

Given what I’ve just said, and the blurb itself, you’d be forgiven for thinking this was a contemporary read with a hint of thriller in it, but sadly, if that’s what you’re looking for (as I was) this is likely to let you down. Ultimately, this is a long and rambling book told from the point of view of a woman who, honestly, seems like she’s never happy.

I really struggled to feel any connection with Connie – part of my understood her motivations and had a degree of empathy; however, she quickly became very tedious, and I found myself wondering why her husband hadn’t had an affair himself. In fact, I think I carried on reading in the hopes that perhaps that the would be the twist I was waiting for.

As for the husband, Devan, he almost felt like a background character, which is ridiculous given his relationship with Connie. There wasn’t enough of him, to really understand what was going on or the actual dynamics of their relationship. Jared, The Other Man, was just as much of a mystery and in the end, I just didn’t really get what the point of the whole thing was.

Unfortunately, for me, this just didn’t work. It became a struggle to read; if I’m being honest, I wish I’d bailed when I got bored at about half-way through as it just never really went anywhere and nothing remotely interesting/exciting/gripping happened. I’m sorry to say I don’t think I’ll be reading anything else from this author.

I quite enjoyed this book, not one of my favourite reads as I found it hard to get into the storyline and I was waiting for something to grip me, which unfortunately, it didn't.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin (Michael Joseph) Publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

I did enjoy this book and I got through it very quickly, but I couldn't help notice that I didn't warm to any of the characters, especially Connie. While I don't want to judge, I found myself questioning her decisions and thought processes constantly, as well as Jared who I found to not be developed enough as a character. The ending felt a little rushed and as though I was waiting for more maybe? That's not to say I didn't like it - I thought it developed into an interesting story (though not a fast paced thriller I think I was expecting) with great writing and will be relatable for a lot of readers. The mention of Lake Como got me, and those parts definitely didn't disappoint if you're looking for a far away read whilst sitting at home!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and although it isn’t a thriller or fast paced book, more a relationship saga, it’s brilliantly written and a great read. It was also wonderful to imagine all the places Connie visited in her job as a tour guide in Europe, I could almost taste the wines, eat the pasta, feel the sun on my face and on the flip side of the coin, feel the despair of visiting Auschwitz where, I too, lost numerous members of my family. I’ve never felt I could cope with actually going there and this book compounded that feeling.
I can easily appreciate that Jared found Connie very attractive as 60 is the new 50. We wear up to date jeans, make up, jewellery and feel about forty inside. There was obviously some need within Jared as it seems his only family was his godmother Dinah. Of course Connie was swept off her feet by a younger., attractive man when left at home was a grumpy, self absorbed, physically rebuking, almost alcoholic husband in Devan. His now miserable life after taking retirement had made him a selfish and unfeeling personality blaming everything on Connie and wanting her to give up a most important part of her life, her job. I did feel pretty sorry for Jared in the end, Connie could have been a bit kinder, after all she was a willing party to the affair. Spoiler alert, I’m not sure why she didn’t contact Dinah, who was nearby while Connie was living in London, to see if she could explain why Jared was acting so intensely. Maybe he had lost his parents whilst young and Connie was a sort of wife, mother substitute. Jared wasn’t wholly to blame, after all their affair happened when Connie was very unhappy with her husband so it may have seemed as though she was ready to leave the marriage. Connie was also quite unemotional in the final scenes with Jared which I didn’t really like. Nevertheless I do recommend this book, it’s like a holiday and a saga all in one.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

I thought from the premise of the book I would enjoy this read. I felt the book started off very, very slowly and it took ages to gain pace. I found Connie and Devan to be quite unlikeable, very irritating and I struggled to relate to them in any way. The book didn't grab and hold my attention, mainly because I just wasn’t overly bothered about the characters or desperate to know how things ended for them. I found myself skimming a lot of the pages and was relieved to reach the end. There were no wow moments here and the book unfortunately didn’t really hit the mark with me.

3 stars

The Affair by Hilary Boyd. , I’ve read one book by this author before and really enjoyed it so thought I would give this one a try. The Main character is Connie McCabe and for a job she travels to places like Italy and Paris. Connie’s relationship with her husband is going through a tough spot and while away for work Connie starts an affair with a man that was on one of her tours. However all isn’t as it seems with this man and things go from bad to worse. This book was ok, great in parts, slow and boring in parts. Connie’s need to feel loved and wanted, shadows any rational thinking and yet she comes across as an intelligent woman at the same time, a woman that would see all the clues as to what is to come and a woman that would question what was to come from this man she is having an affair from. I found some parts a little unbelievable, in that connie good be so trusting and so gullible, because as the reader I was almost shouting at her, at how obviously creepy this guy was and how weird his actions were and how his explanations just didn’t add up. At the beginning the repetitiveness of the affair gets quite boring, I felt ok guys are having an affair, he turns up wherever she happens to be, I’m as the reader is getting the picture but in parts it felt like it was time to move on, for me it didn’t add anything to the story, it just got boring. The story does pick up in the middle and actually the end is probably the best bit and I felt had the ending been explored more in the middle then it would have made for a better book. Without giving anything away the end is emotional and unexpected but it seems to all end very abruptly. At the end you kind of find out more about the man who Connie has had an affair with and I think perhaps his side of the story may have been explored more making a far better story. You often here the saying ‘there’s always 2 sides to every story’ and this is definitely the case here. Breaking the story down it’s just about one side of the affair. I didn’t hate this book, it was just missing something, it felt like it took me forever to read.

I love Hillary Boyd’s books and although I enjoyed this I found it a bit slow paced, took a while to get going.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s one of those that pulls you in very gently while the story progresses. Connie & Dev have been married a long time. He’s retired now but finding it hard to come to terms with retirement. Connie is a tour guide and enjoys her job until a chance meeting changes her life. Excellent read

I absolutely raced through this book. It keeps you glued to the story, unable to put it down and constantly guessing what’s next.

Thanks to NetGalley, publisher and author, for allowing me to read a free copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review. I liked the author's narration style. For the most part and especially the beginning of the story, the book got my full attention. As I continued to read though, it lacked the thriller quality I was expecting. As a romance/drama genre it was nicely written and entertaining, however that was not what I was looking for. In my opinion, this book should have been classified under women's fiction and not a thriller.

I had never read any books by this author but I have to say I throughly enjoyed this book. I really invested in the characters especially Connie. From the beginning of the book I could feel her desperation, she wanted to feel loved again, be romanced but her husband Devan (a recently retired GP) was feeling lack lustre and suffering with a form of depression. He was hoping Connie would retire when he did and they could travel together. Connie however has no plans at retirement and lives her job that takes her away for weeks at a time...
What follows as the title says is an affair....but one with a difference! Fully recommend this book and thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me this advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Wow, what a fantastic read. I have read most of Hilary Boyd’s novels to date and she never disappoints. I was so excited when my copy arrived and I would like to thank NetGalley and publisher Penguin for my copy, sent out to me with the promise of an honest review. I can tell you for certain that I loved this unique and exciting story, I loved the eclectic characters all but one and I thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful, classy storytelling. It held me spellbound and kept me turning the pages knowing that from the very beginning this was going to be a 5* review. Yes, this one is a real corker and definitely amongst my favourite novels. This author is really talented and her research for each new novel is laborious and far reaching.
Once again Hilary chooses her tried and tested theme by writing a story exploring the loves, passions and romances of the older lady. Our leading female character is Connie McCabe Every summer season she revels in her work as a tour guide. She has favourite destinations but she is also open to new experiences in other continental resorts. The story begins with Connie living at home with her husband who is a recent retiree from his job as a GP in their local area. He loved his work and is missing it dreadfully, but he is unable to decide about his future. He is stuck in a rut and he dislikes Connie’s summer absences from home. What’s more, he is drinking too much and unwilling to change the dangerous pattern of behaviour. Their marriage is stale, sexless and in the doldrums. Connie cannot wait for her first tour to her favourite hotel on the shores of scenic of Lake Como.
It is there she meets a single younger man called Jared who woos her with his impeccable manners and flirtatious conversation. She knows he is flattering her but every time she sees him she cannot resist him and so the affair starts. It is heady, passionate and he is irresistible. He is madly in love with her and follows her around on her other guided tours throughout the blazing hot season. She cannot believe that he can find out where she will be going next. Soon she regrets ever setting eyes on him, because he refuses to stay away from her even when the season is over. He will not accept that she wants to rebuild her marriage. But he does not want their relationship to end as he is obsessed with her. Soon Connie fears that her affair with him will be discovered, especially when he befriends her husband and best friend. This has been a summer she will never forget, but for all the wrong reasons. What happens next is thrilling; I’d go so far as saying this novel is unmissable. It’s an excellent 5* read.

A very easy but Slow read, which took sometime to build up to the story. It wasn’t the book I was expecting from the synopsis. A bit for me but am sure others will enjoy.