This one didn't quit hit the same mark that Small Pleasures did, but it was still a really riveting and engaging novel that had me hooked till the end.

Having read Small pleasures and really enjoyed it I thought I would try some other books by Clare . I enjoyed this one and loved the dry sense of houmour throughout the book. I found it an easy read and read it in a couple of days.
Christopher once was an aspiring author encouraged to finish a novel by Owen an Editor who took him under his wing along with his wife Diana they formed a friendship. The story is told in a series of flashbacks (20 years later) after someone contacts him wanting to know more about Owen as they were writing a piece on them.
Not a lot happens in the book but Clares' writing is mesmerising . A lovely story

I was a bit confused at the start of this book as there were no editors or wives. It soon became clear that the book was set at the time of writing but with flashbacks.
The relationship Chris has with the editor and his wife is the main plot but there is also a subplot of his relationship with his brother. They seemed disjointed though.
I just didn't really feel much for the characters.

After hearing lots of praise for 'Small Pleasures', I was excited to see this one appear on netgalley. I found it an easy read, one that doesn't take lots of concentration and thanks to that managed to read it fairly quickly. I imagine it would be a perfect holiday read!
The story itself, I found somewhat dull. I couldn't gel with the characters and I found the story to be so unbelievable. I struggled with the romance aspect as there was no real build up to it, I also felt that there were too many stories within the one book, that's maybe because of the jump between timelines. Some parts I also found irrelevant, for example when our lead male happens to stumble on his ex lover working in a pub he visits and then he has sex with her at her house - the shine was taken off of the ending because of this, Chris spent one night with one woman and the next with another...

Overall I rate this a 3 - not the best, but it was a quick and easy read.

How is this my first Clare Chambers book?? I was instantly intrigued by the synopsis so when I received a Netgalley of THE EDITOR'S WIFE, I dove right in!

We follow Christopher and his journey of becoming a writer. Along the way, he meets a publishing house editor, Owen and eventually Owen's wife, Diana. Thus begins a dance between friendship, lust, and love.

I'll be honest. Not a whole lot happens in this book but I was still so hooked that I looked forward to lights out every night so I could grab my Kindle and get sucked back into this world Chambers created. Her writing is so fluid and her characters so realistic. This is my first book by Chambers and it most certainly will not be my last!

New book by the writer of *Small Pleasures* which I liked.. This one is set in 1984 and the early noughties and follows Chris Findler as a 21 year old aspiring writer in 1984 London with jumps back and forth to about 20 years later as a newly redundant, disillusioned and divorced financial professional who feels he hasn't achieved anything in life and is living in a ramshackle rural Yorkshire cottage. Chris is contacted by an academic researching the life of an obscure deceased writer whose editor, Owen Goddard mentioned Chris in a note. Thinking back to his 20's and his relationships with the Editor and his wife opens up new pathways and reveals hidden "secrets" in Chris's life.

I didn't find this story as tightly written or as invovling as *Small Pleasures*. There were things I could see coming a mile off and some things just didn't really add up but it zipped along nicely, easy to read, some humour and overall I rather enjoyed it.

The book is undoubtedly beautifully written. The prose flows nicely and is peppered with subtle humour and acute observations.

However I just found it a little dull. The story moves at a slow pace and I was often left wondering where the story was going. There was a plot twist which, although I predicted it, was a little far fetched. I didn’t feel any connection to the characters and it all felt a bit bleak at times.

The last quarter of the book was the best for me. There was a scene in Christopher’s home towards the end of the novel where a lot of the main characters were brought together. It was touching and humorous and it easily was my favourite part of the whole book. I did also enjoy the insight into the world of publishing.

Ultimately it was a very well written novel but sadly just wasn’t for me. I can easily see why others loved it but personally I prefer a little more story and depth.

I found this a hard book to get into and the style was a style that I wasnt used to or didnt quite gel with me at first. However, I decided to stick with it and I'm so glad I did as i really enjoyed it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author is new to me but I would highly recommend this novel, which effortlessly transports the reader into another era.

Some bright moments and acutely observed points, but overall an oddly paced story with underdeveloped characterisation, somewhat unlikely scenarios and tortuous plot twists. Good cover though.

A book about a writer, potentially publishing - I was for sure going to request it! And no regrets, I really enjoyed it! We follow a man who looks back at a time when he was younger and fell in love with his editor's wife - easy premise to follow. But so much happens, the characters are so intriguing and the way the different plotlines are brought together (or the way the character's book and his life parallel each other) are so good.
It's difficult to summarise, but it's a love story (albeit morally wrong at times) it's a coming of age story, it's a story about brothers and expectations.
The one thing I wasn't sure about was the whole 'X's wife' which is a trope that dehumanises women characters as they don't stand on their own. Wasn't sure if this was ironic, but with the main male character it didn't totally feel like it. That said, it's somewhat forgivable and I highly recommend this book.

Though the investigations of a young researcher, a man reflects on the great love affair of his youth, as well as his brief time as a writer.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I was unsure what to expect and initially found the slightly pomous narrative voice off putting. However the character growth though the novel was very rewarding and I ended up quite enjoying the slightly cynical tone.
The novel explores relationships and their far reaching connections though time and place. I enjoyed the characterisation, and there were was some beautiful phrasing. The plot was pacy if at times a little tenuous. It reminded me slightly of 'The End of the Affair' in its central mystery, although was far more concerned with events than exploring their emotion impact.
Overall, a fun, pacey read.

Life, lfamily, ove, Loss, Delayed happiness, a love story....
An ok interesting tale. Description characters.

In this novel, the reader meets Christopher Flinders who has lost his job, and dispirited, he has decamped to North Yorkshire while he considers his future. Also a Univesity dropout he is pursuing his dream of becoming a writer and has an amicable relationship with ex-wife Carol who he met at Uni and they married after just 6 months. His brother, Gerald is living at his deceased parents home whilst Chris is renting a rustic little farmhouse - Hartslip Cottage. A letter arrives which throws everything into a spin and forces Chris to consider his past.

The Editor's Wife is told in 3 parts with parts 1 and 3 happening in the present, and part 2 is Chris telling his story. I very much liked this storytelling approach where the entirety of a flashback has its own slot rather than the more usual back and forth method. The Editor's Wife is set between rural Yorkshire (present-day) and London (flashback).

The noteworthy feature here is the brilliant characterisation from Clare Chambers. Every character is well developed and their portrayal is vivid and easy to picture. Most are extremely likeable, even Gerald. You realise he is doing the best he can and I grew to like him as the tale progressed. The humour is good especially from Chris with his wry understatements. The Goddards, Owen and Diana liven up matters and the comedic aspects and complexity are well balanced. A perceptive, riveting, very worthy and satisfying read.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Random House UK, Cornerstone via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

I found this novel very enjoyable and I liked the tone, it felt very real, minute and mundane (in a good way) at the beginning. The narrator, Christopher, and his relationship with his brother Gerald was very well described, in a way that felt genuine and realistic. The affair with Diana, the editor's wife of the title, was the least interesting part of the plot, and the last third of the book lost me a bit. Chambers tried to squeeze too many last minute revelations and plot twists that were far-fetched and rushed... It didn't fit with the test of the book which was very much like having a long conversation with someone in middle age telling you their life story.

I enjoyed this story but it didnt keep me gripped to read all the way through in one go....I loved the characters, funny in parts and an enjoyable read.

Originally published in 2007 this novel has been reissued following the recent success of Clare Chamber’s Small Pleasures (on my to read list).

Chambers is clearly a skilled writer and I enjoyed the observations her characters made: ‘It was cruel the way fashion needed only time to make freaks of us all.’
Our protagonist is Chris Flinders an unemployed, divorced, middle-aged man who’s a failed novelist and has a complicated sibling rivalry with his brother. He looks back to his youth and relationship with the editor’s wife of the title. I found it refreshing to read about someone whose life hadn’t panned out the way they hoped for and overall the book was much more uplifting than this sounds!
It kept me entertained on a long train journey and I enjoyed it, but found the ending implausible and a bit contrived which prevented me giving it five stars. It has encouraged me to read more of Chambers work though.

The writing was magnificent and her prose just made me keep reading. I liked the story-line although I didn't always identify with some of the characters. Really enjoyed it - 5 stars.

A gripping story about love, marriage and miscommunication. I loved the retelling as a manuscript but thought the ending was clumsy and contrived.

Clare Chambers is a new author for me, discovering her through Small Pleasures. I loved that book so was keen to read The Editor's Wife, a re-release of one of her earlier novels.

It follows the life of Chris, a civil servant / aspiring (or rather small time) author.

Some lines really made me laugh, I enjoyed it's witty, observational tone and although didn't wildly warm to the lead character, Chris, I cared about what he was up to. I also liked the tone - something that also appeared in Small Pleasures - the celebration of the little, everyday things that really worked to elevate the story.

A very pleasant way to spend a weekend.