The Younger Woman by Mandy Byatt

The Younger Woman by Mandy Byatt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 400

Publisher - Avon

Source - Netgalley (& bought treebook version)

Blurb from Goodreads

She knows him better than anyone.
She doesn’t know him at all…

Lottie and Nick once had a dream marriage, but a series of failed IVF attempts has left Lottie feeling insecure, and her paranoia is further stoked by the arrival of a new starter at Nick’s firm. Nuala is the spitting image of a younger, more attractive Lottie, and Nick is paying her a lot of attention…

But then Lottie discovers she’s pregnant. A surprise getaway to their country cottage to celebrate Nick’s birthday will provide the perfect backdrop to give him the news and start to heal the rifts in their relationship.

Then, on the eve of Nick’s birthday, Lottie goes into the cellar, and what she finds makes her question everything.
Because there, in the corner of the cellar, is the body of a young woman.
A young woman who looks just like Lottie…



My Review

Lottie and Nick are celebrating, it has been rough going, failed attempts at getting pregnant, infidelity, stress. Now they are heading to Nick's family cottage, secluded, it is almost Nick's birthday and Lottie has a surprise for him. When Nick nips out to get supplies Lottie finds the key to the cellar and discovers a body, a female who not only looks like Lottie but she recognises. Can you ever really know your other half and is Lottie safe, alone with Nick and a dead body!

The book jumps in time, from present day to Lottie/Nick and the shocking discovery to going back in the past (then) and between characters. Mainly we follow Lottie, Nick, the beautiful PA who wants Nick and will stop at nothing to get him and Ruth, family and worker of Nick. Oh what a twisted web we weave. Nick's PA is shocking, like her chapters she is very honest with us and herself about her intent, she sees Nick, she is love struck, she knows he is married and she will move heaven and earth to get him because she knows he wants he. So for people who hate infidelity, cheating, marital stuff this book is weaved with it, brace yourself. However karma they say is always around the corner so dun dun duuuuuuuh.

I did feel a wee bit out of sorts as there are so many view points and it took me a bit into each chapter to figure out who was who and what was going on. I would say when you have characters like that putting names headers on the top can be helpful however with so much twisty paced stuff I get why that would' exactly work with this one.

I was so annoyed with how shady one character was and how they played with peoples feelings, I was rooting for her comeuppance. I wasn't sure where it was going to go and play out on and I think books that keep you on your toes. Chapters are relatively short which always gets a thumbs up from us. A delvy dive into relationships, infidelity, ivf, marriages, the stress and strains of trying to get pregnant and struggling, work environment, family, blatant plays for married men, secrets, lies and more, it has a dark theme and shows some unsavoury aspects of humanity. It also has the reader questioning almost everyone and who they can trust, 4/5.

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The Swap by Fiona Mitchell

The Swap by Fiona Mitchell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 304

Publisher - Hodder & Stoughton

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

The second novel from Fiona Mitchell, author of the stunning The Maid's Room***

Two women. Two children. But whose is whose?

When two strangers, Tess and Annie, undergo IVF at an American clinic, their embryos are mixed up and each woman gives birth to the wrong child.

The women only discover the devastating error three years later. Tess wants to swap the children back; Annie doesn't. As the pair wrangle, neither of them expect what unfolds.



My Review

Tess and Annie have their embryos implanted after IVF in a clinic in America, Annie lives in America, Tess in England. Three years later and Tess hasn't bonded with her child, she dislikes him and can't help but stress over his behaviour, issues, trouble. Annie couldn't be more blessed, Willow is everything she wanted in a child and more, her only baby. When it comes to light Freddie can't be Tess's son she digs deeper and becomes obsessed, what is her real baby is out there and nothing will stop her trying to find out.

Ooft guys I don't have any kids (I have furbabies) and I felt the emotional punch from this one. A lot of Tess's decisions, behaviour and choices really makes you question her as a human being. But it is so easy to judge someone when you don't walk in their shoes, live their lives and as the book progresses we get a bit more insight into why she is the way she is. Annie on the other hand is so different but would she be the same if she brought up the other child? How much is reactive behaviour, how much is learned? For a wee bit I felt echos of "We Need To Talk About Kevin" with some of Freddie's scenes but then is that to provoke you into thinking a certain way?

If it a book that pulls you a bit through the emotive ringer, you try not to judge but scene after scene you find yourself doing just that. Then re evaluating, what would you do? I also wondered if you found yourself in that situation *touch wood* what would you do?

The two families are so different in many ways, financial status and the struggles that come with each class, children, Freddie has siblings, Willow is an only child and the women could not be more different. There are so many parts to this book that will get the reader thinking/chatting/debating. This is the second book I have read by this author, I very much look forward to her next, 4/5 for me this time!

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Review - Inconceivable by Ben Elton

Inconceivable by Ben Elton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time Taken To Read - 3 days

Blurb From Goodreads

Lucy desperately wants a baby. Sam is determined to write a hit movie. The problem is that both their efforts seem to be unfruitful. And given that the average IVF cycle has about a one in five chance of going into full production, Lucy's chances of getting what she wants are considerably better than Sam's.

What Sam and Lucy are about to go through is absolutely inconceivable. The question is, can their love survive?

Inconcievable confirms Ben Elton as one of Britain's most significant, entertaining and provocative writers.

My Review

This is a story about a happily married couple who want a baby. The book isn't in chapters but rather diary entries. Lucy writes hers as Dear Penny, a childhood friend whilst Sam goes with dear book or sometimes without title. The entries follow their journey from hitting 5 years of trying for a baby but now seriously looking at why they aren't pregnant and investigating it.

For me the book reminded me of Bridget Jones diary, not just in format but in that there is a lot of humour involved. You can empathize with both characters and you get to see the same story from two view points. Despite the serious nature of the main issue there is a lot of humour involved in the book, there is also a lot of crass and crude language throughout, so not for the easily offended.

The book covers some serious issues and despite it being a fairly humourous book I did learn a bit about the IVF process and what couples have to go through when facing difficulties in trying for a baby. Funny, sad, emotional and a bit of a rollercoaster I did enjoy this and wasn't too sure how it would end which is always a plus, 3/5 for me this time and I would read Ben Elton again (I have read one or two of his before).

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