"The Winner" by Teddy Wayne presents a thought-provoking exploration of ambition, competition, and the pursuit of success in contemporary society. Through the lens of a high-stakes academic competition, Wayne delves into the complexities of human nature and the ethical dilemmas that arise when individuals are driven by a desire to win at all costs.

One of the novel's strengths lies in its portrayal of the protagonist's internal conflict as he grapples with the pressures of competition and the moral implications of his actions. Wayne skillfully captures the protagonist's inner turmoil, highlighting the tension between his desire for recognition and his sense of integrity. This psychological depth adds complexity to the narrative, inviting readers to reflect on their own values and priorities.

Moreover, "The Winner" offers incisive commentary on contemporary society's obsession with success and achievement. Wayne explores themes of privilege, entitlement, and the commodification of education, shedding light on the systemic inequalities that shape our institutions and interpersonal relationships. Through the protagonist's interactions with his peers and mentors, the novel raises important questions about meritocracy and the true meaning of success.

However, while "The Winner" raises compelling questions and offers insightful commentary, some readers may find the pacing of the narrative to be uneven. The novel's slow build-up and introspective passages may deter readers seeking a more fast-paced or plot-driven story. Additionally, the protagonist's internal monologue may at times feel overly introspective, potentially distancing readers from fully engaging with the character's journey.

Furthermore, the novel's ambiguous ending may leave some readers feeling unsatisfied or uncertain about the protagonist's ultimate fate. While the open-ended nature of the conclusion allows for interpretation and debate, it may also leave readers longing for greater closure or resolution.

In conclusion, "The Winner" by Teddy Wayne is a thought-provoking exploration of ambition and ethics in contemporary society. While the novel offers insightful commentary and raises compelling questions about success and integrity, its uneven pacing and ambiguous ending may present challenges for some readers. Overall, "The Winner" is a nuanced and thought-provoking read that will resonate with those interested in exploring the complexities of human nature and the pursuit of excellence.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced copy to review for my honest opinion.

Solid thriller that keeps the reader on their toes the whole way through. I liked all the well-planned twists and turns in this book. Well done and well planned.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book ahead of time in exchange for a review. You should read it!

This was an interesting read about a man who wishes he were part of the upper class of society and he manages to land a job in an exclusive location as a tennis pro where he can pretend he is part of that world for a bit. I feel like this took a while to get to any real action while it was setting up the backstory but it was a good read overall!

I would like to thank NetGalley and Harper for providing me with an advance e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. Look for it in your local and online bookstores and libraries on May 28, 2024.

This was an amazing book. I highly recommend it to everyone. Great characters and a great plot. I will be looking for more books by this author. The book is superbly written. Lots of twists, turns and shocking turns of events. Quickly becoming a go to author for me!!!! If you love to read a book and be shocked by the ending then check out this author for sure. You will love this book and this author

For me this book did not capture my interest. I felt that to much time was spent on his sexual escapades and once it did pick up it left you wondering what in the end did happen to Connor. It definitely did at times bring about the division of class but not in a way that was memorable. Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me.

This is my fifth read by Teddy Wayne. Guess that makes me a proper fan. All of his books have been good, some more than others, The Great Man Theory was my favorite until this one came along, and well … it’s a winner!
Wayne specializes in portraits of men, usually young (though not in TGMT), as they take on the American Dream. But Wayne had never his taken his protagonists quiet as far as he had Conor O’Toole, the twenty-five-year-old tennis coach who comes up from his native Yonkers to spend the summer with the glamorous moneyed population of a seaside community.
Conor O’Toole is an all-American sweetheart of a young man, a real bootstrapper, diligent and indefatigable, he pulls and pulls himself up to make something of himself. Learning tennis gave him the opportunity to attend college on a scholarship, propelling him toward his dream of becoming a lawyer. Conor is a principled studious young man, a devoted son, drop-dead gorgeous to boot. Sure, he may not be the most emotionally available of men, but that doesn’t stop women from throwing themselves at him.
All Conor wanted out of this summer was to make some money teaching tennis while he studies for the bar. The summer had other plans for him. The more he gets involved with the locals, the more he finds himself entangled in a love triangle so messy, it’s obvious it isn’t going to end nicely. But you may not expect just how “not nicely” it will end.
Against the backdrop of simmering privilege and entitlement, Conor O’Toole will unravel in the most spectacular manner.
There are some parallels that can be drawn here to Caroline Kepnes’ You (especially the season 4 of the TV adaptation which technically had almost nothing to do with Kepnes’ original vision, diverting wildly and smartly from the dud of the last book), but The Winner is fundamentally very much its own beast. Like some darkly twisted version of Gatsby, it has a classic feel to it. It’s also immensely readable and tough to put down, like snack food with all the quality and nutrition of a proper meal.
It’s so well written with such interesting, nuanced characters, and the way Wayne handles the mounting dread and that good ole’ walls-closing-in feeling is a thing of beauty.
So yeah, a winner all around. Loved this book. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

Set in a private, gated community during the pandemic, The Winner tells a story about a recent law school grad trying to earn money to cover his student loans and his mother’s costly insulin. Conor is given an opportunity to live in a private, wealthy community giving tennis lessons. Conor gets himself into an arrangement with an older woman who pays Conor for more than tennis. The story is slow and is a little predictable at times before ending more abruptly than anticipated. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Overall I enjoyed the book. I wanted to DNF somewhere around 25% as it was super slow and wasn't keeping me focused. I stuck it out, and about halfway or so, it drew me back in and ended up being really good. It was set during the pandemic, and I don't really enjoy reading about that, but still found it an enjoyable book with twists and turns.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper and Teddy Wayne for this e-ARC.

Wow. What I thought was going to be an easy-going read about coastal Massachusetts ended up being a psychological thriller.

I didn’t know too much about this book going in. Conor takes a job as a private tennis pro on Cutters Neck to the gloriously wealthy residents in return for free room and board as he studies for his bar exam. He ends up getting wound up in their world, someone he didn’t want to be. He turns into the exact type his girlfriend Emily writes about.

I didn’t expect all the twists and turns. Just as I started to get a bit bored, this took sweeping turns in every direction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper for an ARC copy of The Winner.

I wanted to DNF this at 3%, and I actually DNF at 10%, which I really, REALLY hate to do when I am provided copy at no charge to review. That being said, I absolutely did not expect (nor did I get any hint from reading the description) that a book set to publish in May 2024 would be set in the height of the covid pandemic. There were references to masks, isolation, social gatherings, etc. on every.single.page! I am not a covid-denier, have been vaccinated and wore masks, but it was a really unpleasant time that I don't want to re-live while reading for enjoyment. This really should be worked into the blurb for the book so others who feel like me about the topic can skip it.

I don't do too well with slow, slow, slow burn books, I realize. The cover and idea of this story drew me in, but it just didn't come together the way I had hoped. I found it boring for my personal taste. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

It’s a dream job for Conor O’Toole. His summer after law school will be spent at the ultra exclusive oceanfront community of Cutters Neck. He’ll be tennis pro to John Price, a successful New York lawyer, and he’ll be able to take on private clients. Price is even providing a private guest house for this hungry young man. Hungry? Yes, hungry for all the trappings of wealth he has missed, growing up in Yonkers as the only child of a sick single mother. Before he has settled in, he has attended a cocktail party where he (and the help) are the only non one percenters there. He attracts the lascivious interest of Catherine Remsen, an older woman and the richest person in the enclave, and soon he’s signed up for tennis lessons…and more, much more. In his free time, he falls in love and is offered a career making position at John Price’s law firm. He does well keeping these three things separate until a spectacularly bad decision threatens everything he has worked for.

The Winner is impossible to put down. This psychological thriller begins in a deceptively slow style as talented author Teddy Wayne introduces Conor. Pay attention to all the details here because they will enter into the plot later. As this tricky plot moves faster and faster, you will not be able to decide whether or not you want Conor to succeed or what his success will mean. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper and Teddy Wayne for this ARC.

This book was good in that it really is pretty twisty and dark and explores some not-so-talked-about in books class division.

I try to leave very honest reviews when I read ARCs, and while I did think this book was overall pretty good, it felt like a vehicle for the author to write sex scenes.

Struggling man goes to rich town, helps damsel in distress with her legal issues (he's a lawyer) and then very predictably starts up a sexual relationship with her. It was almost a chore to finish this one, and while I'm glad I did; this is probably my least favorite of the advanced copies I've been privileged enough to read.

I'd say this one is worth a shot if you don't really have anything else pressing to read, but it's not going to make my best of 2024 list.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

OMFG--what a book. This is my first time reading Teddy Wayne and I'll now be going back to look at his backlist. The beginning of this novel is a bit of a slow burn, in terms of what you think the story is going to be about: young, working class kid spending time with the .01% during Covid, providing tennis lessons and starting up an illicit relationship with an older woman. And then, hang onto your hat because it becomes something so different--and terrifying. I think I was figuratively on the edge of my seat from halfway through until the end. Not sure how I feel about the ending--on the one hand, I just want to know more. But, on the other hand, it feels like the mark of a well told story that I didn't want it to end.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

The Winner is a gripping and provocative novel that explores the dark side of wealth, privilege, and ambition. Teddy Wayne, the author, is a Whiting Award winner and a master of psychological suspense. I'm The Winner, he delivers a stunning portrait of a young man who gets caught in a web of deception, lust, and betrayal.

Conor O'Toole is a law school graduate who can't find a decent job and has to take care of his sick mother. He accepts a summer gig as a tennis instructor at Cutters Neck, a posh gated community near Cape Cod, where he hopes to make some money and connections. There, he meets Catherine, a wealthy and seductive divorcée who hires him for more than just tennis lessons. Conor soon becomes her lover and confidant, enjoying the perks of her lavish lifestyle. But he also falls for Emily, a free-spirited and artistic girl who lives in a modest cottage by the beach. Conor tries to juggle both relationships, but his lies and secrets eventually catch up with him, leading to a shocking and tragic outcome.

The Winner is a brilliant and timely novel that exposes the hypocrisy and corruption of the elite, as well as the moral dilemmas and emotional costs of living a double life. Wayne's writing is sharp, witty, and insightful, capturing the nuances and complexities of his characters and their motivations. He also creates a vivid and atmospheric setting, contrasting the opulence and superficiality of Cutters Neck with the natural beauty and authenticity of the Cape. The Winner is a compelling and unforgettable read that will make you consider class division, right and wrong and the lines between physical and emotional self defense.

When I was younger I would commit the ultimate crime, I read the last chapter, first.

I hated secrets and I felt books kept them from me!!

I just had to know EVERYTHING without pause.

I have since overcome this slight jist of madness and I wanted to high five myself today on how far I have come.

I relapsed….

I was all hyped up and ready to go. Poured a glass of wine, hit the bedroom early, and grabbed my book:

The Winner

Teddy Wayne, you little rascal, you!

This book is twisty! The suspense was present early on and I just couldn’t help but take a peak at the ending! I’m sorry, I couldn’t help it!

This book is fantastic and even though I did cheat, I didn’t ruin the book for myself! There is no way I could when you have an author like Wayne, behind the pen.

Don’t believe me? Check out this teaser:

Conor O’Toole has never been anywhere as casually glamorous as Cutters Neck, a gated community near Cape Cod. It’s a sweet deal for the summer: free lodging in a guest cottage in exchange for tennis lessons, luxuriously far from the cramped Yonkers apartment he shares with his diabetic mother.

In this oceanfront paradise, however, new clients prove hard to come by, and Conor has bills to pay. Then a sharp-tongued divorcée appears, offering him double his usual rate. Soon he realizes Catherine is expecting additional, off-the-court services for her money, and Conor tumbles into a secret erotic affair unlike anything he’s experienced before.

Despite his steamy flings with a woman twice his age, he simultaneously finds himself falling for the artsy, outspoken girl he met on the beach. Conor somehow finds a way to manage this tangled web—until he makes one final, irreversible mistake.

A dark, explosive literary thriller that brilliantly skewers the elite, Whiting Award winner Teddy Wayne’s unputdownable novel is cinematic, shocking, and a psychological masterpiece.

Conor O’Toole is financially struggling young law school graduate who falls into a Tennis Pro job in a small gated community in the Cape Cod area. He works on drumming up business while he studies for the bar exam every night. He is a sympathetic character, charismatic and with a small chip on his shoulder about his upbringing. Every step he takes towards financial freedom lands him further in financial jail as he shoulders his law degree bill, his mother's diabetes medication and other bills that accumulated when he was a child. You are really enjoying his journey and rooting for him for sure! When his path crosses the very wealthy and very single Catherine, he makes a decision that will change the trajectory of his life.

The first half of this book was incredibly well written and I hung on every word. It seemed familiar though -like a story I had read before. BAM! What happens mid way and the rest of the story is literally a roller coaster off the rails. Teddy Wayne was able to shock me, convince me, and keep me captive until the very last page. If you like thrillers, this is a new one for you!
#harper #thewinner #teddywayne

This was a heart pounding, edge of your seat thriller, Highly recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review