Cover Image: Killer Affair

Killer Affair

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

The novel follows two women who are very different. Lexy a reality star and Caroline a celebrity blogger. The two meet and it's decided that Caroline will write Lexy's book for her. A very enjoyable read

Was this review helpful?

I would definitely consider myself a fan of Rebecca Chance and her books are easy and pure escapist reads. However, this one was not one of my favourites from this author. The book follows two women who are polar opposites. Lexy a reality star, married to an ex footballer and Caroline is the polar opposite.

She writes press releases but would love to become a published author one day. Caroline meets Lexy and becomes the person chosen to write Lexy's book for her. Although it wasn't what she had in mind Caroline goes with it with no idea of the outcome.

I read this over a few days and it was still certainly easy reading and enjoyable, however it wasn't quite like her previous books I have read where I didn't want to put them down. Overall an easy to read 'bonkbuster' and probably an ideal beach read.

Was this review helpful?

I think all the good weather we’ve had recently has put me in the mood for a summer scorcher of a read, something to read while
imagining I’m lying by the pool. Who better to reach for than @msrebeccachance?!

Killer Affair has been sitting on my shelf for a while however it was definitely worth the wait. I devoured the first 200 pages in just one sitting, completely absorbed by the writing and immersed in the story.

Caroline, a blogger and wannabe writer, is commissioned to help the famous Lexy O’Brien write her new novel. In the beginning Caroline would like to be more like Lexy, throughout the book, that turns into something a bit more sinister!

In the beginning I really like Caroline. She was relatable to Lexy’s un-relatable celebrity status. At the end though it was the polar opposite. I hated her! The character arcs of Lexy and Caroline are the opposite of each other and I liked the way I came to feel sympathetic for Lexy.

The prologue stayed in my mind throughout the book and it to-ed and fro-ed over it throughout the book wondering who each of the characters were. The tie in was great and the pacing of the story worked really well for me. As is the usual style for Rebecca it was full of sharp prose, quick wit and steamy scenes. I loved it!

Was this review helpful?

Review: The blurb had me hooked and desperate to read this book and I was not disappointed. This book is romance with deceit a really exciting thriller. If you like a book that is set in the life of a celebrity then this is one for you. Following a ghostwriter who is the complete opposite to a celebrity is a great plot idea and putting her into that world and seeing what happens. This book kept the pages turning. There is a really epic twist to the plot..one I am not telling you will have to read to find out.

Was this review helpful?

Unfortunately, I am unable to review this book fully as I was unable to finish reading. I think this book wasn't for me personally, but there are a lot of potential readers out there who fit more into this genre.

Was this review helpful?

I've read Rebecca Chance before but not for a while so I thought I'd give her new book a go. Glad I did! Love the celebrity, scandalous storyline with a few raunchy scenes too. I've read a lot of Victoria Fox and got the same reading with this book. I did get a little bored in the end reading about Caroline on the island which read like a very popular ongoing TV show set in the Australian jungle but never mind! I would read more of Rebecca Chance and will go back and read the books I haven't read if this one is anything to go by. Thank you for letting me read and review this book, I look forward to her next one!

Was this review helpful?

A great easy, light hearted read in Rebecca Chance's usual style of drama and glitz. Loved this storyline and couldn't put it down. When a relatively unknown blogger gets the chance to ghost write for a glamorous TV star her life changes in more ways than one. And a life she wants more of. Not the ending I was expecting. Just brilliant!

Was this review helpful?

Thanks Netgalley, Rebecca Chance and the Publisher. This is a different read from the other books I have read but nevertheless it is well worth 4.5 stars. Highly recommend.

Was this review helpful?

I've been reading Rebecca Chance books for years and they never disappoint. This book was no different. You're drawn right into the story, almost as if you're a voyeur watching it unfold from the sidelines. And you can't help but warm to the characters, despite the many reasons not to. Can't wait to see what the author comes up with next.

Was this review helpful?

Oh wow, Rebecca Chance's books are always chock full of drama and this one was no exception. You can tell from the synopsis that this novel is going to be fuelled by the desire of two strong women, two women who may or may not grow to like each other. The word rivalry is mentioned but this rivalry is like none other you've seen before. I loved the fact that this storyline covers fame and family but also the price of fame to yourself and to others. The way the story is told, we get to see things from Lexy's perspective, from Caroline's perspective and a few extracts from the books that Caroline has written/is writing. I loved this structure and it made for a little extra interest.

These women are both fabulous to read. They both know what they want and are ready to go fro it. They are so different and yet watching them grow and change over the course of the book is really entertaining. Of course we know that Lexy being 'Queen of reality TV' is going to play a certain character but there is definitely more to her than meets the eye. And speaking of more than meets the eye, Caroline really does surprise you as you turn each and every page. I really liked her storyline and the way she dealt with the drama of it all.

The other thing that I really liked about this book was the insight it gives you into the world of ghostwriting and publicising a book. Just a little of the world of publicity and publishing. I thought that everything rang very true to some of the things I had heard and there was a lot of detail to take in. Some of the detail made it that the book read a little slower than I am used to but it didn't take away from the drama of the storyline at all. There are also some familiar face that pop up in this novel, so if you have read Rebecca's other books, you will be pleased to see a recurring character here!

Overall this was a really good read and definitely up to par with what I have come to expect from this author. The sex scenes were fabulous, as always, and the drama was on point. This is definitely something to read this summer, something to heat up the cold British summer weather!

Was this review helpful?

Killer Affair is only the second book I have ready by Rebecca Chance following on from last years publication Killer Diamonds which I absolutely adored. This new book is certainly very different from the one I had read before and even now a week or so after I finished reading it I still don't know quite what to make of it. It's not that it was a bad book but in my opinion it wasn't as good and absorbing as the previous story. I did find it overly long and there were times I came quite close to putting it down as it was just dragging too much but I persisted to the end because I really wanted to know the eventual outcome for the two main characters. The story felt very slow to get off the ground and there could have been plenty left out which would have moved the story on more. Some of the sentences were very clunky and I found myself rereading several times to make sure I got the meaning as to what the author was trying to say. There was a decent story here waiting to be told but I felt it got lost with every cliché in the book being thrown in and every celeb reference or controversial social topic being utilised. Maybe the term less is more should have been applied at certain points.

The story follows two women who when we first meet them couldn't be more different in every way. Lexy is an expert reality star, married to ex footballer Frank. Instantly and in the way Lexy's character develops I could see in some ways she was modelled on a certain 'celeb'. To these kind of people fame is everything and they know the ins and outs and every little trick in which to achieve maximum exposure and attention, with the ultimate goal of achieving glory, fame and fortune. They would do anything to get a story in the Daily Mail side bar (who hasn't lost hours scrolling through the stories which can be found here?)

Lexy is a relentless self publicist, always thinking of the next thing which will get her name on everyone's lips. Her career and her appearance are her everything and behind closed doors one would think that she is a totally different person. Someone who when the cameras are off she is happy to sit back and chill and enjoy life with her family but that is not the case as her children Laylah and London run rings around the nannies as the affection they need is never provided by Lexy. Lexy's life is comparable to that of a real life soap opera and all the little tricks celebs use in real life to attract attention are shown here. The author let us into the other side of the story that we never see as celebs now for the most part have such control over how their persona is portrayed to the public. Lexy is filming a reality show chronicling her life but she also wants to branch out by publishing her autobiography blending fact and fiction. The trouble is she's just not good at writing and where would she find the time anyway, that's where Caroline steps in.

If Lexy is loud, brash and attention seeking then Caroline is the polar opposite. She is meek and prefers to go under the radar. She believes she is boring due to her lack of sophistication and chicness. She works in normal job that doesn't bring her any satisfaction. She writes dull press releases for a media company but behind it all she longs to write her own book and get a publishing deal some day. Before she knows it she has met Lexy and visited her home and is employed to write Lexy's book with a strict deadline. So this mightn't have been what Caroline had in mind when we discovered her long term ambition but she views it as a step in the right direction. The trouble is Caroline gets too involved in Lexy's life in the name of research and before long the tables are turned, the roles reversed and in the process my opinions of the two characters changed also.

In the beginning it was Lexy who I felt we weren't meant to like. She came across as this typical z lister featured on so many reality shows who can barely formulate an opinion or thought of her own but as Caroline becomes more entrenched in Lexy's life and her family the positions change and it was Caroline I detested. Such a turn around for a character who became very wise to the overall game and how to take note of every little thing which then in turn could be used at just the appropriate moment. Caroline became vindictive and someone out for her own gain and would do anything to get what she wanted. On reflection I don't think I really overly liked either woman but as the story progressed it was Lexy who I felt sympathy for and Caroline was the one who I didn't really enjoy reading about.

At first Caroline was all sweetness and light and just an average girl with hidden ambitions which showed no signs of ever bearing fruit. But she had a total personality change and I don't think I've read such a total transformation between two characters in a book before. Such a role reversal ensued. So this strand of the story I did think was good it's just the way some of the other aspects of the storyline were executed I would say became too far fetched even though some of them could be based on fact.

I just think every little social nuance or celeb expose in the past year or two was used in this book and it felt as if I had read all this before (maybe that's because I am so addicted to social media). It didn't feel fresh or new even the 'survivor/island castaway' type show which features was modelled on a very well known programme we all watch every year. I felt the need for something more innovative and for it not to be as if it was taken from somewhere else having being filed away and noted at the time for use in a book. As the rivalry intensified between the pair and Caroline is the one attracting all the attention the story did ramble on a bit and what I felt was missing for me was that slight element of mystery and suspense which I had enjoyed in the previous book. I really wanted the story to just build and build to an incredible, jaw dropping, shocking finale but it just wasn't present here. I didn't get that big moment of reveal I really enjoy in books in this genre but it all felt like a damp squid and flat.

As previously mentioned I didn't know what to make of this book and it's not because of the very detailed and graphic sex scenes. Like anyone I love this kind of read every now and again but I just think I have read better books in this genre by the likes of Victoria Fox or Nigel May for example. The book initially did grab my attention but unfortunately it then wandered and I think the character of Frank was partly why I kept reading. There was something just so down to earth and genuine about him. I felt he really did love Lexy and the children and wasn't in to all the celeb drama.He just wanted a quiet life after his career. I thought Caroline saw he had some weak points and she went for them and exploited them to her advantage. She was a prime example of a docile little kitten who turned into a roaring tiger knocking everyone in her path. The tables had been turned and rivalry and exploitation were the game. The question was who would triumph and at what cost?

I'd love to be able to say I enjoyed every minute of Killer Affair but I didn't. It could have been amazing but it didn't deliver the enthralling read I had experienced when reading Killer Diamonds. If you want something to pass a few hours on a sun bed on holiday this year that won't require deep thought than this is the one for you. It's not the best bonkbuster I have read but it was packed full of conflict and revenge which I'm sure will keep many readers entertained this summer .

Was this review helpful?

I really don't know what to think, that was a huge story of envy, jealousy, sex, great one liners, with an incredibly twisty finale that left me very impressed.

A yet it started with me thinking that Caroline was easily one of the most relatable to characters I have read in a while to the extent I thought she could have been me! We both have the same facial skin condition, both are bloggers, have had the same thoughts about sex and she lives one stop away from where I used to work, so I even recognised the pain of the tube/train journey she had!

Not only that as it becomes apparent that Caroline was going to become a ghostwriter for a famous reality tv star, there is a lot of talk about ghost writers in general, how much they make, the public's perception or lack of, with regards to ghostwriters and celebrity biographies. I recall seeing discussions earlier this year on those exact topics, after a specific article was published, which to my eyes added an extra layer to the book that I could relate to.

However characters like people can change, and as the story progressed I am glad to say that I am actually nothing like Caroline! In fact as the book progressed I couldn't work out if I had more empathy with Lexy or Caroline. Lexy is one kick-ass woman, she has masterminded her reality tv career and knows exactly what she wants, and also appears to have the perfect life.

On a moral level neither woman is up to much really given one is determined to wreck a marriage and the other is determined to do anything for publicity and assumes her devoted husband will forgive her! On the other hand I loved Caroline's determination to change herself, to become more confident and follow her dreams at whatever expense.

While Caroline was ghosting Lexy's book we would occasionally see snippets written in Lexy's voice by Caroline which were really amusing. We also saw some rather erotic historical romance writing by Caroline too. Not to mention how much I enjoyed Caroline's sexual awakening and some of the incredibly hot scenes that followed.

I'm a huge fan of Rebecca Chance, and her quick wit, and open mindedness with regards anything sexual are clear once again in this book. Not all the scenes will appeal to everyone but they are incredibly well written and I thoroughly enjoyed every last word!

Killer Affair to me is a perfect example of a holiday read, I would have loved to have read this pure escapism while lying by a pool, sipping cocktails and absorbing the sun, as if you can 't read, relax and thoroughly the many naughty books while on holiday surrounded by strangers, then when can you!!

Thank you to Pan and Netgalley for this copy of the book which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an advance copy of this book.

I have read all of Rebecca Chance's books to date but felt slightly disappointed by this one as it seemed to drag on and it took me to about 47% to actually start to get properly into the story and then I couldn't put it down as I wanted to know what was going to happen.

The description of some of the characters in the story reminded me of certain celebrities - not sure if that was deliberate or just coincidence.

A good revenge plot but did get a bit extreme towards the end. Good holiday read when you can spend the day on a sunlounger really getting into the story.

Was this review helpful?