On the surface, Poppy Page has it all. A successful and attractive businesswoman running her own acting agency, she is married with two beautiful daughters. But her marriage lacks passion, and Poppy's dreams of becoming an actress herself are unfulfilled. So when her first love, Matthew Gordon, comes back into her life offering the excitement she has been missing, Poppy is quickly drawn in by his charms. But is Matthew all he seems, or has Poppy made a terrible mistake?

I really enjoyed this well-written, well-plotted novel, told in turns by Poppy herself, and her mother-in-law, Betty and I loved the counterpoint Betty's own backstory lent to Poppy's predicament. The quick unravelling of Poppy's life was terrifying, and the author did a brilliant job of making each character well-rounded and believable. I also had a gasp out loud moment towards the end, and those don't happen to me very often! 

A beautifully written and well-plotted novel - I look forward to reading more from this author, and will definitely be recommending this one. NB: I was provided with a free ARC copy of this book by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow , what a book . I loved this from start to finish , I loved hearing the story from the mother in laws past and the wife’s story . Just shows how making one mistake can ruin so many lives but it also shows we’re all human and do make silly mistakes . This was one of the best books Ive read for years and the best Ive read from this author .

I received an email from Net Galley regarding this book and decided I would request this even though I hardly ever read thrillers. I was hooked from page 1 absolutely devoured it in two days . I am not keen on characters telling the story but for this book it so worked - Poppy and her mother in law, the family relationships and heir histories and then Matthew! It kept me on the edge of my seat with so many twists and turns and yet had a brilliant unexpected ending which drew to a proper conclusion.

I could not put this book down I kept thinking I would just read the one chapter and then I couldn’t stop!! LOVED LOVED it and am now looking to purchase other books from this author and cannot recommend this particular book enough.

Very clever and very well written!! Fully enjoyed this one and was read in one sitting!! Cannot wait to read more from this author !!

Whilst I won't necessarily give this book a negative review, neither will I heap praise upon it! I think it's because the main character - Poppy - so annoyed me that I wanted to shake her. Living a relatively comfortable life she nevertheless wants more - and therein lay the problem with this book for me. It's a done-a-million-times trope - and this re-telling held no surprises. The plot was average, the story was slow and I really had no sympathy for any of the characters. It wasn't a total disaster though so I'm going to be a tad more generous than I had intended as the writing held it's own, for the most part. My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Absolutely brilliant! I couldn't put this book down. I loved the switch between the different stories, and all the characters seemed very real. The ending is unexpected and very clever. All in all it is a thoroughly enjoyable read, and one which makes you think too, about the mistakes we all make, and also how we judge others for their mistakes. I definitely want to read more of Jane Corry's books now.

I really enjoyed this book, i would give it a strong 4/5.
There was a repeat sentence about 80% in where the dad talks about finishing his puzzle.
Liked the characters although the main character frustrated me sometimes with her indecision- overall a really good read

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Everyone makes mistakes. What will you do when one threatens to destroy your whole life?

Who is on trial? Who died? What happened?

In this story, we follow Poppy and her mother-in-law, Betty. Poppy is a career-focused woman, currently struggling with her marriage, so when she meets up with her former boyfriend, Matthew, who she loved with a passion before he broke her heart, Poppy ends up having sex with him and everything goes wrong.

The story is intertwined with a letter from Betty, where she tells Poppy about her life and her marriage and the things she was never able to confess to her loving family.

This book was a pleasant surprise, with well written, flawed characters you wanted to root and a compelling mystery. Even though I guessed most of the ending, there were still parts that really surprised me. Considering this story subverted one of the tropes on "cheating stories" that I really hate, I was pleasantly surprised.

As for negatives, maybe the story was wrapped up too neatly for my taste, but overall I enjoyed the ending.

What a fabulous book!! Simply couldn’t put it down. To start with I really related to Poppy then realised I was the same age as Betty. I couldn’t stop reading it then cried my eyes out at the end. Not sure a guy would enjoy it but I think all women would. Absolutely fabulous x

A deliciously dark and twisted plotline, with a Machiavellian villain wreaking havoc on the other characters. The characters were brilliantly portrayed and beautifully realistic, containing the hidden depths and secrets that people do.
The plot line was twisty, with lots of intertwined elements, without being fussy or overly complicated.
A highly recommended and enjoyable read, definitely worth adding to the bookshelf.

Oh Jane Corry, you have done it again! You've written a novel that has meant I had to stay up until the early hours as when I tried to put it down to sleep - I couldn't leave it!
Once more this author has created totally believable characters - one of her skills. I find that her books tend to bring differing emotions to the fore and this was no exception. Loved how one of the main characters wrote in the form of letters to another. Great suspense and fabulous ending. Loved it.
Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Cleverly told, the twist when it came was, for me, impossible to foresee. Totally believable and relateable characters including the unscrupulous "bad guy". Not a happy book but demonstrates that the force of family love endures regardless.

This book came to me from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and I'm delighted to give it one.
I haven't read anything by Jane Corry before but I'm going to search her previous books out now having enjoyed this one so much.
The book is written through the voices of Poppy and her mother in law Betty. The time period of each voice is a generation apart and ranges from the 50's to the present day. The recording of life in the 50's and 60's is very true to period and reflects very well the attitudes of that time.
Poppy's story spans mainly the period of her adult life, but it is tinged with the sadness of her own parents' marriage breakup and her fathers spouse into dementia. Poppy is an upcoming theatrical agent and we get to know her clients as well as Poppy and her family. Her husband Stuart is a dentist and like many modern families, they are both involved in their work. Betty lives with her son and his family and her voice tells of her own early married life.
The story is full of twists, it's very tender and deals well with emotions without over dramatising them. There are enough twists and turns in the plot to keep you gripped.
I read the book almost in one sitting and absolutely loved it.

I've read few this author books but this one. It keeps you gripped from beginning to the end, the story with Stuart, poppy and Betty is amazing how one family can pull together. Can't wait for more e books.

When married Poppy makes a mistake and sleeps with a man from her past she doesn't just jeapardise her marriage, she puts her entire family and welfare into danger. A story of obsession, blackmail and a need for revenge, this book wasn't quite as enjoyable as I'd hoped but it was still an entertaining read.

I really enjoyed reading this book, thank you to Netgalley for sending me an advanced copy.

The story is told in two parts - the character of Poppy, a mother of 2 teenage girls, a business owner, a wife to a dentist, and also Poppy's mother-in-law Betty. Also, throughout the story, it is peppered with little snippets from a court case. I think that this was a good balance, we got to know both characters really well and the court case gave us a little bit of mystery - who was on trial? What would happen? What DID happen?

When Poppy meets her first ever love at work party many years after they split, her world is turned upside down. She begins to question her marriage, herself, her husband, her first love...

Matthew, Poppy's first ever boyfriend, is engaging and everyone seems attracted to him. But he has a secret that he's harbouring. As Poppy learns about his wife having been seriously ill and wheelchair bound by MS, she can't help but feel compassion and is amazed by how caring he is and how much he has changed. But, after a night spent with Matthew, Poppy begins to regret opening up to him... part of his story doesn't make sense, and Matthew appears to be turning up in all areas of her life - how does he know so much about her husband, one of her daughters, her father?

Through Betty's story, which is told in letter-form to Poppy, we learn about what it was like for Betty growing up in a society where women were repressed.

With both Poppy and Betty's stories, we really get to know both characters and how they view each other...

I must admit that I did work out what would happen and who had 'done it' from the very beginning and I also didn't find Betty's 'letters' authentic - it didn't sound like it read like a letter, EG she kept referring to her son as 'my son' in the letter, and that felt very formal, wouldn't she have said 'Stuart' or simply 'your husband'...? It also didn't sound chatty enough for a letter. I think it would have been better if it wasn't told in letter form as it would have been a little less distracting, just Betty's story on it's own without the letter would have worked well. I also would have loved to have known a bit more about Poppy and what attracted her to her husband in the first place, it felt like there was very little love between them, so why had they got together, why have they been married so long, why did she stay with him afterwards... I think that part of the story could have been built up a little more.

Aside from that, I really enjoyed the story and found it to be very engaging. I liked how Matthew slowly infiltrated himself into her life, it felt quite sinister and creepy and did make me stop to think about how much information I may tell people I don't know that well and how dangerous that could be if the person in question had other motives... a book that makes you think about your own life like this, is very powerful.

I really disliked Matthew, Jane Corry was really good at creating a real 'baddie' character!

When reading this, I was engrossed in the worlds of Betty and Poppy. I also liked some of the messages within it - Betty being strog and focusing on working on her marriage - perhaps in the modern day world we can learn from this 'oldfashioned' view. I also found the fact that Betty hadn't forgiven herself for the mistake she made when she was younger, really compelling, how that still affected her in her later life.

This is a really well written story with lots of intrigue, elements of tension and also moral dilemmas that make you ask yourself what you would do.

I Made a Mistake is the latest thriller from Jane Corry and it is a gripping roller coaster ride from start to finish. It starts slowly and builds up leaving you turning the pages wanting to read more.

Everyone makes mistakes but this time the mistake is deadly and someone will pay. Poppy Paige runs a successful agency for extras. Having failed as an actress she has found a talent for finding the right people acting jobs and her business is thriving. She has been happily married to Stuart, a dentist, for twenty years and has two daughters, Melissa and Daisy. Betty, her mother in law, also lives with them. She is a colourful and flamboyant character who loves brightly coloured berets. She does a lot of the work looking after Melissa and Daisy so Poppy can look after her agency.

Poppy has always thought of herself as being faithful to her husband until, at an extras party, an old flame walks into her life. In her student days Matthew was the love of her life, until he broke her heart by leaving her for her friend. Meeting Matthew is the catalyst for a gradual unravelling in Poppy's life.

There are mistakes aplenty in the book. The story is told in two parts. There are a number of letters from Betty to Poppy which describe her courtship and marriage to Jock in the 60s and 70s. This really brings the period of time to life and shows how Betty comes to terms with a marriage that is not what she thought it was. She makes a similar mistake but manages to gain control of her life and make something of it. Through the letters she is trying to help Poppy come to terms with what she has done.

Between the letters we see Poppy's life spiralling out of control as it starts to become clear how deadly her mistake really is.

This is a fascinating book which is definitely worth a read. The twists and turns of the plot will keep you guessing and the ending will surprise you. It is an addictive and thought provoking thriller.

I'm a big fan of Jane Corry and I wasn't disappointed. The book has two main narrators, Poppy and her mother-in-law Betty. Both voices are unique and compelling, believable and likeable. When Poppy meets her first love again after many years her whole life is threatened. Meanwhile, Betty is writing a letter to Poppy about her past, at the same time featuring in Poppy's current life. Interspersed with court scenes which give a tantalising glimpse into what may have happened, I raced through this book as I couldn't wait to see what happened and how everything came together. The twists were clever and the author was always one step ahead of me making the book thrilling and a real page turner.

I'd highly recommend this book, and thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

A fabulous read. The different narratives really worked well to keep the momentum of the story going. Really believable characters and I really liked Poppy and Betty. I enjoyed Betty's story and how it illustrated that nobody really knows what happens behind closed doors. Thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish.

Rated and reviewed on 'Goodreads'.

Those decisions we make, choices that are almost out of our control and the consequences we could never have foreseen. Jane Corry's new book is utterly compelling, with characters who are heartbreakingly real. As a reader, you can condemn them for their actions but, as a human, you have to accept that we've all made choices that we regret. Whether we were victims of circumstance, whether we were too innocent or naïve, whether we were unable to think clearly, whether we just couldn't control our impulses....it could happen to anyone. Whilst some parts of the plot were a little far fetched, they were all well within the realms of possibility in the world Jane Corry has created and I love how there are no real heroes in this book. Just fallible, ordinary people stumbling through life. I like the way the story is told from the perspectives of different characters, their stories told across decades and weaving together towards the end, and I enjoyed the two very distinct voices of the two primary female characters, and the parallels between their lives. It could be said that the male characters are somewhat underdeveloped, but then this is not their story and we know them from the perspective of the women they've become involved with.
Most enjoyable, look forward to the next one!