An excellent well-written book, believable storyline, full of twists and turns, good ending. It's an intricate plot with a really good ending.

Evie is a student at University doing her second year. She has moved into a house with other students and they seem to get on together fairly well most of the time. As students they are out at the pub regularly and one evening after drinking too much she had a fling with one of her professors, Simon Davidson. She mentions this to another professor who is there for students to confide in. Jenny persuades Evie to report Simon to HR which she does. One of her conditions was that her name would not be divulged. As always with these things the story got out although Evie’s name was not mentioned but as Simon had been suspended it eventually became common knowledge that it must be one of his students. The University had a blogger on site called Village Vixon Her stance on the story was did the person consent and then changed her mind or was it an actual rape. She became very vocal and Evie becomes very anxious and talks to Jenny saying she may take back the allegation. Jenny persuaded Evie to not stop the case going ahead. Simon did not tell his wife he was suspended and he was on a quest to find out exactly who had reported him. Eventually the story twists and turns and Jenny becomes a main character and is not as she first comes across. Evie begins to worry about her reporting Simon, becoming paranoid about the whole saga and getting depressed. Eventually Simon realises who is pulling Evie’s strings and decides to investigate and get to the truth. As the story continues the characters come into their own and I really enjoyed it. It all gets sorted out in the end but not all good for Evie

A positive 5 stars from me!

Student life in York is well described (Ms Bradley has obviously experienced it!) with Evie as the 'main' character who has just started her second year. She appears to be popular especially with Bronte her BFF and one of the other housemates in their digs.

Evie's problem lies with one of her tutors, Simon, who is accused of having a brief relationship with her but not reporting it. Evie reports their relationship to University HR. .Here the story starts with some superb twists involving the other housemates, Jenny another tutor/counsellor and possible sympathiser, the' Village Vixen' a student gossip blogger and Simon's family.

The pace of the book never lets up, and was a joy to read. Hopefully, Ms Bradley's use of the word' like' is used during those student conversations in the book only? I was hoping that someone would clear up the kitchen in Evie's house! The sights and smells are vivid!

Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for the chance to read and review.

A complicated story with characters you can really get behind! We all have that one friend that we’re a bit wary of, but gees Bronte takes it to another level!!!
A tale of unrequited love, the need to be needed, and complicated love. Or so you think…. Gripping until the final few sentences!!! Be careful who you trust!

Thank you to #NetGalley and Quercus for allowing me to read #TheLesson by #LisaBradley.
Where to start ! Evie is in her second year at university, bright, attractive and popular. Everything is going her way until the night she gets drunk and meets up with her English Professor Simon. What follows has so many twists it’s hard to know who to believe or what will happen next. A thoroughly unpredictable plot that keeps you reading well past bedtime. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

vie has just started her second year at University. She is young, beautiful and popular. She should be having the time of her life, except she has something to hide - a one-night-stand with her English Professor, Simon.Not wanting any of his other students to be used in the same way, Evie reports their relationship to University HR. But hours later, Village Vixen, the student gossip blogger, is baying for blood. She's found out about the accusation and is firmly on Simon's side. But how could Village Vixen possibly have known? Evie can't help but feel like she's being watched. As paranoia and fear set in, the one thing Evie knows for sure is someone has to teach Simon a lesson...

This book pulled me in from the very first sentence.
Trigger warning - there are references to animal harm. Which I’ll be honest, I did really struggle to read. I just skim read some of those parts
That said, this book is a fantastic, clever, manipulating psychological thriller that had me thinking about it for days afterwards
I highly recommend this book

Thank you to the publishers for inviting me on the tour

Evie claims she had a one night stand with her lecturer Simon and reports him to the university for abuse of power. Simon says it never happened. Who is lying and why?

If like me, you read the blurb of “The Lesson” and think you have this book all figured out before you have read the first line- let me just tell you something -you know nothing.

I really, really enjoyed this book. The plot is unfolded through the interesting and devious narratives of Evie, Simon and Jenny who is another lecturer in the department. Though no character is particularly likeable, they are all brilliantly written. The author was excellent at manipulating my emotions and my sympathies and perceptions of characters changed several times of the course of the book. There was a rollercoaster of revelations and twists, only one of which I guessed. I couldn’t read on fast enough!

Thank you to the author, Netgalley and publisher for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest opinion.

Evie has something to hide – a (very short) fling with a university professor, Simon. She’s in her second year of study and feels it important that she reports their relationship to the appropriate channels. However, Village Vixen, the student gossip blogger who everyone readers, quickly discover the accusation and is very firmly and definitively on Simon’s side. Evie is thrown by the discovery and the worry of how someone was able to find out about the relationship. It’s not long before she feels increasingly frightened that she’s being watched and that things aren’t going in her favour. You can really put yourself in Evie’s feet and consider how you’d feel in similar circumstances. A short but taut read that’ll have you looking over your shoulders…

Lisa Bradley’s campus-thriller, The Lesson, is a classic who-do-you-trust mixed with serious questions about issues facing students and staff at universities. Bradley has already created a signature pacing (see my Paper Dolls review) and it doesn’t let you slip away for a second here. Honestly, I was hooked.

Spoiler Free Synopsis

Evie is a second year literature student who (consensually) sleeps with a lecturer and decides to report it. All she really wanted was a new tutor group, now it’s spiralled out of control and someone has it out for her, but who?

Simon is the lecturer in question. He denies sleeping with Evie. He has a wife and a disabled child at home, along with an incoming book deal. Yes, he’s friendly with his students, but that shouldn’t be cause to lose his job, should it?

Jenny is also a lecturer, but one with a different outlook. Last year one of her tutees killed himself and she won’t let another one slip through her fingers. Overworked and lonely, Jenny devotes her life to her students, but is it too much?

Who do you trust? And what is the truth behind the secrets?

My Review
The Lesson is told from multiple narratives. First Evie, then Jenny, then Simon. Your allegiances shift with every chapter and it was interesting that I found myself feeling sorry for all three of them at different points in the novel and not really knowing where I’d end up. When it came down to the crunch I was pleased with my initial gut feeling but totally thrown off guard by the ending (a good thing!)

Bradley’s Jenny and Simon voices are fantastic, they’re very distinct and manages to keep them realistic. Even their thoughts marry up with their personalities.

I have a slight niggle with the voice of Evie, in that sometimes I feel like the dialogue is a little dated for a 19-year-old, for example the use of the word ‘minger’, I thought could have just been dropped and it would feel more natural. But honestly, that is my one and only criticism about The Lesson.

The minor characters too, are well rounded and important to the story, don’t underestimate them!

Bradley doesn’t question her readers’ intelligence by repeating information or over-describing. I think what really makes Bradley’s thrillers so readable is her pacing. Every chapter moves the story along with an a good amount of speed, but not too much.

The twists and turns keep you questioning. You really will never guess what’s going to come next and you’d have to be literally living inside the characters minds to guess the ending.

As well as being a thriller, The Lesson is a campus novel, which keeps it well contained and gives the story a grounded location, so the pace doesn’t overwhelm you.

Just like Paper Dolls, I’d recommend The Lesson to all thriller lovers and book groups.

This book was a real edge of your sear thriller. Very exciting and it played with your mind as you read it. I enjoyed this book very much. Another new author for me. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

The Lesson is a gripping, slightly crazy (in a good way) emotional roller coaster ride and I loved it. The characterisation is fantastic, the plot is twisty and unpredictable yet still entirely believable and the subject matter itself is well-handled and presented from multiple different angles in a non-condescending manner without one side outweighing the other in moral authority.

The ambiguity of the characters actions and motivations is refreshingly different and I love how the author highlights their weaknesses and horrible misdeeds, while never losing sight of the fact they're all human. I could relate to and empathise with every one of them and that's one of the things that makes it such a great book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

5*

The Lesson is a compelling psychological thriller inspired by the sharp spike in mental health issues in students that Bradley, as a lecturer, has experienced first-hand over the past few years. Evie is a second-year student attending Duke of York University in the north of England hoping to make something of her life. She is young, beautiful and popular among fellow students, but she is also popular with someone she really shouldn't be personally engaging with: her English professor and lecturer Simon Davidson. For a while now they have both been keeping a secret. A secret that would undoubtedly be frowned upon if anyone knew about it. Evie had a one night stand with Simon. After thinking long and hard, Evie decides to report him to the university human resources department for his inappropriate conduct in case he might be tempted to repeat the liaison with another naive student.

Despite it being very much consensual she understands that it can victimise the woman. But much to Evie’s surprise, she finds herself under attack by Village Vixen, a student and gossip blogger who lays the blame solely on Evie despite not knowing anything about the issue. However, there's a bigger concern. How did Vixen find out about the complaint when it was made in confidence? This is a compelling, thought-provoking and interesting exploration of morality, manipulation and abuse of power. Bradley was inspired to write it after the Me Too movement, but also after numerous headlines this year on the darker side to some institutions preoccupation with reputational damage. It's unsettling, hard-hitting and fast-paced with plenty of reveals as well as twists. Told from the perspectives of Evie, Simon and another lecturer, Jenny, you come to realise that none of the cast can really be trusted.

Evie a 2nd-year student has had a one night stand with her English professor and it did not go well so advice from another she went to the HR Dept and reported it as she did not want others to suffer the same apparently this has happened before and the said teacher is temporary suspended but on full pay.
In this thriller, I found it a bit challenging keeping up with who said what and who did what. It did not grip me like other thrillers, mainly because each chapter is taken up with either a student or teacher, with too many characters, I lost concentration.
I would like to thank Netgalley for a copy to review but sadly it's not for me.

This intrigued me as I have always been intrigued by student/teacher relationships as there is such a big hype about them in reality. I found it interesting how Evie went and reported her one-night stand with her teacher to HR and what seemed like hours, some big Village Vixen blogger is writing about it and supporting Simon (the teacher).

I thought it was a good thriller with lots of twists and turns and shows you that even although you think you're doing the right thing, people will be against you and there will always be people on the opposing side.

I thought it was written excellently and really captivated me from beginning to end. Thank you Lisa for allowing me this ARC and Netgalley, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I found The Lesson an interesting read but it just didn't quite work for me but I don't know why. Once it got going it was fast paced with twists and turns and plenty of suspense but it didn't quite satisfy me. Reading other reviews I know I am in a minority so I am sure this will be a big hit.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for my ARC.

Evie has just started her second year at University. She is young, beautiful and popular. She should be having the time of her life, but she has something to hide - a one-night stand with her English Professor, Simon. Not wanting any of his other students to be used in the same way, Evie reports their relationship to University HR. But hours later, Village Vixen. the student gossip blogger, is baying for blood. She's found out the accusation and i firmly on Simon's side. But how could the Village Vixen have possibly have known?

This is a well written, fast paced, multi-layered book that's filled with lots of twists. Everyone has a secret and there's a touch of the #metoo to this story, bit it soon takes off in several directions. It's a plotline you can't say too much about as it would give away far too many spoilers. It can be a bit confusing at times as all the twists keep happening at the same time. This is a complex and compelling read.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #QuercusBooks and the author #LisaBradley for my ARC of #TheLesson in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book and up until about 80% it was going to be an easy 5 stars. However, too much happened in the last part of the book and I felt there were too many ties and too many mentally ill people to conveniently tie up the plot. However, I did enjoy the majority of this book, the relationships between work colleagues and house mates and finding out who was telling the truth and who had the most to lose.

A book of so many twists you don`t know which character to believe.
Student Evie has a one night stand with her professor then reports him as he went against Uni rules and wants to teach him a lesson.
Then the plot thickens but did keep you reading.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC

This was a well written intriguing read that unfolded steadily with lots of twists and turns towards the end. Almost too many for me I’m afraid, it looked like all was resolved then another twist and another till it felt less believable.

I really enjoyed this book , the many twists and turns and the characters. It was really well written and kept me enthralled throughout. Pity we have to have the poor animal being abused yet again . Is it just the books I read that have to have this in them . Apart from that a good read