A slow burner with lots of twists and turns along the way. So many characters had motives so the suspects changed constantly keeping me guessing until near the end.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I received an E-ARC with a request for my honest review.

This shocking crime thriller follows Christina, who feels lonely after a breakup a few years ago. She decides to join an online group run by the influencer Sorcha, hoping to build new friendships and gain more confidence.

She is soon welcomed into the group, taking part in the activities organised including Cold Sea water dips, book clubs and get togethers. However, Christina also has a secret she is hiding, and may have further reasons for joining the group.

When Christina starts to receive threats, she believes that her secret may have been discovered and must decide whether to continue being part of her new friendship group.

What is Christina’s secret? Who is threatening Christina?

This crime thriller is not only shocking but the mystery behind Christina’s secret and who may be threatening her makes it a read you don’t want to put down.

I found Christina and Sorcha to be a very strong female lead characters, as they are determined to not let previous bad relationships take over their lives. They want to move on and find other ways to lead a happy life.

You get to hear from both characters and as the mysteries unfold more secrets are revealed.

Overall, a shocking crime thriller, where new friendships may lead to deadly consequences.

Christina is an introvert who avoids contact with people wherever possible, even working from home so that she has minimal interaction with colleagues. Christina forces herself to join the all-female group Soul Sisterhood. The group is run by influencer Sorcha Hannon whose whole life is played out on social media. Members of the group are in awe of Sorcha who encourages them to become more confident and embrace their fears, often taking part in group get togethers such as wild swimming and coffee dates.

Christina soon realises that Sorcha’s life in the public eye doesn’t quite match up to reality. Sorcha has navigated a devastating divorce from her husband, with his infidelity having been the catalyst. Christina and Sorcha soon become close friends, often meeting outside of the group events. Christina starts to receive threats and we soon learn that she has a secret, she already knew Sorcha before joining the Sisterhood. But all is not as it seems as Christina learns that Sorcha has a secret of her own too.

A gripping book with some strong and relatable characters. This is an easy read with an enjoyable pace with a few twists and turns thrown in for good measure. A highly recommended read.

We follow Christina and her life following "SOUL SISTERHOOD" which is a social media group and ran by high and mighty Sorcha. When she is invited to join the group she declines due to Christina knows about the group and she does not want to risk people finding out shes involved with the group.

This book is about lies and friendship and this book will have you find page one. This is very well written and the character build is awesome. There is so much unexpected in this book and if anyone who likes psychological thrillers need to put this on their TBR.

WTG to the author for a very well written and will recommend to everyone.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

I’d like to thank Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Affair’ written by Claire Allen in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Christina is lonely and unloved, and hiding in her home following a failed love affair where she thought she’d found ‘the one’. She follows ‘Soul Sisterhood’, an online group of like-minded women that’s run by popular social media influencer Sorcha Hannon. When Christina is invited to join the group she’s sorely tempted as she’d love to make new friends but she knows more about Sorcha and her perfect family than she should and doesn’t want to risk her identity being found out.

‘The Affair’ is a psychological drama of friendship and lies and although there are no hugely dramatic events, what we do have is a thought-provoking story of a woman who desperately wants to be part of the group but doesn’t know who she can trust. The story is well-written with perfectly described characters and tension that increases with each surprising twist and turn. I kept the prologue in mind wondering how it was going to tie in with the story, so when it did I mistakenly thought that was the end of the novel. But the final chapters are even more unexpected and a great way to finish a thoroughly enjoyable novel that I consumed in a day as I was unable to stop reading.

I was hooked from the very word go, and I genuinely spent 90% of the novel trying to puzzle together the pieces we had so carefully been given.

This novel follows Christina, a woman dying to fit in and be accepted by society. In comes Sorcha, a social media star with thousands of followers and a life people only dream to live. But it's never that simple is it?

This was my first novel of Allen's and it genuinely had me hooked. I loved the slow burn, which I am normally not a huge fan of, and found myself constantly second-guessing everyone's intentions and motives.

Her heart is still thumping now, only just distinguishable from the roar of the water and the wind. This is not safe. She is not safe. She realised then only one of them is coming back out alive.

Christina had joined the Soul Sisterhood, but it's not a coincidence that the leader of the group is the ex-wife of Christina's former lover. Christina and Sorcha (the ex-wife) become friends.

Not usually Claire's style, as this is a bit of a slow burn compared to her other books, which are fast-paced. The prologue sets the tone of the story. Each character had a unique backstory, and there were some devious characters too. The suspense builds throughout. The final twist was great, and I never saw it coming.

Published 21st May

I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #ClaireAllan for my ARC of #TheAffair in exchange for an honest review.

Perfect for those who enjoy:
- Psychological thrillers
- Female friendship fiction
- Lies and secrets

With thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for an ARC copy in return for an honest review.

The brand-new psychological thriller from Claire Allan, perfect for fans of K L Slater and Claire Douglas.

Her heart is thumping now, only just distinguishable from the roar of the water and the wind. This is not safe. She is not safe…

She realises then, only one of them is coming back out alive.

She’s the person I want to be. Sorcha Hannon, survivor of a devastating affair. She’s found the healing and hope I desperately need to find for myself.

And now that Sorcha and I are friends, I am no longer alone. Instead of days hiding away from the world, I have someone to talk to. I feel as if I finally belong.

There’s just one small catch. Sorcha Hannon isn’t just a new friend to me, and she certainly isn’t a stranger. In fact, I know the ins and outs of her life, and her marriage, almost as well as she does. But if she finds out who I really am, I’ll lose everything. Then again, as Sorcha says, no one’s life is really as perfect as it seems… and I should have realised, I’m not the only one with secrets.

This had that psychological thriller element that I was looking for and enjoyed from the genre. The overall feel worked with what I wanted and thought the characters were wonderfully done. Claire Allan has a great writing style and worked with the world and story. I was invested in what happened and glad I was able to read this.

Overall the story was great but it didn’t give me any OMG moments. I thought the ending was good and dramatic. Its wasn’t an awful book but it just didn’t grip me as much as I would have liked. It won’t put me off reading others by this author though and I would read any others of hers that have a storyline that interests me. Thank you to Netgalley & Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read this book before the publication date.

When Christina finds herself trying to recover from a failed relationship, she decides to join a women’s group that are known to support each other. Little does she know that by joining this group she would find friends and secrets. The more she dives into the group the more secrets she finds. This group could be healing or it could be the end of her.

I've enjoyed this author's books, especially Her Name Was Rose. She writes a great domestic drama!
This one was excellent, the main characters Sorcha and Christina are fairly unlikeable until we get to know them and what they have been through. In fact quite a few characters have a dark side!
In my opinion the prologue gives too much away, I think the book would work better without it.
I would recommend all of this author's books.

The Affair would be a great summer read. Of course the title drew me in, great cover and a plot that delivers. A quick read with secrets, lies and a lot of pieces to unravel as you get further into the book. Great setting and Christina’s character pulls you in. Definitely add to your TBR.

I liked this novel but it didn’t reel me in like the authors previous titles. It was enjoyable but it didn’t grip me.

I’ve enjoyed some of Claire Allan’s previous novels so was looking forward to reading The Affair. When lonely Christina joins social media influencer Sorcha’s women’s friendship and support group she already knows a lot about Sorcha and her family. It’s hard to say much else about the plot without giving spoilers and I enjoyed the initial build up not knowing which secrets were being kept.
The Affair started off well and moved at a good pace initially. I liked the characterisation of Christina and Sorcha and the comparison of their worlds. However I found that I lost some interest about two thirds through and found the ending particularly unsatisfying. A mixed read. 3.5 stars.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

It took me a while to get invested in this book but I’m so glad I kept reading as I soon became engrossed in shady secrets that revealed themselves throughout the storyline,

The setting was special to be personally, set in my birth town I knew most of the locations and the beaches of Donegal in particular took me back to many happy memories. When the characters navigated the twisty road down to kinnagoe bay I felt like I was being transported there myself.

Christina one of the main characters was not initially likeable to me, but as I got to know her more, I did find myself beginning to understand what made her the way she was. When she joined the soul sisters group I questioned her intentions but once again as the story began to unwind I began to have more empathy for her.

All the characters in the book were wonderfully written. Each with their own unique backstory which portrayed female friendship which triumphed against all the odds.

The authors writing style was easy to read, allowing the story to unravel bit by bit with many twists and turns along the way ! Another winner by Claire Allan !

The title gives the underlying cause of what the book is about but it’s an engaging ride. I wouldn’t say predictable at all. Definitely a good read and gripping in places. It held me and drew me in to the web that had been spun. I loved it, enjoyed the plot and found it to be an easy quick read.
I will certainly read another of her books.

I so tried to get into this story but it just didn't hold my attention. I'm sure it's wonderful novel but just not for me. It felt stilted and uninteresting. I'm sure others will enjoy it.

It took me a while to get into this as Christina is initially quite unlikeable and doesn't generate much sympathy from the reader. However, as the plot develops and we learn more about each of the women, it drew me in. The last third of the book is gripping. Overall, a good thriller, a quick read, and an ideal book for planes and sun loungers this summer.