This book had come under my attention through Social Media - the striking cover lured me in, as did the book title. The blurb promised even more - So I was delighted to get my hands on a review copy.

I started reading this book on a bumpy flight to Glasgow - and very soon found it to be one of the most unputdownable reads of the year.
Raw, dark, twisty and unpredictable it followed the stories of two couples whose lives are thrown off track by one simple question.
"If you could have anyone else, who would it be?"

Men and women of the world - do yourselves a favour. Never answer this question if asked by your partner. Or if you do, pick a celeb you wouldn't have a hope in hell's chance of getting with,
No good can come of any other answer - as Amanda Robson's skilled debut shows.

We're used now to having books show unreliable narrators - in Obsessed there are four unreliable voices and the reader's loyalties, beliefs and sympathies will change many times during the course of the read.
Is there one person to blame for the chain of events that follows this seemingly innocent question or is everyone a little guilty? Once the can of worms is opened in this book, it is impossible to close it again.

In turns the characters switch from being likeable to thoroughly unpleasant and back again - and it's not until the final, devastating twist that the full truth emerges starkly, leaving the reader reeling.

For a debut this is remarkably accomplished. There is a gritty honesty about Robson's writing that makes the book an uncomfortable but all encompassing read.

It's one of those great books that, when you turn the last page, you just have to let the events you have just lived through vicariously rest for a bit as you come to terms with what you've read.

Highly recommended.

A complicated story of 2 couples who are friends, but there lives fall apart when 2 of them have an affair.

I was addicted to this book from the moment I started reading. The short chapters from each characters point of view made this book hard to put down as I constantly wanted to find the next part of the story. The ending left my lower jar hanging open as I just could not believe how it finished.
I will be recommending this book to everyone.

Started off really well and whilst it did hold my attention throughout it just got more and more outlandish and then fizzled out at the end. Felt nothing for any of the characters and was left feeling disappointed as held great promise.

How often have you been in a relationship and asked your significant other, “Do you think she’s pretty? Are you attracted to anyone else?” A simple question, a little game and in Obsession by Amanda Robson, this is the question that destroys many lives. The novel surrounds two married couples. Rob and Carly share a happy life with their close friends Jenni and Craig; however, nothing is so simple. Can a woman’s husband ever be just friends with someone else’s wife? Pure friends? With no ulterior motives? This novel calls into question the simplest blocks of relationships.

It cannot be denied that Obsession was addicting! I sat down to read this novel and found myself completely consumed. The pacing is what made this one stand out for me, each character gets their own chapter and their own bit of narration. Short and sweet, these quick chapters had me completely wrapped up in the plot. However,

I did find the overall plot to be a little longwinded. I continuously kept waiting for something "big" to happen, but truly, everything was forewarned and foreshadowed. This didn’t necessarily bother me, but I found myself not having anything to really look forward to.

As for the characters, I truly did not like anyone in the story. Conniving and deceptive, each character was worse than the one before. It did make for an interesting read, but I found myself cringing throughout the chapters at the character’s behaviour and their choices. I wanted to say “SMARTEN UP PEOPLE”!

I did appreciate the final pages and was surprised with how the author chose to finish the novel.

Overall, I enjoyed this read and I feel like fans of domestic and psychological thrillers will enjoy the pacing and the general storyline.

Very sorry but this book wasn't for me, as I really didn't like the writing style. I decided not to l ave a review on this occasion.

This book promised so much more than it delivered. There is so much hate amongst these so called friends. None of them are likeable which made it a tedious read in places.

A story told in short chapters alternating between the four main characters. "Obsession" is a very fitting title. I loved it but wasn't expecting the ending. A brilliant debut novel

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. What a great read had me hooked from the beginning

this was a great read , what starts off an a seemingly innocent conversation between a husband and wife one evening , when Carly asks Rob which other woman amongst their friends was he attracted to , when he answers little does he know that he will set off a series of events that will lead to so much death and destruction . I found both men weak and both women seriously flawed and a bit psychotic . I loved this book and read it in an afternoon , I couldn't wait to get to the end . The very end left me a little disappointed but that was only a very small thing when weighed up against the rest of the story . Thanks so much for the opportunity to review this I wont hesitate to recommend this .

Blimey... I feel like I've been beaten up! A great psycho-sexual thriller. This book is intense, chilling, heart-wrenching in places and completely addictive. So addictive I've finished it in less than a day as I just needed to know what happened next. I was on edge throughout.

I loved how the story was told from all four of the main characters POV in short, snappy chapters and the author either spent a great deal of time researching mental health or sadly has in-depth personal experience.

Amanda Robson is an author I will now look out for in future.

Thanks to Avon Books UK for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

4☆ Gripping and addictive

When I read the blurb of Obsession I wasn't too sure what to expect.

What I did find was that the characters, to be honest are very unlikable....but I do believe this is the exactly how the Author wanted you to perceive them.
 They are not characters you are meant to like. You will understand more if you have the chance to read this book.

I also found the story in general made me feel uneasy if not at times uncomfortable which is exactly what a great physiological thriller should do!

Now if your partner asked you honestly...... Who else would you go for if you could?... in a sexual context.... would you answer truthfully??
Would you expect the answer to be given truthfully??

Well when Carly asks her husband Rob.... she gets a completely honest answer that is about to rock their world!
Potentially destroying all that is good!

This story is about 4 people 2 couples/ friends ....deceipt,lies,revenge, affairs infatuation, lust.
It also touches on addiction,alcoholism, mental health and religious beliefs.

The story is written in first person and is told by each of the four people and their innermost thoughts and feelings.
Which at times can be a little too intimate!... you have been warned!
The chapters are short but the book is long.
However it packs a whole lot of twists, turns, suspense, drama and sex.

This book is cleverly written and keeps the reader on edge the whole way through!
It really pushed the boundaries of relationships and obsessions making the reader feel uncomfortable at times but completely absorbed.

It's so hard to imagine a book where you are so addicted with the story yet the characters are so unlikable.
But as I mentioned before I believe Amanda has done this for a reason, it adds to the drama of the story.

This book does contain some very sensitive subjects and lots of sexual themes so approach with caution!

Overall a clever Thriller, some unexpected twists and turns, a dark and sometimes uncomfortable read a perfect mix for a physiological thriller!

Would I recommend this book.... Yes
Especially if you love books that test the boundaries and you enjoy dark Disturbing Thrillers.

I thought this book was very readable, it moved at quite a pace and even though it culminated in some pretty out there responses from the main protagonists, it was action packed enough to keep you turning the pages.

Loved this book a great read in my favourite format of each chapter on different character which I find builds the story nicely !!! Friendship betrayal and what happens when it all falls apart ... you will be hooked read it now !!!!

Obsession by Amanda Robson was a fab book that hooked me from the first few pages I struggled to put it down. And the twist at the end had me fooled I thought I'd guessed early on in the book but I did not expect that twist.

I absolutely devoured this book.. it had me from the very first page.
It's written from the alternating viewpoint of the 4 main characters, which can be confusing sometimes but not here.. it worked beautifully.
Fantastic read! Thank you!

I believe this genre is termed 'Domestic Noir'

This book has, I know, received rave reviews, and I would not like to detract from these if this is your genre. The problem for me is that it wasn't mine.

It is well written and the plot and sub-plots are well constructed and sufficiently suspense-full (not sure if that is a word!!) The characters are well drawn and all too credible but I am afraid I didn't like any of them very much.

The story centres around two couples, Carly, a nurse, and her husband Rob, and their friends and Jenni, another nurse currently a stay-at-home Mum, and her fireman husband Craig.

The friendship seems to be close until a camping holiday where Carly, whilst drunk, insists Rob name someone he fantasises about. Rob, backed into a corner, tentatively suggests that he finds Jenni attractive.

This admission starts a whole avalanche of events and behaviours as Carly starts to obsess about Rob with Jenni, and convinces herself that they are having an affair. In 'revenge' she starts an affair with Craig who is only too happy to oblige, having been a bit of a player in the past.

As suspicions run amok between all four, Carly's obsession leads to some really bad choices, which are compounded by a deterioration in her mental health.

The novel moves fast and it is interesting to have each section related by one of the four so we get all sorts of perspectives on what is happening. Needless to say, there are surprises aplenty and also tragedy and even at the end not all questions were sufficiently answered for my liking.

As I say, not really my genre but a convincing crime thriller, although to me it seemed claustrophobic and self-indulgent and I was really turned off by the two characters who shared a close relationship with God. It didn't seem to bring them any perspective or peace.

Pashtpaws

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review

Obsession is the story of what happens to two couples when a seemingly light-hearted question - "Who would you go for if you could?" - sends their lives spiralling out of control. Carly asks husband Rob this question one evening and although he doesn't initially want to answer, she persists and he gives the name of her friend, Jenni. Carly becomes obsessed with this affair that doesn't exist and quickly relationships between Carly, Rob, Jenni and Craig take a dark turn, as the obsessions threaten to destroy their friendships and marriages.

I have to say that I did not find any of the characters particularly likeable. Even those who initially seemed to be the injured parties soon came to show their own dark sides. It's a slow burner of a read with the story really developing more for me in the second half of the book. There are plenty of dark themes explored such as extreme jealousy, obsession of course, depression, alcoholism, religious zeal and mental health. There are plenty of twists throughout the story and with the short snappy chapters told from all the characters' points of view, it's a book where you may be tempted to keep reading 'just one more chapter'. But which of these characters could you actually trust to be telling the truth? I really didn't know and with all four of the main characters so completely absorbed in their own interests, I really couldn't predict how things would end. And what dramatic and completely unexpected events take place in the latter stages of the book. That one little question at the beginning of the story was only the start of a downward path that would lead to disastrous consequences.

I did find the story a bit slow to begin with and the fact that I didn't really like any of the characters made it difficult to engage with them, but it was worth persisting with for the closing stages of the book which were cleverly and shockingly written.

Obsession is the debut novel from Amanda Robson. It is a story of two couples. Rob is a GP married to Carly. On a drunken night on a camping holiday in France he is pressed by Carly to tell her who he would be unfaithful with if he could. Such a simple question she has no idea that it will destroy her life. She is shocked when he says Jenni’s name. Jenni is a nurse and one of Carly’s friends and she is married to fireman Craig. As time passes Carly becomes more pre-occupied by the revelation and becomes convinced that Jenni is trying to steal Rob from her.

At times I found this book intensely frustrating. Each chapter is narrated by one of the four main characters so you are at the mercy of that person’s motivations as to what they reveal and often the narrative is contradictory from the different points of view.

I can honestly say that I really didn’t like any of the main
four characters. All were selfish and deserved their fate. Ultimately though this is a psychological thriller that you will struggle to put down once you have started it. The staccato short chapters seduce you into reading “just one more page” until you tumble into the shocking finale.

Supplied by Net Galley and Avon in exchange for an honest review.

A gripping read that’s very difficult to put down, Obsession kept me up late into the night. It’s a little on the long side and I don’t think I liked a single character but it definitely makes for compulsive reading.

A great debut from an author I’ll be looking out for in the future.

I have to admit I really struggled with rating this book. It started off fantastically well with intriguing characters, an interesting plot and writing that really hooked me and made it extremely difficult to stop reading but somewhere along the line I feel like it lost it’s way. It may just have been me rather than the book as by the time I was nearing the end I was tired, grouchy and more than a little stressed at work but I felt like it went a little flat.

At almost 500 pages it is a little on the long side for a thriller but I think what I loved about this book was also what bugged me, the writing. The story is told in first person from the four main characters pov but other than from the content and chapter titles you’d be hard pressed to tell one character’s voice from another’s. It’s written using these very short and snappy sentences which really build tension and keep you hooked (every time I picked it up I couldn’t stop reading and literally nothing would take my focus from the page) however it started to feel a bit too much and I began to hope for a change in pace or voice.

The story itself is very enjoyable and extremely twisty as you would expect. There are a lot of secrets and it definitely keeps you guessing. I should add a warning here that it is quite sexually explicit and there is a lot of sex and swearing particularly in the first half of the book so if that kind of thing bothers you this might not be for you.

The characters are complex and I found more than one to be somewhat erratic. I don’t think I particularly liked anyone but I did find my sympathy going to certain characters more than others and all were definitely interesting to read. It might have been good to have more well rounded secondary characters however, that being said I did actually like how focused it was on the two couples. It created a sense of claustrophobia which added to the tension.

So based on this how do I rate? I think it’ll be 3.5 stars from me. Brilliant for a debut novel but with so many thrillers out there it wasn’t quite the stand out read I was hoping for.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for a review.