This is an emotional read, but there are many lighter moments too. Lucy's ideal life ends abruptly, and she takes the opportunity to relocate with her parents, who need her support although they may not realise it. The parent's antics provide many humorous and poignant moments. The emotional depth stems from Lucy's secrets.

This is a story about behind door secrets. Lucy needs to rebuild her life and share her pain with those she loves. Sensitively written emotional content moves the narrative forward in a positive way for the likeable protagonist.

I received a copy of this book from Penguin Books UK - Michael Joseph via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I have a little confession to make- yes yet another one. Although I have a few of Catherine’s book on my ever increasing ‘to be read’ mountain, I haven’t actually read one………..until now that is. When I was invited to take part in the blog tour for ‘Behind Closed Doors’, I thought that it would be an ideal opportunity to get to know Catherine’s work and see if I would enjoy it. Well I LOVED it. I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Behind Closed Doors’ but more about that in a bit.
It took me no time at all to get into ‘Behind Closed Doors’. In fact as soon as I started to read, I knew that I would find it increasingly difficult to put the book down for any great length of time. The characters and the storylines intrigued me. I had my own theory as to what was going to happen and I had to keep reading to see if I was on the right track or not. I became so wrapped up in the story that I lost all track of time. I was staggered when I looked up to check how much I had read, only to see that I had been reading for two solid hours and I was a fair way into the book. I wasn’t able to read the book over the course of a single day but I did read it within two days, which, for me, is still pretty good going.
‘Behind Closed Doors’ is extremely well written. The author certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start and draws you into what proves to a compelling story. The author certainly takes you on an emotional rollercoaster journey through the life of a particular family and shows how the façade we present in private can be the total opposite of how we present ourselves in public. There were several twists and turns to the story- some of which I saw coming and some of which left me feeling as though I had been slapped across the face with a flip flop. I felt as though I was part of the story myself and that’s all thanks to Catherine’s very vivid and realistic storytelling.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Behind Closed Doors’ and I would definitely recommend it to other readers. I am rather annoyed at myself for leaving it this late to discover how flipping fantastic her work really is. I will definitely be reading more of Catherine’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Lucy returns to her family home to help look after her ageing parents. There is a lot of humour in the book, trying to keep track of her parents hectic social life and their equally eccentric friends and the escapades they all get up to. She has to try and rein in their excesses and make them admit some of their difficulties, without surrendering their independence.
There are touching moments where she shows how much she cares for them and also the exasperation shared with other grown children, switching reponsibilities.
It was such a heartwarming read.

Great characters, great story line I really enjoyed reading this. Very well written by Catherine and I am giving her 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

A fantastic book!
This book has a great cast of characters. Lucy’s parents as an example ! How to grow old disgracefully!
The plot is strong, with many different twists and turns . Catherine has a very readable writing style. This is a family drama but with many difficult issues handled in a sensitive manner .
Loved it and would recommend
Thank you to Netgalley, Penguin Michael Joseph and Catherine Alliot for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

Lucy has a troubled marriage and its interesting to see what the impact of that relationship has on her and others around. How people can manipulate people who have had tragedy in their lives. Lucy is a warm likeable character and I enjoyed the book. Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for letting me review this book.

I absolutely adored this book!

It is very well written and has a great cast of characters who are true to life and relatable to. The plot is engaging and emotional and tackles real life issues such as domestic abuse and ageing parents.

I highly recommend it and give it a glowing five stars!

The book is narrated by main character Lucy Palmer who from the outside seems to have a charmed life. However, as the story delves deeper it becomes clear that things are not always as they seem.

Details of a troubled marriage are revealed slowly by the author. The story dissects how relationships with ex partners and family members can subconsciously dictate how we choose future relationships. The author brilliantly describes Lucy’s feelings of guilt, shame. hurt and helplessness so I felt like I knew Lucy and understood her pain.

Alongside this, we witness a stage in life which is often overlooked…when the parent/child roles are reversed. Just when Lucy thinks she can move on with a fresh start it becomes clear that a new set of problems and responsibilities are just waiting in the wings.

Humour is added through the drunken antics of Lucy’s mother and father and their eccentric friends. It was endearing to see that although getting old can be hard it can also be filled with fun and friendship.

Just like all Catherine Alliotts books the pages seem to turn effortlessly by themselves. I was completely immersed in the life of the main character, her adorable but fragile parents and her grown up children. There were characters who made me laugh, some made me cry but mostly I just wanted to give them a big hug.

This book left me with a huge smile on face, but it didn’t start that way as it’s quite dark and sad in places.
The story was told from Lucy’s point of view, as she comes to terms with life living with her elderly parents, following the sudden ending of her marriage. I loved Lucy, such a lovely warm person, who didn’t deserve what life had thrown at her. The plot took me through a myriad of emotions, learning about her life with her husband Michael and their two grown-up children Imo and Ned.
There were some very colourful characters in this book, particularly Lucy’s parents and their friends, aka drinking buddies. Her sister Helena and her twin girls, also made me laugh out loud on numerous occasions! 😀
I haven’t read a Catherine Alliot novel in years and this reminded me how much I enjoy her books and really must read more of her back catalogue.
I definitely recommend this if you enjoy family dramas that make you laugh, but also don’t shy away from the dark side of life.

Wow, what a story. Everytime I thought I knew where the story was going, another plot twist came along.
How can one person cause so much misery in so many peoples lives?
Definitely a book to read when you want to go through a range of emotions.

Behind Closed Doors has a fabulous cast of characters and absorbing story telling.

Lucy narrating in the first person drew me in from the beginning. It was so easy to identify with her and when I had finished the story, I really did miss her! She is a strong, loving and funny woman. Someone you want to be good mates with. I loved that after spending so many years in silence, she loses the filter. Liberating to say what you’re thinking 🙂

When her marriage ends it gives her the opportunity to stop acting a part and be who she really is but there are consequences that overshadow her moving on. I hadn’t thought of those consequences as I was focused on celebrating her freedom and wondering what would happen when she moved to her parents. When I realised what those consequences could mean, I had so much hope that Catherine Alliott would craft an ending to do Luce’s strength justice.

Through reflection we experience her history with Michael and why she was attracted to him. We witness a scene that makes it clear what’s been happening and throughout the story snippets are shared. It’s not until near the end when Luce is talking to Ingrid do we find out the true extent. I was crying. Not only because of what was being shared but also the unexpected unity. It’s such a powerful scene.

Luce’s elderly parents, their friends and their families provide entertainment as well as a message about independence and pride. I wasn’t sure how Luce would fit in with this community and hoped she would see that opting for safe and routine really wouldn’t suit her. She would find it stultifying. She needed new experiences and the chance to find her own way…

Behind Closed Doors shows us what being a part of a family is really like. The sacrifices that others make that might not come to awareness, the sacrifices we make to keep others safe that we think go unnoticed and underlying it all, unconditional love. It’s a story of empowerment and joy.

Lucy Palmer seems to have it all – great family, loving husband, two grown – up children, big house in London and a writing career. However, it’s all behind closed doors. Because in fact life is very different for Lucy and her little family. Her husband Michael is controlling and manipulating and knows how to keep Lucy in a corner, crushing her, her independence and confidence. He’s clever – on the outside, there are no scars. But inside…
But then Lucy’s marriage, suddenly and unexpectedly, ends. Now she has some dealings with the past. Leaving behind house where all bad things happened, Lucy moves back with her elderly and cheerful parents where she’s about to try to re – built her life. Will she manage? Is it possible to forget about the past when it still seems to haunt her so much?

This book is different to previous Catherine Alliott’s books, in fact so different that I have started to panic, especially at the beginning that felt so sad and grim and not so Alliott-y at all. Then, when THE thing happened, it started to feel more like this author, but let’s be honest, there wouldn’t be this story without this dark beginning, it was established on the things that happened to Lucy before. And the author has written her story brilliantly, Lucy’s feelings and emotions were so incredibly well captured and brought to the pages, it was truly amazing.

A huge part of the story focuses on taking care of your elderly parents and while it doesn’t concern me yet I used to have grandparents that needed looking after, so those part truly resonated with me and was written just like it really was for me, just like I can remember – reluctant to accept help but then so thankful for it, for the edible things to eat in the fridge and for organising the health care. Lucy and Helena were brilliant daughters and they were worried about their parents, but I also loved their parents’ spirit and well, they threw the best parties ever. Though I still can remember how annoying the parties my parents organised at home were for me. But the older I was, the better they got for e too, so there.

The story is told by Lucy and she’s a reliable and honest narrator – she reveals all and tells us how the things really were in her marriage and her life. She was so real in her emotions, she knew that things were going wrong but the way she explained what was happening that kept her in her marriage made the whole situation crystal clear and her fear was palpable. We have seen the warning signs, and Lucy started to notice them too, but it was too late for her then. I liked her, and I liked how she was able to return to the person she was before, although it was, of course, not an immediate process – but the subtle changes in her were to see and they made me feel happy and glad for her. She was so true to life, our Lucy, strong but on the other hand also weak, out of her depth but still going and trying.
I also loved Lucy’s family with its dynamics being the heart of the story. They are sometimes a handful, they’re eccentric and eclectic, but they’re all so colourful and realistic, and they are all there for Lucy, supporting her on the way.
Catherine Alliott has so thoughtfully and sensitively portrayed Lucy’s damaged family, capturing Michael and the way he treated them spot on. We can think, why didn’t she leave him, simple like that, but there is so much more to her story than meet the eye, with Michael and his psychological games and threats.

This was a complex story full of secrets, twists and turns and I really didn’t know what’s going to happen – and I really loved it. I was totally involved – I felt sad, I felt anger, I laughed and raged but also nodded along with understanding – this is the best what can happen when reading a book.

It was an engaging, emotional story filled with great characters, sadness and humour. It was so close to reality, the story felt so real and it was impossible not to fall for Lucy and her family. Emotional and touching upon many heavy issues, such as domestic abuse, ageing parents, staying true to yourself and second chances. Written with tons of empathy, emotions and warmth, it’s close to life and relatable. It kept me glued to the pages, it was full of tension and suspense and altogether, it was simply a brilliant read, it was worth to wait so long fort his new Catherine Alliott’s release. Highly recommended!

On the surface Lucy Palmer seems to have it all – two lovely grown-up children, a career as a crime novelist, marriage to a well-known theatre critic and a beautiful house in the city. However, appearances can be deceptive as not all abuse is visible on the outside. For years she suffered her husband Michael’s controlling behaviour – he made it impossible for her to just walk away – but now, due to unforeseen circumstances, she can take charge of her own life.
Meanwhile, her ageing parents, Cecily and Henry, are finding it hard to cope on their own, but are reluctant to admit it. She rents out her house and goes back to live with them, which gives her some breathing space to consider her future.
If you are familiar with Catherine Alliott’s novels, you will recognise this world. Her characters are wonderfully drawn and completely believable – I especially liked Lucy’s parents and their circle of eccentric friends, and her twin nieces, Tess and Maudie. On the other hand Michael’s sister, Amanda is truly horrible; despite this, somehow, I still had some sympathy for her. Their troubled childhood had obviously warped them both.
There is not as much focus on romance in Behind Closed Doors as there usually is in novels by this writer, but that’s fine as this is such and interesting and absorbing story. Told entirely from Lucy’s point of view, with enough humour to lighten the dark subject matter, we are with her all the way as she contemplates how (and with whom) she wants to live the rest of her life.
I have read and loved all Catherine Alliott’s books, and this is one of her best. The title is very apt, referring as it does to both Lucy’s life and that of her parents. The serious subjects dealt with in Behind Closed Doors are handled with sensitivity and empathy, and are a reminder that not all suffering can be seen with the naked eye.
Thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for a digital copy to review #BehindClosedDoors #CatherineAlliott

This is a page Turner of a physiological family drama, as with her previous book, there is great detail in not only the characters but the houses they lived in and on a sideline her ability to find parking spaces in London.
No spoilers here, but I really enjoyed it and was happy with how it turned out.
Highly recommend, thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

This was unexpectedly a slow poignant read with the protagonist, Lucy, at the helm slowly revealing different facets of her married life and afterward.

Lucy supposedly had it all, career and family. But Behind Closed Doors, there was stress and abuse. Her husband was a bully. After his death, she decided to put the house for rent and move back home where her elderly parents needed support. Soon she knew she had to reveal all those secrets she wanted to bury.

My first introduction to author Catherine Alliott’s life, I caught the subtle nuances hidden in the prose in the way she etched her characters. Secrets were cleverly camouflaged. Moral dilemmas were easy to deal with as the author knew how to make me love her characters. There were many who supported and loved Lucy.

The basic core of the book was marital abuse which was sensitively dealt with. Some things horrified my senses, and a part of me wondered how Lucy managed to remain sane after going through so much.

A cleverly written story which at prima face didn’t appear to be deeply emotional but slowly proved me wrong as I got to know Lucy. Quite an explosive end.

This wasn't the cosy chick lit read I thought it was going to be. It was disturbing. Lucy lives an outwardly good life, albeit turning a blind eye to her husband's affairs - or more accurately disarming the other woman by befriending them. At the beginning we see Michael, the husband as a charming philanderer. However, the truth is more sinister and the full extent is only revealed (and not fully) at the end. Michael is unpredictable and cruel, and seems to have been feared by his children as much as his wife. When Michael dies suddenly, Lucy feels free and ends up going back to her elderly parents' home to look after them. There are some laugh out loud moments caused by her parents getting older, although the parental love and support is still present. There is a great family network with Lucy, her sister Helena, their parents and Lucy's grown up children, Imogen and Ned. Lucy has been so conditioned by her husband that everything is her fault that she begins to blame herself for his death. Is there any truth in this? A coming of age story in some ways for a middle aged woman who may finally get to live the life she deserves. #netgalley #behindcloseddoors

A compulsive read as gradually the truth behind an outwardly ordinary marriage are revealed. And as many women do, Lucy deals with a harrowing life behind closed doors whilst coping with the challenges of ageing parents and her children whilst trying to carve out her own career. Would I have done what Lucy did? Absolutely I would.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The title is so apt, you never really know what goes on ‘Behind Closed Doors’ in other people’s lives. Like some of the other reviewers at a certain point I wasn’t quite sure where the story was going but I persisted with the book and am pleased I did. Full of twists and turns, I really liked Lucy and felt the ending was right! Many thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for letting me have a copy of this book to review.

A warm inviting novel bringing together a potpourri of issues facing Lucy who on the surface appears to have an ideal life and marriage. Underneath the fragile exterior is her life with a controlling husband . She also has aged parents not in the best of health and these provide at times an amusing element but poignant too. Events take Lucy’s life on a new path but as a person with a conscience she has to face up to her past.
The wonderful blend of characters develop this into an entertaining read

Behind Closed Doors by Catherine Alliott
Publisher: Penguin Michael Joseph UK
Publication Date 4 March 2021

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
No Spoilers

I really enjoyed this book. I ripped through it in 2 days. I expected a fairly light hearted read but was surprised by the dark turns it took. Infidelity, a controlling husband, ageing, slightly dotty parents needing increasing care and support, Lucy is a likeable and believable character and the supporting cast are equally well drawn. I felt invested in the family and really wanted a satisfying conclusion for them all. Although I felt I could see where it was going, this did not detract at all from the read or the ending.

Highly recommended.

I’d like to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for this advance digital copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.