Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me this book in return for a review.

This is a tale of a small town and the stories of everyday parents at the primary school. After the syllabus changes so that schools are required to talk about homosexual relationships parents start to take sides. However, there are secrets in every family and not everyone is as they seem. Add in some teens and the drama builds.

There are some very interesting characters, the issues brought up are dealt with sensitively and despite the drama it felt like a story that could easily happen. I’d really recommend this book.

Thanks to @netgalley for arc of this book
The story is told via five women Rachel, the mum of three very talented outspoken writer and public speaker who now lives with another woman, Erin the other woman who is suddenly thrust into a family situation with a very resentful teenage daughter who wants the mum and dad back together so leaves to hurt the mum. Maia is the daughter she is very beautiful, extremely talented at music and excels at school but has just realised she has a hold over men with her sexuality. Jo headmistress of local first school best friend of Rachel for twenty years stayed with husband until children were grown up so as not to hurt or damage them with divorce now living alone until her son Luke turns up unexpectedly and she wants to know why? Jo also has very active PTA at her school who have started a petition against the new curriculum of inclusive learning and want their children removed from lesson that teach about LGBTQ as they deem it unhealthy. Laura member of PTA who is single parent to a child who Jo has concerns about but needs tread carefully as Laura thinks everyone is out to take her son of her, if only they knew what she really did for work and the people she met they probably would
Small town playground politics become increasingly bigger throughout this book

This is an emotional rollercoaster of a book. Every story and perspective in it is so compelling I was hooked from the beginning and could not stop reading. It is just brilliant. Told from multiple perspectives, this peek behind the ‘perfect lives’ of a small town is gut wrenching well told and I highly recommend it.

I don't get the excitement around this book at all. I know no two people read the same story, but I just can't see how it's generated so many 5* reviews to be honest. The book started brilliantly. A tense courtroom scene, with a defendant of some as yet unknown crime about to plead guilty or not guilty. Oooh, I thought, here we go, this is going to be great! Only it wasn't. I liked the characters well enough, well, Rachel, Erin and Jo to be precise and I did feel some sympathy for Laura, but what seemed to be the crux of the book right at the start didn't really feature until much later and I felt so much more could have been made of that story line. I did like the way the author dealt with LGBTQ+ issues and thought Rachel handled this situation brilliantly and was at times hilarious, but the rest was a bit of a damp squib.

This was a great read!

All parents will know the dark underbelly that lurks around the school playground, the PTA and all the politics that come with that, whether you are in it or trying your hardest to avoid it!
Other Parents delves into one small community, West Burntridge and the highly sought after primary school at the heart of it all.

Jo has not long since taken over as Head qt the school and is almost instantly thrown into a scandal when a group of parents are not happy about one of the subjects they are proposing to start introducing the children to.

Rachel is Jo's close friend and with her youngest daughter at the primary school, has set tongues wagging after divorcing her husband and moving her new lover Erin into her house, much to her children's dismay.

Laura is single mum to troubled Max whose violent tantrums are starting to get the better of her, as well as how she is going to make ends meet.

This book dragged me in from the start and I really struggled to put it down! I personally would class it as a family drama-style book and being written from the perspective of the 3 main leads (and Rachel's eldest daughter Maia) it made for a very well-rounded and gripping tale with some brilliantly realistic and relatable characters. It also quite literally hits the nail on the head of pretty much every parenting worry, and as the mum of a teenager, that made it interesting and terrifying in equal measure!

This is the first time I have read a book by this author, although I do have a couple of books on my kindle waiting to be read!

This is a dark read that consists of various parents and their opinions, views, the way they live and how they interact. The school gate is shown as quite a vicious arena for the parents in this story. What one parent see's as wrong another see's as being ok. Opinion divides and it also cements in this story.

The parents, well the focus is on the mothers and what a cross-section they are. Set in a rural area where the school is outstanding and therefore the pressure of fitting in with what is seen as "the norm" is very apparent. So when one parent bucks the trend and does something that doesn't go down well.

There are various themes dealt with in this book, one is based around a same-sex couple and the views of bigotted parents with regards to teaching an all-inclusive curriculum that also includes LGBTQ. While this is a large focus of the story it is done from various perspectives, that of the couple involved, the family dynamics and also the opinions of others.

This is sort of the crux of the story but one that is gradually expanded as other characters are drawn in. The story is told from the viewpoint of these characters and so it did take me a while to get all the characters set in my memory. This meant it had a slower start for me but then suddenly I was completely hooked.

This book explores the opinions and views of the characters and each one is entitled to their own opinion. However, their opinions go from private to public and this leads to some interesting interactions. There are times when you need to make a stand, times when you need to wait and see what the larger picture is and once battle lines are drawn then you stand up for what is right.

This story deals with social and class issues. It shows very different sides to parenting and how people deal with bringing up their children and how they support them. This almost had a noirish feel to it, there was subtle intimidation feel giving it a slight psychological feel to it.

I really enjoyed this book, it is tense, dark and focuses on 5 women. It is one for those who enjoy contemporary fiction and one that I would definitely recommend.

What can I say about this book?
It may be easier to say what can’t I say about this book?
To call it a dark family drama with psychological elements thrown in would be to belittle it
Seriously it is really hard to describe this story or how poignant and how refreshingly honest it is, a really satisfying read that isen’t all light and fluffy by any means and covers almost everything you can imagine a book in 2022 needing to cover but in a non pompous way, it tackles issues the modern world is and needs to face but in a realistic way with both sides making mistakes and looking foolish, the self righteous do often suffer in this book whilst also making a difference
Some of the characters are repulsive in their charisma and charm, some deliciously honest and real ( the head teacher who loathes the PTA parents ) and some downright objectionable yet raise sympathies from the reader when their lives are more closely looked at
Any book that has you laughing out loud at a furious cake fight at a School Christmas fair between a ‘newly lesbian Mum’ and an anti gay rights campaigner with a clipboard and yet make you want to cry a few pages on for one Mother who is a sex worker so she can feed her child is to me outstanding and worthy of praise
It is unashamedly frank, brutally honest and so well written I wish it had carried on for another 400 pages
An amazing read

10/10
5 Stars

Rachel knows too well what it is like living in a small town. Good friends, a great local primary school, a safe place to bring up children- but everyone knows your business, has an opinion, wants to have their say. Rachel is the talk of the town as she has left her husband and is living with her girlfriend, so she is drawn into conflict when some of the school's PTA members start a protest about the new, inclusive curriculum. This is a sharp, engrossing look at the problems faced by women, particularly mothers. Rachel feels that she has failed their children because of the misery caused by ending her marriage, but her best friend stayed too long in hers for the sake of the children but things do not turn out as she had hoped. Fellow school mum Laura is forced to extremes to provide for her son, yet he seems constantly angry and throws frightening tantrums, causing the school to wonder about safeguarding issues. Lots of contemporary dilemmas are raised, but with a light touch, and a compassionate eye. Readers will find lots to get their teeth into and it will no doubt be divide opinion, A really good read.

I was so engaged I could not put this down. It was brilliant so well written and the characters well drawn. Could just see this being a netflix series. If you like little fires everywhere this is for you.

So glad I no longer do PTA work but now I have to worry about other things with children.

Just loved it.

I was given an advance copy by the publishers and netgalley but the review is entirely my own.

I struggled with this book from the beginning and I found it difficult to get into. Unfortunately I gave up halfway through. Wasn’t what I thought it would be. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

What a way to start 2022! I absolutely loved Other Parents.
Jo has just started as head an an excellent primary school in West Burntridge. a nearby small town. She thinks it is the perfect way to end her teaching career. Her close friend Rachel has also made some changes; divorcing her husband and moving her female lover into her family home. Across town, Laura is just about surviving as a single mother to 5 year old Max. They are all about to come across small town politics and the PTA at their very worst.
Other Parents is told by a number of characters - Jo, Rachel, Rachel’s lover Erin, her teenage daughter Maia, and Laura. It’s extremely well written and very funny in places ( particularly on PTA meetings) , though as the mother of a 16th year old girl I found it pretty terrifying too. This is quite a broad novel in terms of themes, but it brings them all together into a novel that I literally couldn’t stop reading.
Thank you to #netgalley and #hqstories for allowing me to review this novel.

I loved this book from the very first page. The story of the families of Burntridge starts in a courtroom as we await a plea of guilty or not guilty. We do not know the accused or any of the details, but all will be revealed in due course. In each chapter we visit the life of another character, from struggling single mum, Laura, to high flying psychologist, Rachel.
I highly recommend this gripping book.

Well where do I begin with this book? Sarah Stovell does not disappoint. This is the second book of hers I’ve read an I’m already eager to read more.

We are introduced to a number of characters in this one. A lot of drama focused on the school mums which is an aspect that drew me to this book. I have had very mixed feelings about each of the characters.

This has been shocking in every twist. I have devoured page after page in just one sitting. I have been completely unable to put this down. This book has it all, a headteacher who wants to promote rights and bring a school up to date, parents who are against same sex couples and sex workers.

This has definitely been a rollercoaster ride. I have found myself completely engaged in this one. I have found Jo and Rachel the likeable characters in this one. Stovell has accurately pinpointed parental drama and created a masterpiece of fiction based on this.

This is well-written and will make you feel as though you are watching the events play out. This is definitely one I could imagine on screen and I would definitely be there for.

This is a fantastic read and one I highly recommend. I have adored this book from start to finish. A definite five star book!

A small town, parents at a school, what could go wrong ?

The story is told via five different women. A single parent, a same sex couple where one was originally married to a man, a daughter who’s mother has just entered into a relationship with a woman and a head of the local school. All five women have differing views on what seems like everything and we soon learn that everyone has secrets.

I really loved this book and enjoyed learning about each of the five main characters. I loved the gossip and disagreements between the characters. Will definitely read more from Sarah Stovell.

Thank you to HQ and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

As somebody who still remembers the trauma of schoolyard politics among the parents taking their children to school, this book resonates on a number of levels. The archetypes are all there - the PTA chair and controlling busybody, the single mum struggling to fit in and the successful career mum whose private life is the subject of local gossip. Their lives, both within the school and outside it, juggling family, money worries and careers run into all kinds of drama, conflict and unfortunate coincidences. Some of the storylines are harrowing and dark but the author also balances these with humour and sharp observation.

With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy.

I really enjoyed this book, the story flowed and it was a real page turner. It went like anything I've read yet but oddly I recently read a slightly similar book with the same undertones but this plot hit where it should. It did leave me thinking "what would I do". I love a book that makes my questions my own actions or what I think my reaction would be. The characters were believable and I even caught myself nodding and smiling, matching them to real life people I know.
Well done!

This book is a gem! It is SO well written and describes the tediousness and bichiness of the PTA/ School yard so well. I enjoyed the plot and the characters are developed well and credible. This is a great book and not to be missed.

As the parents of the school children hang around the playground at drop off and collection time, tongues are wagging in the village of West Burntridge. They all know each other’s business and have opinions on it, which they are not afraid of sharing.
The newly appointed Head of the school presides over the PTA and struggles to reign them in. The situation is ready to explode when the school announces a new LGBTI curriculum policy, and a fragment of the PTA voice their displeasure in this change.
Meanwhile the main characters of the story, Laura, Erin Maia, Rachel, and Jo have their own problems. The story cleverly entwines each of their stories and it’s not long before the rest of the of the village’s residents find out and sets off the gossips again.
I was really looking forward to reading this book but once I started reading it, I felt like putting it down numerous times. The story picked up about three-quarters of the way, but not enough for it to still capture my attention and I limped on to the final page.

A good thought provoking and moving novel- a number of issues are covered in the story. Maia is really against her mother’s new lesbian relationship, deciding to live with her father. School life has it’s difficulties for Maia and her sister as their mother is quite vocal with members of the PTA over their plans. Definitely original and well written.

One of those books that I rushed to finish because I was desperate to know what happened, only to feel gutted that I'd finished it! Immediately went and bought books by the same author - that says it all really, doesn't it? I thought this was great. Started off as a quite a light-hearted look at the dreadful antics of a primary school PTA - which I could relate to having worked as a primary school teacher! But it became much darker - not a thriller exactly, but not quite sure how I'd describe it. An excellent read.