This was like watching an amazing Netflix drama on TV. The storyline, the characters, the writing, everything was just 10/10 top notch and I devoured it. The pacing was fantastic, and although nothing too massive happened, I didn't care because it was just so good.

Other Parents, Sarah Stovell

In a small town like this, secrets are impossible.

Rachel knows her life has become the latest gossip since she divorced her husband and moved in her new girlfriend. Her kids are not happy either. Meanwhile Laura is struggling to make ends meet and her sons explosive outbursts threaten to expose secrets she is trying very hard to hide. Jo is worrying about the delicate balance of her school, when a war breaks out over the new curriculum and soon, with all the parents on different sides they start to miss big things happening in their own homes.

This was a really unexpected read with Liane Moriarty vibes. Conflicts, family dramas and traumas and the refusal to give everyone a happy ending. One ending in particular was sad and unsatisfactory but also, the most accurate.

Stovell navigates the clashing of opinions and lives along with some quite horrific issues here paired with a small town mentality. With some brilliant one liners about the current state of our society. Difficult to put down but not the easiest of reads.

I received Other Parents from Netgalley and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It was full of interesting characters and, sadly, relatable themes. There could have been more balance from the point of male opinions being broached but when they did have a say they let themselves down very badly. A gripping drama overall and I'll be looking out for more by Sarah Stovell.

In Other Parents Sarah Stovell wields her pen like a scalpel splicing through the heart of small community life with the precision of a top notch surgeon. Revealing narrow mindedness, prejudice, secrets and scandal she rips into the lives of those living in and around West Burntridge, Northumberland leaving no stone unturned, sifting through the debris like a scavenger picking over a carcass. Darkly humorous as well as shocking, every aspect of family life from love, sex, parenthood, divorce and friendships comes under the microscope in this no holds barred exposé. If you’re partial to a gossipy, mud slinging behind closed doors type drama then you won’t be disappointed with this one!

Naturally it all begins at the school gates (where else?) where for two parents in particular, the decision to include LGBTQ lessons in the curriculum is enough reason to declare all out war against the more liberal minded members of this community. Kate Munro, queen of West Burntridge First school PTA and single parent Laura Spence are lining up on one side of the battle lines with Rachel Saunders, the subject of much idle gossip and conjecture on the other and head teacher Jo Fairburn reluctantly caught in the middle. Told from five perspectives this storyline goes beyond the confines of the school gates and mere differences of opinion, giving you a 360 degree angle of parenthood as a whole, examining the difficulties that arise regardless of wealth and status, financial or emotional insecurities. Tackling some serious issues with delicacy and sensitivity Sarah Stovell invites you into these characters homes where disharmony reigns for a variety of reasons. Single parenthood and the problems of making ends meet forcing individuals into situations they’d never normally dream of struck a real chord with me but the problems arising from the reconfiguration of a family household with one parent gone, replaced by another partner will resonate with many readers too. There’s plenty of emotion embedded in this novel from guilt, anger, resentment and revulsion to love, kindness, humour, justice and hope. I liked how all these characters lives are interconnected, whether that be in small or larger scale ways. Some scenes make you squirm and cringe with embarrassment, some will make your blood boil, some will make your heart bleed with sympathy and others will have you choking with laughter. Overall as the drama escalates this juicy, often poisonous but blackly comic narrative turns into an explosive, compelling read. The more embroiled you become in the lives of Rachel, Erin, Laura, Jo and Maia the more you scratch beneath the surface, peeling back layer upon layer of secrets until the worst one of all is revealed. Divisive, harmful and repellent with the power to wreck lives, laying this secret bare is akin to detonating a bomb and everyone will bear the scars from the inevitable fallout.

Living somewhere renowned for being incredibly inclusive where literally anything goes and no one bats an eyelid this novel reminds me that in places like West Burntridge the slightest departure from the norm gives cause for alarm. Especially when the outstanding reputation of the school is at stake. Grrrrr! Haven’t we all met people like Kate, the worst type of middle class hypocrite who takes her role in the PTA wayyyy too seriously. From the outset a couple of these women are determined to take Kate down a peg or two either by well practiced patience or with candid expletive ridden comments and my goodness was I cheering them on, especially towards the end! I love a toxic school ground storyline but I got more than I bargained for with these characters who are portrayed extremely well. Like all of us each one is flawed to some degree; no one comes up smelling of roses but barring one individual (or possibly two) the author allows you to appreciate both their strengths and their weaknesses thereby enabling you to forgive some of their less finer moments. Although there are elements of Laura and Jo’s lives that touched and tugged at my heartstrings Rachel is the stand out character for me. I loved Rachel’s lack of ability to control what comes out of her mouth, her profanity laced honesty hilarious and a welcome breath of fresh air. She’s not afraid of confrontation and says things most of us are too polite to say! Successful and at the top of her game professionally she’s locking heads not only with the likes of Kate but with teenage Maia too who’s not altogether comfortable with the recent change in the family dynamics, discovering things about her mother and the opposite sex she’d rather not. Rebelling against this new status quo plunges Maia into a distressing situation of her own which leaves you seething with anger, despondent and despairing at the way others choose to conduct themselves. It’s this element of the storyline that proves the most shocking.

This is well written, each perspective engaging and enlightening with the author building tension into the narrative until such a time the lid cannot be put back on this particular can of worms. By writing a storyline that for the majority of the time pulls these characters in opposite directions it’s surprising how despite all the havoc the ending brings the majority of them together, though not before forcing some to make heart wrenching, tough decisions. If you needed reminding that parenthood is the most difficult job in the universe then the conclusion will most definitely confirm that belief.

I’m happy this author has finally registered, albeit belatedly, on my “who and what to read in the future” radar. Other Parents is well worth a read and I enjoyed this so much I straightaway ordered her debut novel to keep me entertained until such a time a new novel is in the pipeline.

My thanks as always to the publisher HQ and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

The Other Parents is told from five perspectives:

- Rachel, a doctor who has recently divorced her husband and moved in with her new girlfriend.
- Erin, struggling to find her place both in both a small ‘everyone knows everyone’ village in Northumberland and within her new girlfriend’s family.
- Laura, a single mother trying to make ends meet while raising a son with behavioural issues.
- Jo, Rachel’s best friend and headteacher at the local school.
- Maia, Rachel’s daughter and a bright, talented student juggling changes within her family and learning from her own developing relationships.

Our characters find themselves on opposing sides of an argument as to whether children at the local primary school should be taught age-appropriate sex education on an LGBTQ+ inclusive basis.

This is such a difficult topic to handle sensitively, but Sarah Stovell does manage to highlight the strong feelings on both sides without being offensive.

The largely female cast gives the story a real Liane Moriarty vibe and the focus on ‘mummy politics’, family tensions and female friendships/relationships makes this story a real page turner with a relatively satisfying ending.

A fantastically written, highly evocative book with characters who are very true to life. Captures playground politics and PTAs perfectly. A very quick read, but not one that's insubstantial.

Highly recommended.

I don't know what I was expecting with this, so initially I wasn't totally engaged with this book. Soon after starting, it picked up momentum and I found myself becoming more sympathetic towards each family for different reasons. It's an interesting take on what goes on behind the scenes of three mothers and their families. Nobody is perfect and what we see is rarely an accurate depiction of how someone's life is. Other Parents shows us how far people will go to protect their loved ones, how far people will go to destroy others, and how far people will go to portray the perfect life and keep up with those around them. I particularly felt for some of the mothers as I could completely empathise with how they felt. This is a well-written story from multiple characters' points of view; oftentimes it's tricky to believe each character could be real when they're all written by one person, but Stovell pulls it off with ease.

"The Other Parents" is a slow burn but worth the wait, with complex, well-written characters and a web of issues that come together into a nicely connected denouement. Great writing; I'll definitely check out more from this author.

The book opens with the newly appointed Headteacher of a primary school meeting members of the influential PTA about the school’s LGBTI curriculum policy. Apparently unbeknownst to them, the Headteacher’s close friend is the subject of the town’s biggest divorce scandal having left her husband for another woman. And so begins the unravelling of a town’s secrets told from five different viewpoints ……all female.
Thought about abandoning this book half way through but then suddenly it all kicked off. A lot of potentially thorny issues dealt with here, homophobia, sexual assault and consent, inequality in education etc. And dealt with in a very empathetic manner.
All in all well worth a read even if a bit fluffy and full of cliches but a few things just jarred a little for me to really earn those four stars. This is supposed to be set in a village in the UK but it is obviously big enough to support a 2nd level school, High school and Middle school are US terms not sure they would be used at all in the UK. Also big enough that the PTA wouldn’t know about the headteacher and Rachel being friends despite that fact they live opposite each other and could a story about a car accident involving a child really not be the talk of a “village”? The climax scene was just a bit over the top for me and smacked of trying to figure out how we can get all protagonists in the one room at the same time.
There was also a lot left unsaid, I would have loved to know more about Laura and how she found herself where she was and also Kate, what on earth did she really think about the goings on. And no male voices although they form such an intricate part of the whole story.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

For me this was a slow starter with some initial confusion over the various family groups, but as the story progressed it became clearer and therefore an easier read.
The depiction of the school gate gossips, the overbearing PTA and the parents hell-bent on changing the curriculum, despite the teachings being recognised in law, are all too familiar (albeit slightly more forceful on the page than perhaps at our own school gates!).
A great cast of characters are faced with a range of complex situations explored within the community, touching on financial hardship, behavioural issues, parenting struggles, the dangers of idle gossip and the presence of rampant homophobia.
Overall a good read dealing with a number of issues that are all too familiar within communities.

This is a “school gate” book, examining the politics and intrigue that goes on among the parents and staff in a school in a wealthy neighbourhood, which also has an intake of poorer children.
There is the Queen Bee chair of the PTA, the head who is trying to be more inclusive, the struggling single mother, and the divorced mother who has come out as a lesbian.
As that’s just the parents.
Add some troubled children, and it’s a recipe for toxic chaos.
Unfortunately, most of the characters were stereotypes, and the most interesting, the single mother was hardly developed at all.
It was an easy read, but could have been much more.

Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for the opportunity to read this book.

It took me a while to get into this book but when I had I thoroughly enjoyed it. I found it to be a well written story with a good plot and all characters were well described.

I can recommend this book and thank you to Netgalley and HQ Digital for allowing me to read this book.

Small rural town with outstanding school. Perfect place for rumours and scandals. And the latest is a relationship between two women, freshly divorced Rachel and a journalist from London Erin. Rachel's children have a tough time too, especially teenager Maia who catches them having sex on the kitchen floor.

The novel deals with homophobia, issue of sexual consent and above all parenting. Characters are complex and relatable. School politics is accurate. Because it deals with so many different and hard topics, the narrative is frequently scattered and unfocused.

All things considered - good read.

Other Parents covers many issues that affect families, in this case mainly the mothers and their children, in a small town in Northumberland. At the heart of the story is the local school and its headmistress and members of the PTA. Told from the point of view of a number of characters, it is a smooth if unsettling read as the competiveness between the haves and have-nots is revealed.

Various themes are covered including a woman who sets up home with another woman, another who is a single parent with a challenging young son who resorts to degrading herself in order to put food on the table, and a sixteen-year-old girl coming to terms with becoming an adult while her family disintegrates around her.

The only criticism I have of this well-written book is that the dark point affecting Jo, the headmistress, and her best friend, Rachel, comes rather late in the narrative.

Many thanks to Net Galley and HQ for the opportunity to read and review Other Parents.

I loved the start of this book and the incisive observations about modern family lives and what happens when relationships break up and new ones form. Told from multiple viewpoints, it was interesting to see how the different women experienced the events. Nobody was happy, everyone was disatisfied and troubled, which worked against the dark humour. I felt it lost momentum and then took a very dark turn into issues which the reader doesn't get to experience, but is told about, which almost seems to trivialise the whole thing. It seemed out of keeping with the rest of the book.

Thanks to Sarah and NetGalley for allowing me to read Other Parents before publication date.

Jo Fairburn is a divorced mother of 2 children who she believes she has brought up to be honest and respectful adults. Her latest head teacher role is at West Burntridge First School.

The school PTA is a force to be reckoned with. Whilst they do a tremendous amount of fundraising for the school, they expect to dictate to Jo and anyone else who comes into their sights.

Jo has to walk a tightrope to keep the PTA onside as without the funds they raise, the extra activities which the school can provide as part of her initiative to poverty-proof the school would be impacted.

Rachel Saunders has 3 children, Reuben (17), Maia (15) and Tess (6) who is a pupil at West Burntridge.
Following Rachel’s divorce from Will Kernick, her girlfriend, Erin, moves into her home.
Each of the children respond in different ways with Maia being the most difficult.

Rachel becomes the talk of the town and the PTA in particular.
Laura Spence is the PTA Secretary. Her son, Max, is showing physical and behavioural signs that he needs help. She lives in poverty and does everything she can to hide her lifestyle.

When the PTA learn of the new inclusive school curriculum, Laura is angry and starts a petition.

This is not my usual choice of book and I found it was a bit slow to start.
Sarah has skilfully crafted the various characters , uncovering their strengths, weaknesses, backgrounds and sorrows.

It is a rollercoaster of emotions, some sad, some hilarious and some which will leave you amazed at the moral strength a mother can exercise, even when she knows that her own life can never be the same again.

I was completely engrossed in this book from start to finish.It’s so accurate on school politics, and something many readers will relate to.It deals with some difficult themes,but it’s beautifully written and the characters are sympathetically portrayed .
Highly recommended.Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review which reflects my own opinion.

I was disappointed in this book, disappointed that I finished it so quickly! No chores were done as I read ‘just another chapter’! As someone who has been on both sides of school politics I can confirm the accuracy of the character profiles. A wonderful book which I heartily recommend!!

An accomplished novel dealing with some difficult topics in a sensitive and believable way. The story is told from the viewpoint of the different characters living in a small town. It is easy to sympathise with their issues and I liked that it didn’t minimise or go for ‘happy endings’ . First book I’ve read by this author but I’d certainly read more.

This is the first Sarah Stovell novel I have read and I will definitely be exploring her back catalogue now. Other Parents is set in a small Northumbrian town and covers many contemporary issues but with such skill and sensitivity that it never feels like the author is shoehorning them into the narrative. The novel is told from various viewpoints and Stovell insightfully portrays the relationships between parents at the school gate as well as within families. There were many moments in the novel when I wondered what I would do in that situation and this is a novel that prompts the reader to look at our own assumptions and judgements. It is also a compelling and addictive read. Highly recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.