Nancy & her ten year old daughter Lara move to the pretty Derbyshire village of Ripton. After the tragedy of losing her husband & La Fa's father they are keen to start over. However from the first day of school things do not go well. There is a powerful PTA clique & Rosie's mum us queen bee. When Lara is accused of hurting Rosie Nancy is not going to accept that. In school Lara's life is made miserable by Rosie & her cronies bullying. Somehow this was not the idyllic life Nancy had in mind.

This was an engaging read with lots of characters to like & loathe! The only thing that stopped me giving it five stars was the way the school tackled bullying. Other interests aside, the Head should have been more aware of how the way he dealt with things would impact adversely on how Ofsted viewed his school- something he was most keen on making squeaky clean. Overall it was a great read. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

I really enjoyed this book and I could not put it down. I look forward to reading the next book from this author!

**Listened to the audiobook as well as reading along with the electronic copy**

I really enjoyed this, and read it/listened to it really quickly. It was very gripping, and kept my interest throughout. There were quite a lot of characters (something I usually struggle with) but the audio book narrator was great in differentiating between them. Making it so much more enjoyable to read and to keep track.

The plot wasn't anything new - I have read books with a similar plot line to this before, but it was gripping nevertheless. Twists and turns galore. Super fast paced!

Would definitely read book by Michelle Frances again, and an audiobook narrated by Kelly Hotten!

Firstly, thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book
This wasn’t my first Michelle Frances and it certainly won’t be my last. The author knows exactly how to grip you with her writing and create the perfect domestic thriller
I really felt for Lara so much in this book. A child who has lost her father, being moved to a new school and a new place to live, and on top of all of that she gets bullied! My heart really went for Lara and I really wanted things to come through for her!
I absolutely love the way this author writes. She portrays the characters perfectly and you know exactly who should be hating on
Without giving too much away, i guessed exactly who the victim and the villain was, but I absolutely loved the twist at the end
there is a small, mild animal cruelty within this novel, but it did not ruin it for me
overall, a great novel, from an author i look forward to reading more by

The Playground is a fast paced, easy to read story. It is full of interesting characters and has plenty of twists and turns that kept me hooked - A great read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for my ARC.

Oh this was good! I do love a domestic drama with horrible characters!
Small town life means that any newcomers are going to be vulnerable to gossip and suspicion. I liked the way the author used whatsapp groups to show how chinese whispers start and how group think can take over.
Children, especially little girls, can be vicious and a lot of them get their cues from their mothers. Sad and quite true to life at times, a very enjoyable read.

Such a lot of characters made this a confusing read, but I had pen and paper to make notes. There were some particularly nasty characters but that made it a good read
Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC

I liked this although I found it hard to keep track of so many adults and their children!! It was engaging and quite fast paced, didn’t find many of the characters particularly pleasant and found it hard to believe a head teacher could be so unprofessional but I would recommend it to my friends to read x

A fast paced read, I enjoyed reading this book even though I disliked most of the characters and descriptions of child bullying were hard to read.

Nancy and her daughter Lara move into a fabulous house in the village of Ripton after her husband's tragic death.Life in the village is definitely not what they expected and very quickly Lara becomes embroiled in bullying at school.Things start going from bad to worse as the villagers turn against the mother and daughter.Nancy soon discovers there is a lot more secrets being kept. It is a really good psychological thriller.

Oooh this was a tricky one! If you’re looking for a thriller that will make you slightly uneasy then this one might be for you. The story focuses on two parents and their respective daughters - Nancy and Imogen. Nancy has moved to Imogen’s village, right into her old home. Their little girls are in the same class at school and thing start to go a little awry when the Nancy’s daughter is blamed for an accident involving Imogen’s daughter.

The story focuses on the tense relationship between Nancy and Imogen with little tidbits of village life and other characters thrown in. These school mums are bitchy AF, like no holding back, and I honestly wanted to punch some of them. They are nothing but bullies at some points throughout the book.

The story quickly draws to a conclusion with one final twist that still has me thinking about the book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book.
From the half way point, it picked up pace and I couldn't put this book down! The story focuses on Nancy and Lara who move to a new area after the death of Nancy's husband Sam. There is so much drama in this new neighbourhood!
I really enjoyed how the story came together. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I really enjoyed this and was hooked by the playground politics. The 'mums' WhatsApp chat extracts were a great addition. Much of this story was a steady simmer of playground squabbles and gossip rather than explosive twists but that made it all the more realistic and compelling as did getting different perspectives from other mums and villagers alongside main character Nancy. It was an easy read too, with short chapters that encourage you to read just one more. Personally I would've liked a different (and less rushed) ending but it did bring everything together in an unexpected way.

When Nancy and her daughter try to make a fresh start in Ripton, all does not go to plan. They find themselves ostracised from many groups as playground politics encourages everyone to exclude them. Such a lot is going on in this tiny village. I found the ending a bit rushed but overall an interesting read.

The Playground was a book I enjoyed and would recommend.
Nancy and her ten year old daughter Lara have moved to the Derbyshire village of Ripton, a beautiful barn sitting near the edge of a reservoir. They have exchanged city for rural and can’t wait to get into village life until Lara meets Rosie at school and Rosie seems to have made an enemy with Lara over nothing, Lara doesn’t know what she has done and the bullying gets worse. With the school head biased over who is in the wrong Lara gradually gets quieter and quieter. Other mums get involved and a lot of other things are happening that impact their own and their childrens lives and not necessarily for the better.
I enjoyed this book, I enjoyed the short chapters as it kept me saying just one more! I wasn’t a fan of all of the characters but I think that was the plan. It’s amazing the lengths we will go to, to protect our family and children reputations. I liked how there was a lot more going on in this village than I originally thought and that the saying “every dog has its day” is apt in this book.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

In an attempt to escape her old life, Nancy and her ten year old daughter Lara move to Ripton. A beautiful, quiet village in the Derbyshire countryside- perfect for a fresh start.

Everything seems like it'll be perfect, Nancy now lives closer to her best friend Beth who is an incredible source of support, the fresh countryside air is better for Lara's asthma than the city polluted air they lived amongst before, and the new house is what one could only dream of.

However, when Lara starts her new school, Nancy quickly finds that beneath the quaint village atmosphere is a minefield of playground politics and if you think the children are bad at school, the mothers are another level!

I absolutely love books by Michelle Frances and so was thrilled when I got the chance to read The Playground. I really enjoyed the setting - as I remember my own mum complaining about 'playground politics' and it is an area I haven't seen crop up in many other thrillers. Whilst it may appear a bit of a mundane setting- it is so relatable to many and was intriguing to see how something which appears so pedantic can become so nasty and vicious.

The book is written in really short chapters. This worked incredibly well as it gave the story a fast and sharp pace which are key for a thriller, and it also meant I could not stop turning the pages - ''Just one more chapter- they're short!' I also liked the added addition of the WhatsApp group messages, which helped amplify the story.

There are lots of characters in the book and at first I feared I would not be able to keep up. However, the characters and their stories all intertwine and the character development is spot on. There are some you grow to love, some you hate, and some you feel sorry for- they are all incredibly realistic.

Overall, a very absorbing read, I could not put it down- 5 stars.

@currentlyreading__
Book 41 of 2023

Tomorrow sees the publication of 'The Playground' by Michelle Frances which has been my first book of June. Thank you to @NetGalley, the author and the publisher for granting me access to the book ahead of its release. I have read a couple of Michelle's previous books and this has the trademark tension building throughout. I particularly liked the brevity of the chapters meaning it was the sort of book where you think you'll just read this chapter as it's short but then ultimately whizz through twenty chapters in one sitting!

This book begins with Nancy, recently widowed, moving to a new countryside location of Ripton with her asthmatic daughter Lara. As breathing has always been a problem for Lara, Nancy's decisions have focused on having her daughter rely less on medication with clean air after ten years of living in the big smoke London.

The book introduces us to the mothers of the school children in a group message thread, with several distinct voices. Nancy has moved into Imogen's stunning home after it was repossessed and that pretty much guarantees Nancy and her daughter to be the enemy. Both are ostracised by the mothers and children and their behaviour definitely supports the notion that primary school playgrounds have a very clear hierarchy with the mummy mafia and invasive WhatsApp groups vying for constant attention.

So, the question is that whether amongst the poisoning of dogs, adulterous shenanigans, theft, blackmail and ancient rituals within the community, will Nancy and Lara be able to stay safe in Ripton or is the playground a place they wish they'd never arrived at?

Out tomorrow.



#bookstagram #bibliophile #bookworm #book #booknerd #bookstagrammer #kindle #instabook #reader #bookobsessed #michellefrances #theplayground

Nancy and her daughter Lara move to a quiet village in Derbyshire after the traumatic events of the past year. The problems start at the school gates where it's clear they are the newcomers to the village and are pushed out immediately. Nancy can feel the iciness coming off them in waves, the problem is she doesn't know why! Eventually they find out and soon the bullying begins, Rosie starts being mean to Lara and trying to ostracise her before she's got a chance to make any friends. The school don't appear to be helping the situation and it escalates to the point that Lara ends up in hospital!

Without giving too much away I Ioved this book, but oh my I didn't see the ending coming! I took an instant dislike to Rosie and her mum Imogen (felt they were very entitled) but that could be because I was bullied as a child. Could see this being made into a drama for tv/ streaming.... Please????!!!
Many thanks NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this book and will be looking out for more from Michelle.

Nancy and her daughter move to a quiet village in the hope of starting afresh. They want to settle down after some pretty grim times and hope that everyone will be open to giving the newcomers a welcome. But when she brings Lara to the school gates, it’s quite clear that things are less than friendly, in fact, glacial would be a better term. Schoolground politics abound as mums want to appease the queen bee school mum who isn’t impressed at Nancy’s entrance (or where she’s living). Nancy wants to navigate things as best she can for Lara, but it’s a lot to take, and there are few in her corner wanting to befriend her. What lengths will any parent go to in order to protect their child? Nancy wouldn’t have predicted how far she – and others – are willing to go… Michelle’s book is a great read, and one that’d appeal to fans of Liane Moriarty.

What a corker of a book!. Full of jealousy and angst, I was right in the middle of these school mum's and was watching keenly!!.
The main plot features Nancy and Lara, new to the village after a crippling loss. The villagers become aware of which property she has bought, which instantly makes her an enemy. The ladies are in their own clique so any stranger has to work hard to be accepted in.
We then meet key characters who create lots of tension and your attention then shifts to the children and how they accept a stranger into their midst. A birthday party creates a divide within the children and things take a turn for the worse.
I really enjoyed and could definitely relate to the playground politics. The twist at the end was not expected!!!.
I received this free ARC book for an honest review.
#Netgalley, #panmacmillan, #michellefrances.