Member Reviews
I adored this book, it was gripping, engaging and had an excellent plot which kept me gripped through the read. I would absolutely read more from this author
While house-sitting his aunt‘s luxurious villa in Wimbledon, mid-thirties mummy‘s boy banker Adam and his proof-reader wife Elena meet their posh neighbours Sophia and Finn. Soon the two couples become friends and Sophia talks Elena into ‚switching‘ their husbands, unbeknownst to their partners, following author Roald Dahl‘s ‚Switch Bitch‘ story plot. Eventually, of course, these switches derail and mayhem ensues… This is the fast paced, not very realistic but nevertheless extremely captivating debut novel by Oxford graduate Lily Samson, I highly recommen it!
Not my kind of book in the end - drawn out, predictable, flat characters and totally unrealistic, although I love some science fiction which is also unrealistic. An ordinary, rather dull, ill-matched couple (with his ghastly stereotypical mother) move to house-sit for a relative and find a glamourous rich couple next door. The two women hit it off. Need to spice up their lives so swap husbands unbeknownst to said husbands (oh yes? men that dim?). Things go from stupid to bad and then black with an ulterior (who would have thought that) motive. Story told from point of view of the two women, neither of whom were likeable. Sorry, not for me although many reviewers obviously liked it a lot. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.
This is a dark tale of deception, lies and total manipulation.
Adam and Elena have been asked to hoist for Adam's Aunt. Moving from their small flat into a large London home is what they have always dreamed of, can they make a 'temporary' life here?
Not long after moving in and feeling quite lonely without their group of friends around them Elena meets Sophie in a coffee shop. A chance meeting soon turns into friendship and not only for them but also for their husbands Adam and Finn also.
Elena is loving having a new friend bit Sophie has an agenda which involves their husbands. Will Elena get dragged into Sophie's wild schemes or will she see sense?
Whilst I found it an enjoyable read in all honesty it was a little too far fetched for me and quite predictable. Once the story started on 'the switch' it just became rather strange and absurd but at the same time I couldnt stop reading. I definitely preferred the first half over the second half, before it became outlandish and bizarre.
It was a well paced read with alot of positive points, I just wish there were more 'normal' chapters as I found them much more interesting and gripping to read.
2.5 rounded 3.
With thanks to netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for the ARC.
How to describe this? The first half was very fast paced, and the characters started to develop well. The second half got very dark and too much for me. I think a lot of readers would enjoy this though, very deep thriller. Two neighbours make a plan to sleep with each others husbands. Not believeable and not a book I enjoyed. Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and author for an advanced copy
I enjoyed this read, it pulls you in, and even though Sofia is extremely unlikable you find you really want to know her and Finns back story, the actual story ends up quite far fetched but all in all an enjoyable tale and I’d like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for this early copy
@currentlyreading__
Book 98 of 2023
I will start by saying that this book is going to be HUGE! What a premise and what a heart-thumpingly great thriller. Thank you to @NetGalley, the author @lilysamsonauthor and the publishers for the advance copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinions.
Elena and Adam are housesitting in Wimbledon for one of Adam’s wealthy relatives and Elena is feeling right at home. Working at home has its advantages but one day Elena works at the local coffee shop and meets the enigmatic Sophia for the first time. Sophia has an online presence and is Insta-perfect with her talent as a painter and her handsome husband Finn. Elena becomes enamoured with Finn and Sophia knows that Finn has that magnetic ability to charm any woman.
So, Sophia concocts a plan… and it involves switching beds in the middle of the night when their respective partners would be in deep slumber and in complete darkness. Elena gets to experience what it’s like to be intimately close to Finn and Sophia gets the the thrill of their dastardly plan falling into place.
As a lover of Roald Dahl’s fiction and knowing that this is inspired by ‘Switch Bitch’ I was intrigued to see how this would pan out… I was in awe of Lily’s writing and the twists I didn’t see coming despite feeling like quite the seasoned reader of the psychological thriller. I am also thrilled that this has been optioned for the screen - what a drama this will be.
Get it on your pre-order list for June 2024. It will be huge.
#bookstagram #bibliophile #bookworm #book #booknerd #bookstagrammer #kindle #instabook #reader #bookobsessed #bookstagramuk #readersofig #netgalley #lilysamson #theswitch
First and foremost, I am shockingly surprised that this is a debut novel by Lily Samson.
The plot, storyline and characters all have a rounded depth to them that I would expect from a seasoned author.
Adam and Elena move from their small one bedroom flat in not a very desirable part of London to house sit for Adam's aunt while she travels for six months.
Boy it's the house of their dreams and in an exclusive neighbourhood where the house start at a mere few million.
When they meet another young couple Finn and Sophie and invite them to dinner, little did they know what would happen next.
Sophie has the idea of partner swapping without the other half knowing about it .
It all started off well with Adam and Finn not realising what was going on until Adam asks Elena to do that thing in bed again! But Sophie refuses to mention what that thing is!
But there are more twists to this story than just husband swapping. What is Finn and Sophie's hiding and why did they move from Cornwall to London so quickly?
Wow this starts as a simple request from one couple to another but what occurs is totally twisted and scandalous. A thriller to rival the best of this year, the story is well plotted and exciting. Thank you netgalley for arc copy throughly enjoyable.
An audacious debut. Elena seems happily married to Adam but after falling for her glamorous neighbour Finn, she is soon seduced into switching partners by his beautiful wife Sophia who persuades her that it will spice up both marriages and that the men will be none the wiser… what could possibly go wrong?
I just reviewed The Switch by Lily Samson. #TheSwitch #NetGalley
https://www.netgalley.co.uk/book/303084/
was given the chance to read this early as an arc and boy I couldn’t put it down! There is so many twists and turns you won't want to put it down!
Such an amazing writter
A digital advance copy of this book was sent to me in return for an honest review. Wow….what a page-turner this was! The story built up bit by bit and I was pretty much hooked within the first few chapters. The main characters are described extremely well and you find out more as the story builds. No point in me telling you what’s on the cover, but if you enjoy a tense, exciting thriller, this is a good pick. Enjoy.
#TheSwitch #Netgalley
What a fantastic read! If you were a fan of verity by coleen hoover and like a dark twisted story this one is for you! I could not put it down! The characters were very well developed, all of them and it felt that the story followed a natural build up with a great finish and I have to say I am very glad that there was a somehow happy finish as I did like the main character and it made me really sad seeing Elena stuck in what from the outside eye was very clearly a loveless relationship and although I don’t condone cheating and the intricacies of the switch (consent was still a bit dubious even though she does bring it up herself) I think it was very much necessary not just to keep the plot moving but to make her realise where they were as a couple. Over all this was a very entertaining book and it really kept me engaged!
Really enjoyed this book. Couldnt put it down, flew through it in less than a day! Loved the dynamics of the story, the twists and turns. Highly recommend
I went into this totally blind and I’m glad I did as I possibly wouldn’t have read it otherwise as I would have wrongly assumed it was more of a seductive story. It’s so much more than that
Can Ellena and new friend Sophie really pull off their sneaky plan to sleep with each other’s partners without them knowing?
So much more to this book than meets the eye. I would definitely recommend it.
Thank you for an advanced copy of The Switch.
Elena and Adam are house sitting for a relative in Wimbledon when they meet and become friendly with Sophia and Finn. When Sophia proposes that they swap husbands for the night, Elena is taken aback but eventually agrees as she has become infatuated with Finn. The switch is to take place without the husbands knowledge or consent and I found this quite disturbing and frankly implausible. However the switch takes place and it's not long before Sophia suggests they do it again. I did guess the reason why Sophia was keen to sleep with Adam but could not have guessed what was really behind it. Although I did find the book rather far fetched and Sophia extremely unlikeable, I have to say I did find it a very easy and enjoyable read.
I really enjoyed this story! A story of obsession taken to the extreme, two women and their lives cross and become blurred. I loved the characters and the female friendship then how it all changed with many twists and turns. Great story! Couldn’t put it down!
Two couples meet when one of them housesits for a relative and form a bond. They get along swimmingly until one of the wives suggests swapping their respective partners for the night. The ladies then concoct a plan so the men seemingly have no clue that the current ladies in their life have illicitly switched beds, and inevitably end up having sex. This occurs again and again until one of the ladies falls for her friends partner, and trouble predictably ensues. Turns out that one of the ladies planned the liaison all along to get what she wants most in the world. There is more to it than that obviously, but that is mainly the crux of the book. I wasn't particularly drawn to any of the characters, nor did I root for them.
This is a tale of deception and lies and although it was a pleasant read, it was predictable and at times i had to force myself to continue reading, as I grew bored. I wouldn't recommend this to a friend, nor would it entice me to purchase any further books.
I enjoyed the first half significantly more than the second half as things increasingly became more and more outlandish and wild! And don’t even get me started on the ending - Bizarre!
I really struggled to know how to rate this one. It all became so unbelievable but that first chunk was really interesting and while it was a wild ride it did keep me hooked… I’ve ultimately opted for 2.5 stars and rounded it up to 3 (which I know feels like a cop out but I just can’t make my mind up on this one!)
This a well written and well paced thriller and I really enjoyed so many aspects of this read, I just wish it had been able to stick to being more believable as I think the more ‘realistic’ chapters were far and away more gripping and interesting. I also feel like all the twists and turns were painfully predictable - I was really hoping to be shocked or surprised but I saw everything coming.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.
Thank you NetGalley for letting me read The Switch, my first Lily Samson book and what a book. Once you start this you just can't put it down. I thought I knew the answers to all the twists but I kept getting it wrong. This is definitely a five star read and thoroughly enjoyable