Tell Me A secret by Jane Fallon
Published by Penguin UK
Publication Date: 10th January 2019
404 pages
Genre: womens fiction/humour
Once again I send huge thanks to Penguin UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read another of my go-to author's books ahead of publication in exchange for an unbiased review.
Book Description:
Holly and Roz spend most of their days together. They like the same jokes, loathe the same people and tell each other everything.
So when single mum Holly gets a shot at her dream job after putting everything on hold to raise her daughter, she assumes her friend will be dying to pop the champagne with her.
But is she just imagining things, or is Roz not quite as happy for her as she should be?
As Holly starts to take a closer look at Roz's life outside their friendship, she begins to discover a few things that don't add up. Who is the woman who claims to be her ally?
Perhaps it was a mistake to tell Roz all her secrets.
Because it takes two to forge a friendship.
But it only takes one to wage a war . . .
My Review:
Tell Me A Secret is set around the office politics in the script writing office of a thrice weekly TV series set in a school ( a bit like Waterloo Road crossed with Hollyoaks I felt).
We are introduced to our main characters Holly and Roz who have both worked in the department for a few years, meeting up after work occasionally for drinks and to put the world to rights. Their friendship has grown, and single mum Holly enjoys listening to Roz's tales of glamorous meetings with celebrity clients of her PR agent husband and their associated enviable lifestyle. Big house, exotic holidays - you name it, Roz and Hugh have it all. Holly can but dream of such a lifestyle as she struggles with the bills as daughter sets off to a new life at uni.
In an attempt to boost her salary Holly applies for a promotion, and seeks the support of her best friend and colleague, asking her advice with her application form. Roz is all too happy to assist, stating that she's not interested in the position herself. With her husband being a high earner, she is quick to point out with her customary brand of sarcasm that she does not need to go for promotion. Why then, when Holly gets the position do things start going mysteriously pear-shaped?
The observations of individuals among office politics is excellent from this author. I love her books and this one doesn't fail to live up to my expectations. The subtle digs (and some less so) among the colleagues are so well written you feel like you have a desk in the office and are actually part of the action. The gradual unveiling of the real life of the characters is superb, with the seemingly weak, mumsy colleague having a lot more strength in her private life than anyone had given her credit for, and the feisty outgoing one is also not what she presents to the world. This is a brilliant reflection of the diverse characters who get thrown together in the pressure cooker atmosphere of any office which makes it all the more readable as so many of us can relate as we work in a similar environment.
People are rarely all they first appear to be, and I loved the exploits of Holly and her 'out of office' best friend Dee as they sought to find out who was responsible for trying to scupper Holly's progression up the career ladder. I laughed and cried with them, and with the background of Holly's daughter adding to the drama this is a great book to curl up and lose yourself in.
Tell Me A Secret is set around the office politics in the script writing office of a thrice weekly TV series set in a school ( a bit like Waterloo Road crossed with Hollyoaks I felt).
We are introduced to our main characters Holly and Roz who have both worked in the department for a few years, meeting up after work occasionally for drinks and to put the world to rights. Their friendship has grown, and single mum Holly enjoys listening to Roz's tales of glamorous meetings with celebrity clients of her PR agent husband and their associated enviable lifestyle. Big house, exotic holidays - you name it, Roz and Hugh have it all. Holly can but dream of such a lifestyle as she struggles with the bills as daughter sets off to a new life at uni.
In an attempt to boost her salary Holly applies for a promotion, and seeks the support of her best friend and colleague, asking her advice with her application form. Roz is all too happy to assist, stating that she's not interested in the position herself. With her husband being a high earner, she is quick to point out with her customary brand of sarcasm that she does not need to go for promotion. Why then, when Holly gets the position do things start going mysteriously pear-shaped?
The observations of individuals among office politics is excellent from this author. I love her books and this one doesn't fail to live up to my expectations. The subtle digs (and some less so) among the colleagues are so well written you feel like you have a desk in the office and are actually part of the action. The gradual unveiling of the real life of the characters is superb, with the seemingly weak, mumsy colleague having a lot more strength in her private life than anyone had given her credit for, and the feisty outgoing one is also not what she presents to the world. This is a brilliant reflection of the diverse characters who get thrown together in the pressure cooker atmosphere of any office which makes it all the more readable as so many of us can relate as we work in a similar environment.
People are rarely all they first appear to be, and I loved the exploits of Holly and her 'out of office' best friend Dee as they sought to find out who was responsible for trying to scupper Holly's progression up the career ladder. I laughed and cried with them, and with the background of Holly's daughter adding to the drama this is a great book to curl up and lose yourself in.
About the Author:
Also see my Review to Jane's previous novel, Faking Friends here:
Faking Friends review January 2018
Faking Friends review January 2018
No comments:
Post a Comment