The Affair: Escape to Lake Como with this year’s most intoxicating and emotionally gripping read

Hilary Boyd

Jun 2021 · Penguin UK

About this ebook

Escape to the sun-drenched shores of Lake Como in the irresistible and gripping new novel from the million-copy bestselling author of Thursdays in the Park, The Anniversary and The Lie

'Held me spellbound . . . This novel is unmissable' 5***** Reader Review
'Magnificent! So refreshing, this left me on the edge of my seat' 5***** Reader Review
'The tension builds up to a heart-stopping crescendo' 5***** Reader Review
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On the glamorous shores of Lake Como, Connie meets Jared.

She's married. He's young. But that doesn't stop the heat rising between them.

And so begins a long, hot, intoxicating summer where Connie succumbs to temptation - breaking her marriage vows.

At the end of summer, Connie returns to her husband, ready to put the affair behind her.

But Jared has other ideas . . .
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Praise for Hilary Boyd

'Hilary Boyd nails family dynamics and misplaced loyalties with pin-sharp precision in an impressively well-written tale' Daily Express

'I was ripping through this book . . . addictive' Evening Standard

'Boyd is as canny as Joanna Trollope at observing family life' Daily Mail

Ratings and reviews

I’ve been a big fan of Hilary Boyd’s writing ever since reading Thursdays in the Park and this is another book which rises to the high standards she easily maintains. Connie is a tour guide; the job she loves takes her away from home from time to time. When on tour, she meets a man – younger than her – and there is a definite spark. With a very happy marriage to Devan, she would never have fallen for any man’s approach, but since her husband retired, things have changed and Connie is feeling unloved and rejected and she succumbs to Jared. When he turns up again and again, there is no doubt they are involved in an affair. But then the summer ends and she returns to her home and her marriage only Jared isn’t letting go quite so easily . . . I don’t think I’ve come across any other writer who can get inside a marriage quite like Hilary Boyd. There is a clarity to her words which makes every scenario totally plausible. An emotionally charged story, this is also completely believable with realistic characters. Beautifully written, I was gripped all the way through and couldn’t have said how it would end but I do know that it was very fitting. As with all her novels, this one really got under my skin and there isn’t anything about it I didn’t like. Absorbing and appealing, definitely recommended, and one I’m happy to give all five stars.

As the saying goes, you stray, you pay! For Connie McCabe, she learns this the hard way after a brief affair, turns to obsession and threatens everything she holds dear. The Affair is the first book I have read from Boyd and it won’t be my last. I really enjoyed her style of storytelling and how she brings it all to life. The tension is palpable as Jared’s stalking increases and the feeling of foreboding becomes stronger with each chapter in the lead up to its thrilling conclusion.

I thought it a bit far fetched at first. Very descriptive writing which I liked. I was sad when I finished it. Going to read another of her novels now.

About the author

Hilary Boyd was a nurse, marriage counsellor and ran a small cancer charity before becoming an author. She has written eight books, including Thursdays in the Park, her debut novel which sold over half a million copies and was an international bestseller. The film rights for Thursdays In The Park have been acquired by Charles Dance, who will be directing and starring.