Behind Closed Doors

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Lucy narrating in the first person drew me in from the beginning. It was so easy to identify with her and when I had finished the story, I really did miss her! She is a strong, loving and funny woman. Someone you want to be good mates with. I loved that after spending so many years in silence, she loses the filter. Liberating to say what you’re thinking 🙂 Behind Closed Doors is easily the worst thing I’ve read in 2016. I should thank Shelby for sending this to me, but I kind of feel like she April Fooled me a month late. Whatever the case, I’m moving on to better things – namely porn . . .

So far so good, but for me it didn’t go much further. It wasn’t long before light was thrown on the real goings on behind closed doors. It didn't feel as though any real surprises were uncovered; it was pretty much what anyone would have expected from the introduction provided. And now maybe all that was left was to see how it was all to be resolved – except I’m less than half way through! In addition, I think Grace is a wimp and I’m struggling to find much sympathy for her. The writing was fantastic, the pace of the story perfect for this kind of read and overall the story had a realistic vibe that made me think and almost gave me the chills. Even if the story is about a married couple, the story doesn’t have any romance, which was fine by me. Having not read anything by Catherine Alliott before but heard she writes engaging emotional women’s fiction, I was over the moon to be invited on the book tour for her latest novel “Behind Closed Doors”. Ten years later Finn is engaged to Layla’s sister, Ellen. Their shared grief over what happened to Layla drew them close and now they intend to remain together. Still, there’s something about Ellen that Finn has never fully understood. His heart wants to believe that she is the one for him...even though a sixth sense tells him not to trust her. Behind Closed Doors (2017 film), a documentary shown at the 67th Berlin International Film FestivalI know a lot of you guys loved this book, but it turned out to be just meh for me. It had it's moments and kept me up late last night, but I had a hard time suspending disbelief with this one. I don't know why. When I first began reading this book I thought it would be a relatively light-hearted contemporary story with a bit of romance thrown in, indeed the beginning introduces us to Lucy’s parents who are bikering and end up being quite funny throughout the story, but this book turned out to be much darker than first impressions with Lucy’s life being not as rosy as we first think. The story of her husband Michael, who turns out to be quite an abusive and manipulative man made this story feel quite an interesting, darker and a more compelling read. There is a lot that happens and I don’t want to go into the details as it will spoil it but I felt that the way this abusive relationship was shown, was done well and made the the story and Lucy’s character feel more relatable in a way as her life was so flawed in a way that I couldn’t have imagined. Thévoz’s book is at its best when it covers the “eccentricities” of this world. Clubland is, after all, a place where a sign can read “members are asked not to bring their mistresses to dine at the club, unless they are the wives of other members”. Nowhere, he claims, “did bacchanal self-indulgence find greater and more deplorable scope than in the clubs”. It is at its weakest when shifting from droll observance to attempting to make sweeping socioeconomic observations, many of which fail to convince; Thévoz’s claim that early clubs dealt in a kind of “aristocratic protosocialism” feels unlikely. There is, perhaps inevitably, a great deal of repetition between chapters; at times, reading this feels like ploughing through a laundry list of defunct establishments with names such as the Victory Services Club and the Westminster Reform Club. A sad story well-told for the most part. It seems like I had a lot of questions after I finished. Why didn't she disown her mother? Didn't she feel bad about leaving Carole at home after the trial? Why so much love towards Auntie when (1)she had to know what was going on and (2)she basically ignored the two youngest children. The writing is excellent—it flows seamlessly and there are no fillers. And the story is told by the woman, Grace. I always love first-person narration—it makes the story so believable (unless it’s an unreliable narrator, of course, which she is not). I won’t say anything about the plot because for me it’s more fun to go into a thriller blind.

Life is very different on the other side of the door, where Michael is controlling and manipulating. He knows how to mentally beat her up and crush her, while there are no scars for anyone to see. When a tragic event takes place, it gives Lucy a chance to take a new direction. But now she is hiding an even bigger secret. Behind Closed Doors (play), one of the translated titles given to Huis clos, a 1944 play by Jean-Paul Sartre Loved, loved and loved Behind Closed Doors and am intrigued to read more from B.A. Paris. This book gains a 5 star rating for me. Go on, give it a whirl, peek behind the door and see what REALLY goes on. I double dare you. On the surface Lucy Palmer seems to have it all – two lovely grown-up children, a career as a crime novelist, marriage to a well-known theatre critic and a beautiful house in the city. However, appearances can be deceptive as not all abuse is visible on the outside. For years she suffered her husband Michael’s controlling behaviour – he made it impossible for her to just walk away – but now, due to unforeseen circumstances, she can take charge of her own life. But of course things aren't always what they seem. As the title suggests, we do not know what goes on behind closed doors. Is Grace Angel an example of a woman who has it all? A perfect house, a perfect husband, the perfect life?this book taught me how blessed my childhood was. And how evil some people can be to their own children, and how scared some women must be of the men in their lives. When her marriage ends it gives her the opportunity to stop acting a part and be who she really is but there are consequences that overshadow her moving on. I hadn’t thought of those consequences as I was focused on celebrating her freedom and wondering what would happen when she moved to her parents. When I realised what those consequences could mean, I had so much hope that Catherine Alliott would craft an ending to do Luce’s strength justice. At first I was upset with Grace for not getting out of there but things are not as easy as they seem. Grace is living a nightmare beyond comprehension. I received a copy of Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris from NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and to B.A. Paris for the opportunity.