Caroline Louise Walker’s Man of the Year is a dark, psychological drama that peels back the layers of a seemingly perfect life to reveal the chaos lurking beneath. The story follows Dr. Robert Hart, a successful and respected physician living an enviable life in an affluent seaside town. Named “Man of the Year” by his community, Robert appears to have it all—until paranoia, deceit, and insecurity begin to unravel his carefully curated world.

The novel is told from Robert’s perspective, immersing readers in his spiraling thoughts as he suspects those closest to him—his wife, his son, and even his protégé—of betrayal. Walker brilliantly captures Robert’s descent, making him both unreliable and unsettlingly relatable. The tension builds steadily as his decisions grow more desperate, leading to shocking consequences.

What sets Man of the Year apart is its incisive exploration of themes like privilege, ego, and the cost of perfection. Walker’s prose is sharp, and her ability to craft deeply flawed yet compelling characters keeps you hooked.

If you enjoy domestic thrillers with an unreliable narrator and a slow burn that crescendos into chaos, Man of the Year is a must-read. It’s a chilling reminder that appearances can be deceiving—and that sometimes, we are our own worst enemy.

What happens when a philandering "Man of the Year" husband and father suspects his spouse of cheating with a younger man?

A slow-burn downward spiral.

Although I was intrigued with the book's premise, I had issues with this book's pacing.

I listened to the full-cast audiobook read by Cassandra Campbell, Michael Crouch, George Newbern, and Gabra Zackman.

It was this star-studded cast of talented narrators who helped me reach the finish line.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a review.

2.5 stars rounded up.

This one was a hard one for me to get through. I found it just "meh" and started and stopped it several times. After reading some of the reviews I couldn't figure out why I just wasn't liking this one. Dr. Robert Hart has just been awarded Man of the Year and after the award ceremony he and his wife return home and he ends up spending the night on the couch. The next morning he is greeted by his wife in loose clothing and no bra with their son's friend in the house. Jealousy is a powerful thing and leads to paranoia, especially when both he and his wife cheated in their first marriages when they got together. Lies and deception abound in this thriller. Just not my cuppa. It got good reviews from other reviewers, just was not for me.

Man of the Year by Caroline Louise Walker, was one of the most disappointing books I have ever wasted my time reading. I probably would not have finished it, but I kept thinking it had to get better. There was not any single likable character amongst the main characters and most of the minor characters fell into the same category. Finishing the book only added to my frustration and feeling of wasted time.

I would not recommend this book to ANYONE!

It's been a long time since I've stumbled across a book that's left me wondering whether I enjoyed it or not.
It started slowly, almost too slowly. Nothing really happened to engage me until midway through the book. That's a bit too long for me normally, but I was curious who the guilty party was, so I stuck with it. On the upside, practically every character is hiding something and that always makes for good intrigue. You're not sure who is being honest and who isn't. While none of the characters were particularly likable, that's not an automatic dislike for me either. Honestly, it's a credit to the author to write awful characters and still keep the reader engaged. I'm still not sure how I feel about the ending.

I am sorry for not reviewing fully but I don’t have the time to read this at the moment. I believe that it wouldn't benefit you as a publisher or your book if I only skimmed it and wrote a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for not fully reviewing!

I cannot explain the spiraling this book does. It starts out with a very proud man, seemingly humbled by an award for his accomplishments and contributions in Sag Harbor, which would give us all the impression he is loved and a friend to all. But is that really who Robert is?

Within the pages of this book, readers get a glimpse of the real Robert: he is somewhat paranoid and judgmental of those around him. He also comes across very insecure and accusatory. His relationship with his wife is very complicated and her behavior doesn't help us to narrow down her faithfulness. There are a few scenarios that definitely lead us to believe that his wife may in fact be having an affair, however the accusation includes Nick who is currently living with them.

The bizarre events that happen about 25% into the book really reveal the depth of these characters: Robert, his wife Elizabeth, son Jonah, roommate Nick, and even Robert's office assistant. Who do you trust? Who should you trust? Is anyone even trustworthy? Your mind spins with each new development and it appears the web gets more and more tangled the more we read.

This book was delicious to read, very fast-paced, kept me speculating and intrigued, and definitely did not see the major conflict coming, nor the outcomes! If you like suspense and bizarre twists, this book is definitely for you. I also commend Caroline's writing. She is very easy to read, but her characters have moral depth (or lack of) that draw you in and make you wish the story went longer.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through Gallery Books and NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I appreciate the opportunity to receive an advanced reader copy to do so. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255:“Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

When I got a chance to request this new-to-me author's novel, I was totally intrigued by the storyline. Today, after several attempts over a year in to connect with the characters, I DNF'd 60% read.

With this novel it seems to me def a case of me not the story.
It happens sometimes with a new writing style. Understand that the writing is in no fault, it just didn't work for me.

I'm not typically a fan of psychological thrillers, still I have read many that were riveting, chilling, and left me wanting more. I was on board with the despicable MCs, the twisty-twists, the shell game of it all.

It simply came down to way too much inner dialogue, a total pet reading peeve of mine, to care who did "it" or even "why. "
I will try this author again and hopefully we'll click ;)

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this novel.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, I have tried reading this book on 2 separate occasions and during that 2nd attempt, I have only managed to make it halfway through so I'd rather stop here and state that this book just wasn't for me.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

A great page turner by Caroline Louise Walker. The Man Of The Year is Dr. Robert Hart. Dr. Hart is respected with so very many people looking up to him. Soon however that begins to change when Nick his son's college roommate moves in. Dr. Hart and his wife think they are being helpful by giving Nick a place to stay while he is going through a hard time. Soon Nick begins to strategically undermine every aspect of Dr. Hart's life. Will Nick successfully destroy "The Man of the Year"? Read this fabulous thriller and find out for yourself! Happy Reading!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this book and to be an early reader via NetGalley! However, I will not be writing a review for this title at this time, as my reading preferences have since changed somewhat. In the event that I decide to review the book in the future, I will make sure to purchase a copy for myself or borrow it from a library. Once again, thank you so much for providing me with early access to this title. I truly appreciate it. Please feel free to contact me with any follow-up questions or concerns.

This book is a look at the life of an "upstanding citizen in the community" and how his seemingly perfect life unravels with the addition of his son's friend to the household. It is a bit of a slow burn, but once you get to the action you can't look away. It feels like a very voyeuristic look into this "perfect" family's life as it all falls apart. I felt like the main character was unlikeable, so if that is a pet-peeve, this may not be the right book for you. For myself, I enjoy flawed characters, though I have to admit I had little sympathy for this man. The story reminded me in a way of The Great Gatsby in that the perfect, wealthy family ruined the innocent who would have been better off without their attention. The ending does not neatly tie up all the strands of the story. The author leaves a few things for you to find closure for yourself. If this sort of ending bothers you, this is definitely not a good book for you. Otherwise, I highly recommend Man of the Year as a good, guilty pleasure read. Give your voyeuristic urges a chance to satisfy themselves with this book and don't feel bad about it.

This book was not at all what I expected and that is not a bad thing. I enjoyed it and the antics of Dr Hart kept my attention. Long story short the plot revolves around the main character's obsessive suspicion that his wife is having an affair with his son's friend.

What results in a lot of the othet characters being pulled in a mess and downright cluster of drama. Not to say that the supporting cast of characters don't have their own questionable issues.

I can say the writer did include some narrative chapters from lesser characters that I didnt find relevant or necessary. Otherwise an enjoyable read with a very much of a "huh?" Ending. Yeah it is one of those

Dr. Robert Hart has just been named “Man of the Year” but his life is about to change. He has a loving wife , Elizabeth and a college aged son, Jonah. His life is almost perfect. When Jonas’ friend. Nick comes to spend the summer with them things begin to go terribly wrong..
There are so many questions and twists and turns. You not know who to believe.

I was not sure if I would finish this book, because I did not like any of the main characters; I found them irritating and obnoxious. At about the middle of the story, there is a major plot twist. I did not particularly like this particular plot twist. However, the story noticeably improved afterward; which is why I gave the book 3 stars instead of 2 stars. I would not try to dissuade anyone who finds the plot interesting from reading the book, but I would warn potential readers that you might find the book underwhelming.

I received a review copy from NetGalley.

Outside of exquisite writing, with a lyricism not often found, this book is also incredibly well-plotted. Even the twists have a twist. Readers looking for a character-driven, domestic suspense read...this is it! Given to us from multiple points of view, as deception after deception unfolds, you'll be left wondering "why". I highly recommend this book and will be on the lookout for more reads by Caroline Louise Walker!

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I couldn’t wait to read this book as the description sounded like my kind of read. This book does not disappoint as it’s full of lots of surprises that just keep coming all the way to the end. This is a must read!

I really enjoyed this book, perfect for biography and memoir enthusiasts. This book was generously provided to me through NetGalley. Highly Recommended!

A big question in the book forums is whether you can enjoy a book when you don't like the main character. My answer has always been: usually. Most characters have something you can find that makes them accessible. Man of the Year, Dr. Robert "Bobby" Hart, did not. Early on I retitled the book Ass of the Year and that sentiment never went away. This colored the entire book for me. His paranoia and horrible personality were the root of every single problem in this book. I didn't see it as a spiral during the course of the book. I saw it as a constant throughout the book. This lack of character development made for a hard read.

*3-3.5 stars.

Dr Robert Hart is Sag Harbor's Man of the Year, an honor voted on by previous winners, one of whom is an accused child-molester who may have bought his way out of trouble, so it's hardly a great honor in my book.

But the man has everything society values: a successful practice, a beautiful wife, a gorgeous beachfront home, a loving college-age son. The kink in his happiness is he thinks every man wants to bed his wife and since they both cheated on their first spouses when they met and started an affair, neither of them can really trust the other not to stray.

So he becomes more and more paranoid after she invites his son's handsome college friend to spend the summer in their beach house without asking him first. Every look, every gesture is a sign the two of them are having an affair. What is Robert willing to do to put a stop to this, to keep his 'happy' marriage intact?

Good writing but I'm afraid my rating is influenced by how much I disliked these characters. I also thought the ending was severely dragged out. By that point, I really didn't care who had done what.

I received an arc of this debut thriller from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks for the opportunity; I apologize for the latest of reading and posting my review.