Don’t expect Man of the Year to be a mystery or thriller because it’s not. Instead, the novel is literary suspense thanks to the way Caroline Louise Walker masterfully captured the inner nature of Dr. Robert Hart, Sag Harbor’s newest Citizen of the Year. Instead of being action or plot-driven, it’s intelligently character driven from page one, and that makes it a compellingly different read than you might expect.

Her debut novel is a beguiling character study of Bobby as we’re taken deep into his mind and get to see what makes him the man he is through inner monologues that reveal just how egocentric and paranoid he is, which quickly leads to tragedy and his downward spiral.

He suddenly begins to look at Elizabeth, his beautiful, desirable 2nd wife whom he married after they both left their spouses, in a different light once he sees her giving attention (harmless? motherly? sensual?) to his son Jonah’s college friend, Nick.

Bobby is convinced Nick has another motive for agreeing to be their houseguest for the summer other than the fact his mother died from ALS and his father committed suicide, so he really has no family. Could it really be so simple that he wants to be part of their family? Or is it as Bobby suspects and the handsome young man wants his wife? Can Bobby even trust Elizabeth? Should he trust her since she’s cheated before?

Walker also exposes the innermost secrets, troubles, and struggles of Elizabeth and Jonah until it’s obvious that everyone in this novel is lying about something―no one in this book is reliable, but that is the fun! Bobby, especially, is very unlikeable almost to the extreme.

This is a slow burning novel. The suspense builds up slowly and culminates in an ending that was wickedly twisted and highly entertaining.

Walker’s well-written, vivid prose and complex characters really makes this novel stand out, and they’re the reason why I bumped up my rating by .5 stars. I enjoyed Man of the Year; it’s a fascinating debut by Walker, and I look forward to her future novels.

**Thank you, NetGalley, Jessica Roth, and Gallery Books for an ARC. All opinions are my own.**

Man of the Year, by Caroline Louise Walker

Short Take: I kind of hate how much I loved it.


(*Note: I received an advance copy of this book for review.*)

Did I just recently say how glad I am that summer is finally here? I’m pretty sure I did, and I’m pretty sure I was, but I’m living right smack in the middle of a massive cicada swarm, and the noise is eating away at what’s left of my sanity. Not to mention the giant bug splats all over my car and being dive-bombed every time I leave the house. For being completely harmless, these things are the worst. In other words, bring on some escapism, and hellllloooooo summer reading!

Dr. Robert Hart (Bobby to his fri-- er, his only friend) is Master of his little universe. He’s just been elected Citizen of the Year in Sag Harbor. He has a beautiful (read: trophy) wife Elizabeth, a son, Jonah, who’s finally starting to make his own mark in the college world, and his assistant, Simone, keeps his lucrative medical practice running smoothly.

But all of Robert’s comfortable assumptions about his life and the world in general are thrown into disarray when Jonah’s friend Nick arrives to spend the summer in their guest house.

Nick - young, fit, handsome and smart - is in many ways the anti-Robert. He’s comfortable in his own skin and doesn’t feel the need to impress others. He’s interested in the thoughts and ideas of the people around him and encourages them to pursue the things that make them happy.

It infuriates Robert to see this interloper influencing Jonah to think for himself, and it’s even worse when it starts to look like Elizabeth may be offering Nick more than clean towels.

Robert isn’t a bad guy, not exactly. He’s not consciously cruel to people unless he feels threatened, he’s not violent or sociopathic, he’s just incredibly self-centered. To Dr. Robert Hart, everyone in his world is lucky to be there, and they are all there to make him look good. He has no theory of mind, it never occurs to him that other people exist outside of himself, that they have their own inner life, their own secrets and dreams, and most of all, that they may not see him the way he sees himself.

He’s a terrible lover, though. Ugh. There is NO excuse for being selfish on that front.

So what’s a man to do, when everything that has always worked for him, stops working? I can almost guarantee that most readers would never in a million years expect the plan he settles on, or the consequences of it.

Man of the Year was a strange read for me. The story itself, and the cast of supporting characters (Nick in particular) are pitch-perfect. The contrast between Robert’s high opinion of himself and the nagging insecurity that guides his actions is especially compelling.

But I loathed being inside his mind. Robert’s smug dismissal of others’ autonomy was infuriating. He was every chauvinist boss I’ve ever had, every grown-up frat-boy coworker, every straight white man who assumes that someone who isn’t all of those three things is automatically less-than. Even when he’s forced to acknowledge that someone like his son has a different view of the world, he chooses to see it as a rebellion against himself, because everything everyone in his life does is somehow about him.

So I’m torn on rating this one. When my biggest complaint is that it’s too realistic, and also impossible to put down, I guess it’s a pretty good book.

THE NERD’S RATING: Four Happy Neurons (and some fancy canapes, just because.)

A man suspects his wife of cheating on him and decides to put a stop to it. What begins as one small lie to get rid of his rival escalates into a tower of falsehoods that threatens to destroy everything in. Author Caroline Louise Walker strings readers along with a plot that feels a little excessive but saves her story with a twist in her brand new book Man of the Year.

Dr. Robert Hart can’t complain about his life. The business risk he took years earlier has turned into a profitable solo practice in the town of Sag Harbor, New York. He shares a home in this idyllic location in the Hamptons with his second wife, Elizabeth. Jonah, his son from his previous marriage, has come home from college for the summer. On top of everything else, Sag Harbor residents have just voted him as Man of the Year, an honor given to an outstanding citizen who has made a significant contribution to the community.

Despite the accolades, Robert is less than thrilled at the moment. Jonah brought his friend and roommate, Nick, home with him, and lately Robert has noticed that Nick pays too much attention to Elizabeth. If the attention had only gone one way, Robert would chalk it up to a summer infatuation that would fizzle out by fall. But Elizabeth seems to reciprocate Nick’s interest by going out of her way to make sure he’s comfortable in their home.

It may be natural for Robert to be suspicious. After all, he and Elizabeth formulated their relationship on a lie: they had an affair while married to other people and decided to divorce their former spouses and stay together. It’s been 10 years now, but as Robert discovers with Nick the flicker of suspicion never quite dies out.

When Nick mentions that he doesn’t have a place to stay for the summer, Elizabeth immediately offers him the guest house. Backed into a corner, Robert supports the invitation. Inside, though, he’s seething. He doesn’t need some idiot teenager trying to seduce his attractive wife.

Robert decides to put Nick in his place by telling him a lie. That one lie leads to a second, then a third, until he finds himself square in the middle of an unthinkable tragedy. Suddenly everyone seems to be lying, and Robert can’t figure out who to trust. All he knows is that he needs to watch his step. As a prominent citizen now, he can’t afford to mess anything up. He also can’t afford to tell anyone the whole truth.

Author Caroline Louise Walker sets up Robert’s world with enough speed that disaster becomes a foregone conclusion. That Robert is the architect of much of that disaster will keep readers intrigued through the first part of the book, although some of his choices on how to deal with Nick will come across as outlandish and petty. While Walker may have intended for this effect, at times Robert’s moves to get revenge may induce an eyeroll.

Walker lets Robert lead the way, allowing him to tell most of the story in first person. She gives other characters a handful of chapters, which offers a limited view into the story world through their eyes. Readers may wish at times that Walker had given them increased access to those other characters. Just when it feels like they’re beginning to round out the story, the narration flips back to Robert.

“Pride goes before a fall” declares the saying, and Walker illustrates the maxim to the fullest. Readers will have no doubt that Robert deserves the complications he endures in his life; instead of facing challenges like an adult, he would rather let his ego run on a power trip. And trip it does; by the end, Walker will offer unforeseen twists that will lead readers to believe Robert didn’t suffer nearly enough for the heartache that ensues throughout the story.

To get to that point, however, readers have to be patient. Some may not be willing to give the book its due for the payoff. Those looking for a quick summer read and willing to wait for a meaty surprise may enjoy this story. Otherwise, I recommend readers Borrow Man of the Year from the library.

Dr. Robert Hart seems to have the perfect life. He's even just been named Man of the Year for Sag Harbor. But when he takes in his son's best friend, Dr. Hart begins to see that there are cracks in the world he's built.

This book kept me turning pages. From the start, I could tell that something big was going to happen, and Walker had me wanting to find out more.

There were also some great twists near the end that really surprised me, something I always appreciate. I really like when the author makes me rethink all of what I've read in the book before.

I thought it was a really clever decision to have the book interspersed with chapters from the women's points of view. This broke up what could have felt like a monologue from Dr. Hart, and provided important insight into the story.

The last chapter really bugged me. I didn't feel it was necessary, and rather than adding another twist, I felt it took away from the power behind the twists that had already come-and it made things a little confusing.

I also found the characters as a whole really unlikable. I think this was the point, but it stopped me from being as invested in the book as I would have liked.

This was a good book with potential to be a great one. There were some choices that just didn't work for me.

We all know men like Dr. Robert Hart–rich, good-looking, and at the top of their career game. But I always suspect, maybe unfairly, that the more perfect things look on the surface, the more of a crumbled mess they are just beneath that veneer.
Dr. Hart has everything; a son he loves–who is lazy and sponging off of him, a beautiful young wife–who he attained by cheating and is constantly worried she is going to make him a cuckold, and a newly acquired houseguest who he believes is making eyes at his wife.
He has no real proof that there is an affair going on, but he has had enough hints or concerns that the possibility of an affair simmers just under his skin, making him more and more insecure every day. He starts behaving erratically, people notice. Then something horrible happens and it just unravels from there.
I really liked this book and it did remind me a bit of narrator in Kaira Rouda’s Best Day Ever, although its a very different story. Walker really gets inside the head of Dr. Hart, showcasing both his narcissim and deep insecurities all the same time. And there may be a twist or five at the end. It’s a cautionary tale–that the higher of a pedestal we put ourselves on, the farther we have to fall.
Special thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books for an advanced e-galley in exchange for my honest review. This one is out June 11, 2019. Get your copy!

Couldn't put this one down. Kept me up all night. Great characters and a plot that you did not know how it would end. Plenty of twists and turns. I wish most books could be half this good.

“When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras.”

Dr. Robert Hart has just won the prestigious honor of being named Citizen of the Year. However, everything begins to quickly fall apart for him when he begins to suspect that his beautiful wife, Elizabeth, is having an affair with his son’s (Jonah’s) handsome friend, Nick, who is living in their guesthouse for the summer. What lengths is Robert willing to go to confirm his suspicions and, if necessary, put an end to the treachery?

This was a very intriguing story about a paranoid man dealing with his own insecurities and delusions. What is real, and what isn’t? Who is a friend and who is an enemy (or possible threat)? You will question these things and more with every turn of the page.

The story itself is told primarily through Robert’s point of view, though each impactful character is at some point given one chapter in which they reveal another piece of the puzzle. This was a little odd for me because, at first, I kept waiting for more chapters from the other characters, until I realized that they were only going to get one. I ended up liking it overall, though - it seemed unique and was just enough to fill in the missing pieces.

I really liked the twists and turns that eventually came to light. If you’re anything like me, then you’re going to be making all kinds of guesses from page one because that’s just what we as readers do (though I sometimes wish I could turn that off). The author plays to this by “revealing” secrets that make you go, “I totally called that”, but that turn out to be false, or not wholly accurate. I feel fairly confident in saying you won’t completely know exactly what was going on until you reach the last page, and even then you may still wonder if you know the whole truth as there were still a couple things (for me) that didn’t 100% add up.

Overall, this was an excellent read - very intriguing to be inside the head of a man who thinks he’s got it all together, but in reality is a pretty neurotic, paranoid, insecure mess. I would definitely recommend it!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing me with a free advance review copy in exchange for a fair and honest review. This review is posted to GoodReads and will by posted to retail sites and on my blog and Instagram accounts when the book is published.*

Man of the Year is a thriller with a bit of a domino effect - Dr. Robert Hart’s paranoia has gotten the best of him. Bobby is convinced his son’s best friend Nick, who is currently staying with him and his wife and son in their posh Hamptons home is having an affair with his wife, Elizabeth. Given that Bobby and Elizabeth were both married to others when they fell in love, Bobby fears the worst. Acting on this paranoia causes Bobby to behave more than suspiciously of Nick & Elizabeth, setting off the domino effect with irreparable consequences.

Man of the Year held my attention the whole way - told from Bobby’s perspective while we get single chapters from other characters interspersed among Bobby’s, makes for an interesting storytelling device. However, the ending just fell flat for me. In a suspense novel, unfortunately the end can be a bit of a make it or break it and in this case I was disappointed. Maybe I’ve read too many thrillers and someone else who’s less saturated in this genre will appreciate it more than me.

Thank you to Gallery Books for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of Man of the Year to review.

I was hoping for more but I couldn’t get into this book. I found it so boring in the beginning I thought of giving up. Kept coming back to it just to push threw. Some parts dragged I finally gave up a little more then half way threw.

Man of the Year is a must read for this summer. Dr. Hart is a most interesting character. The book is filled with twists and turns that kept me engaged until the very last page. I am anxiously awaiting Caroline Louise Walker’s next book.

4.5 Deception VS Truth Stars
* * * * 1/2 Spoiler Free
When do we learn it...When do we learn to deceive? Does it happen when we as children instinctively do not want to be caught doing something bad or naughty...and we innocently tell our first lie...No, we didn't eat the cookies when we have crumbs on our face...Or does the idea of deep nontruths happen when we are more formed... more of who we become during our preteens, high school and then college times...When is it when we take on this practice and hold it dear...for it protects others in our minds and also ourselves...

Man of the Year by Caroline Louise Walker takes on this idea and runs with it. Ms. Walker has created a world of people who are on the brink. Brink of discovery about themselves, about those around them, and about what they have been doing to maintain their facades.

You would think being named Man of the Year by the charity would mean the man in question was terrific and kind. Guess again.
Dr. Robert Hart is not that man. Oh, he has the facade of being all that and a bag of chips, but if you were to reside in his head and thoughts, you would be greatly disappointed. He actually is not very likable when you have the insight into how he perceives things.

But from the outside...He is the picture of most people's dreams...He has a very successful practice in Sag Harbor. His home is landmark worthy in its beauty and structure and he has the second wife all men attain...Glorious in figure, decorum and intelligent. She has this air around her where she is confident and able to move through any social circle. He even has made strides with his son, who was distant after the divorce. Jonah is back in his life and he brought his college friend Nick to hang out for the summer.

Yes, from afar, things look grand. But like that movie, David Lynch did so many years ago, Blue Velvet, Dr. Robert Hall's life up close and personal is as disturbing as the close-up Lynch did of the ground eating bugs covering everything...

This story takes a very unique approach of giving us multiple POV's from many different characters in the story. It grounds us to see things more clearly and to understand the impact of everyone's actions and reasons. I liked it and this method drew me in.

What was most appealing, though was the writing. It was of a level which makes you think and ponder as you read. Yes, there was a hardcore story to follow but what was woven in around it was all the more enticing. This book is more of an exploration of characters and their minds and desires, their faults and forgiveness than an actual mystery thriller. There is the element of mystery in the puzzlement of where all of this is headed...but I felt it was the self-discovery of all of the characters which were the treasures.

As a debut novel, this is something to be admired. Congratulations, Ms. Walker.

A gifted copy was provided by Gallery Books via NetGalley for an honest review.

Man of the Year is a deliciously creepy, twisty summer read, that will leave you with mouth agape at the end. Pay attention to the details, dear reader, or you will be surprised by the plot twist that had me reading then re-reading the last pages in disbelief! Caroline Louise Walker is a master plotter, and completely sucked me into her world.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed reading "Man of the Year." I liked the characters and being inside Dr. Hart's head. I was surprised by the twist at the end. I didn't expect it.

This book continuously surprised me! I enjoyed several major plot twists in this exciting story filled with interesting characters.

Dark, compelling, engrossing. I started reading this book and was absolutely captivated by the characters.

It opens up with a celebration, an event honoring Robert Hart, M.D. for his contributions to the community he lives in, he has been named MAN OF THE YEAR. His son (Jonah) and the son's best friend (Nick) are spending the summer with Dr. Hart and his wife, but soon Dr. Hart starts feeling uncomfortable by the looks twenty-years old Nick is exchanging with his beautiful wife.

The story is narrated by different characters and this is the strength of the novel, the characters' well drawn voices. What happens as the story progresses is enthralling, at some point it was like watching a train wreck collide with another train wreck and you just can't stop watching it, or reading, in my case. Chilling ending

Overall, I enjoyed it, it was dark, entertaining, and engaging. Highly recommend it to readers of thrillers and contemporary fiction.

Received ARC from the publisher via Netgalley

So many twists and turns in this book! Just when you think you know where it's going, there's a quick spin and it goes somewhere else.

This is the story of Robert and his second wife, Elizabeth and the summer they invite his son and his best friend/roommate to stay with them. Robert has just been chosen as Man of the Year in his town, but he's a paranoid narcissist. And then the best friend is found dead.

Much of the book is internal dialogue, so the reader knows more than the other characters...or maybe not as much as you think?

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

My thoughts are a little all over the place when it comes to writing a review for this. I liked the overall premise of this: a man is honored with the celebrated title “man of the year” in his Long Island community but his true, unsavory nature is revealed as the story progresses. I liked that there were a few unexpected twists near the end. However, there were many things about this that I didn’t care for: the plot dragged at times and was not quite at the pace of psychological fiction that I deem most successful. A few other readers have noted that this is more of a character study and I would have to agree. For those who like that type of writing, this would work. For me, not so much. I found myself skimming certain parts that I did not deem relevant to the plot.

I also felt like the main character was a little disappointing. I thought from the blurb that he would be a kind of a sociopath, similar to the main character in A. F. Brady’s Once a Liar. I definitely disliked him but did not find his actions to be that outside the realm of possibilities for your average human being, which I found to be rather disappointing.

Finally, as I said, I liked that there were twists at the end but I was a little confused by them. Without giving away specific details, I did not understand the motives of certain characters and why they said certain things when they weren’t at all accurate but also did not seem to benefit those characters by lying. It just did not make sense to me. I wasn’t sure what to believe at the end.

I would definitely not discourage those who have this on their “to-read” list from venturing forth with reading it, especially those who enjoy character-driven fiction.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Gallery Books and Caroline Louise Walker for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book started off a bit slow for me. A Hamptons doctor seems to have a great life and then he believes his wife is cheating on him with his son's 20 year old friend. The way he reacts and the things he chooses to do are deplorable and don't even make sense and then the second half of the book happens. This is when all kinds of crazy things happen and you have no idea who really did what and why. Good writing, mediocre character development and a slow to develop plot earns this book 3 stars from me. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book Info
Hardcover, 256 pages
Expected publication: June 11th 2019 by Gallery Books
ISBN 1982100451 (ISBN13: 9781982100452)
Other Editions (5)Source:Netgalley EARC
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BOOK BLURB

Beware the Man of the Year. You may praise him, resent him, even want to be him: but beneath the elegant trappings that define him, danger looms. Caroline Louise Walker’s stunning debut novel, for fans of Herman Koch’s The Dinner and Shari Lapena’s The Couple Next Door, delves into the increasingly paranoid mind of a man whose life as the most upstanding of citizens hides a relentlessly dark heart.

Dr. Robert Hart, Sag Harbor’s just-named Man of the Year, is the envy of his friends and neighbors. His medical practice is thriving. He has a beautiful old house and a beautiful new wife and a beautiful boat docked in the village marina. Even his wayward son, Jonah, is back on track, doing well at school, finally worthy of his father’s attentions. So when Jonah’s troubled college roommate, Nick, needs a place to stay for the summer, Hart and his wife generously offer him their guest house. A win-win: Jonah will have someone to hang with, and his father can bask in the warm glow of his own generosity.

But when he begins to notice his new houseguest getting a little too close to his wife, the good doctor’s veneer begins to crack. All the little lies Robert tells—harmless falsehoods meant to protect everything he holds dear—begin to mount. Before long, he’s embroiled in a desperate downward spiral, destroying the lives that stand in his way. It’s only the women in his life—his devoted office manager, his friends, his wife—who can clearly see the truth.

Biting and timely, Man of the Year races along at an electric pace, with a wicked twist that you won’t see coming.
My Thoughts

All-American-Dream, beautiful home, beautiful wife, comfortable lifestyle hide the darker truth that many people seem to overlook when they see someone whose outer shell does not come close to matching the inner reality.

Dr. Robert Hart is a character that may or may not appeal, his wife Elizabeth and son Jonah are also nebulous characters whose main claim to being in his life apparently are to make him look good to his peers in their community.

When things start to unravel however, mostly it seems in the good doctors mind, these very family members are at the heart of Bobby’s greatest fears.

From the beginning of what begins as an almost innocent bit of unease to the reveal of what really transpired the reader is taken on and up and down journey through what for me was a web woven in the mind of a man whose imaginings are not even close to reality.

Not sure which was worse the deception, lies, paranoia or having to follow the story as it flowed through multiple points of view from the different characters involved.

I do know by story's end did not like any of the characters much but that dislike did not detract from liking the story itself.

[EArc from Netgalley]

On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

Man of the Year is a novel by Caroline Louise Walker. I received an early copy of this story to review. I really enjoyed parts of this book. I found some parts maddening. "The Man of the Year" is the main character and mostly told from his point of view, but there are a few chapters that are voiced by others.