A small village and an under 14’s football team, what could go wrong !!

Alex has just moved to the village with her two children, after the death of her husband. Trying to remain anonymous isn’t really working so for the sake of her children she immerses herself into village life, including her son joining the village football team.

Patti is a long term resident of the village and has her own beauty salon. Her son plays for the football team and she knows all the ins and outs of village life. When Alex arrives she is the first to try and get the newcomer to mix with the locals.

At first Alex is pleased her son is playing football and socialising, the parents of the other kids all seem nice and she starts to think they could be happy there. But then something is posted online which changes the dynamic of the club and secrets are gradually revealed. It seems none of the parents at the club are safe. Who is posting the secrets ? And whose secret will be revealed next ?

This is a great twisty read, that will keep you guessing. There are some good characters, including Alex and Patti. Although the book revolves around a football team there isn’t too much football included but plenty of gossip, secrets and lies !!

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

The story focused on teens playing European football which I'm not familiar with. The parents of these teens are eager to publicly portray themselves differently than who they really are. But when secrets are anonymously revealed through an online vlog, trust is broken and people start doubting everyone's motives.

This was an interesting, slow-paced read about small town, close-knit neighbors who are involved with everyone's business. There was a lot going on with so many characters that it was hard to keep track of everyone. The story also included the town's history of witches, premonitions, horoscope signs, and a black cat making sudden appearances which built somewhat of a mystery but didn't really go anywhere. Overall the book did keep my attention as I tried to figure out who was uncovering everyone's secrets. I also love reading about neighborhood drama and this book definitely had a lot.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this book.

I am a massive fan of Clare’s I especially love 24 hours and Step Mother and in comparison to those I left like this story had no action. Instead we have a family drama set round a under 14’s football team. This book reminded me of the television series footballers wives. Which I loved and it made a rather unique story. I am always on the look out for something different and this book is definitely that.

In this story we meet Alex who moves from America to a tiny village in England with her son. After the death of her husband..A village where nobody knows them. Alex has secret but for how long for is the question.

Being from a tiny village myself I know exactly what that is like. People knows things before you know them yourselves. The parents tells the story of secrets, lies, gossip and jealousy.

The Parents is a slow burner with quite a lot of characters to keep up with, each bringing something to the story, then the story ramps up a pace and I couldn’t put it down. I found myself racing to the end to find out what was going to happen. And I have to say I wasn’t expecting that.

This is an entertaining read which I highly recommend.

This book had potential but there were just too many characters to keep track of. The book got confusing to the point that it wasn’t really enjoyable.

Enjoyable read, if a little slow.

One star lost due to pacing issues and I got slightly confused in parts with the many characters.

Full of drama with a hint of psychological thriller.

I did enjoy reading this book however, it was extremely. confusing to read and I had to constantly go back to the beginning to remember everyone. It also helped to write down information because so many things were going on at the same time.

There is an awful lot going on in this new psychological thriller. I’ll do my best to unpack it all and make sense of it.
I will say right off that the author drew me in with a youth soccer team being the center of the story. We have been involved with youth soccer at numerous levels for the past 12 years, so I could instantly relate to every single issue and complaint that arose.
It also made it easy for me to understand the different characters. Every team has their stereotypical soccer parents. So, that was also something that made it interesting for me.
On top of that, the author added a great bit of mysticism, from the ducking stool to the creepy woods, and even the new age-y mom. That’s another interest of mine, so those aspects drew me in as well.
I liked how the author kept me guessing about several aspects of the story. How much did the spookiness matter? Why was the dynamic of the football team all screwed up? What happened to Alex’s husband?
And who was behind the gossipy videos exposing the deepest secrets of the parents?
Those questions made for some page-turning moments.
However, I think that in some ways, the author did try to do too much. There were times that it seemed to lose focus and some of the threads didn’t get as much attention as they deserved.
For example, the spookiness of it all was kind of woven through, but never really came to fruition. There was an ending section that made me wonder if there was more to that, but it was a bit unclear.
Additionally, a few of the twists that were supposed to be jaw-dropping seemed too forced. As most of the book seemed “normal” the reasons behind things (once they were revealed) went beyond the realm of possibility. This was especially true in Alex’s case. I thought that plot line went too wonky.
Other people may have a completely different take on it.
I would still recommend this book because the spookiness was perfect for this time of year. And if you’re a football (soccer) fan, you will recognize several characters. Definitely worth your time!

This book didn’t grab me, there were so many characters and on the kindle I couldn’t flick backwards and forward to look at the list, there was a lot of chatter that was uncomfortable, I didn’t finish this book

I admit that I was excited to read THE PARENTS as I'd come across Claire Seeber before and had enjoyed what I had read through samples of her books, though I'd read not an entire book by her before. And I still haven't. Unfortunately, I couldn't finish this book as I found it boorishly dull with the quintessential version of "Desperate Housewives" gossiping amongst themselves down to the testoserone levels on the football pitch between the deluge of alpha males present. Added to that was the history of the village steeped in heavily witchcraft complete with new moons in Virgo, or something I can't quite get my head around.

THE PARENTS is supposed to be a domestic thriller mystery novel with lashings of suspense but it felt more like a soap opera to me. And I'd rather sit down to an episode "Corrie" or have my tooth pulled than try and wade through the deluge of gossip mongers that Tenderton appears to be rife with. My goodness, Patti always seems to be supercharged, Neil constantly grumpy, Dez flashing his pearly whites at whatever female graces his presence whilst the rest of them seem to bitch it out amongst themselves. Alex, on the other hand, seems permanently perplexed and wondering what the hell she has gotten herself into.

But I digress...

The story begins with an intriguing prologue which offered promise that seemed to deflate once we rewound a couple of months leading up to what obviously inevitably took place.

And so we meet Alex, newly widowed and having moved back from America with her two children Iris (15) and Harry (13). Her introduction is that of her ancient Land Rover, bequeathed to her by her brother Gray who set her up in Primrose Cottage in Tenderton before rushing back off to Africa, which is precariously parked across Neil Borth's garage driveway thus making him irate and cranky trying to shift the immoveable bulk. Salon-owner Patti witnesses the debacle and upon being told the offending motor belongs to "her in the cottage", they venture up the path to knock on the door. Of course, Alex is intent on hiding away in the cottage but her affable son Harry answers the door and welcomes to irate Neil by presenting his mother who was trying her best to hide behind the curtains, out of sight. Sounds almost comical.

And thus was Alex's introduction to Tenderton.

Patti then invites her son Harry to football practice on Saturday. Of course, having grown up in America, the concept was lost on him and merely known as soccer. However, Harry goes along and soon makes friends with the other boys in the under-14s. The parents, on the other hand, are a different kettle of fish. The non-stop chatter of them all gave me a headache...no wonder Alex made her excuses to escape, despite Patti extracting a promise from her to attend her son Ethan's 13th birthday in a couple of days.

And then there was her daughter Iris, who had been on holiday at her paternal grandmother's place in Inverness in Scotland. Upon joining her mother and brother in Tenderton, Iris promptly wrapped herself in her duvet and remained in bed for several days, hissing at her mother to "go away" and "leave her alone". So while Iris refuses to talk to her, Harry seems to be settling in, but Alex is still struggling. The insurance money from her husband's tragic death still has not arrived, some ten months after the event, and she is struggling to make ends meet.

And then there is the village itself, steeped in seventeenth century witchcraft superstitions and old wives' tales (which is more accurately old men's tales told to keep their wives at home and in line more like). While on the surface it appears to be a perfect little village nestled in the Kent countryside, not everything is as it seems...particularly for the football team and their families. Alerted by a WhatsApp group message, secrets about the villagers are being exposed in a vlog that is changing the dynamics and the villagers themselves. First it's the football coach, then the model...and so it goes...

A picture-perfect village with a lot of secrets...who is next to be exposed?

THE PARENTS is rather aptly named since the entire book is about these squabbling, bed-hopping, irate parents who should know better than to behave worse than the children they are supposed to be parenting. The story is about families that all come with secrets and lies, with deception in ripe abundance. With all the squabbles, I felt like I was watching a soap opera with words with one family drama after another...I just couldn't stick around for anymore. By 30%, I had lost patience and didn't care one way or the other what happened or how the story ended up after such a promising prologue.

There are a lot of characters to keep a track of and it was difficult to keep them in place as to who was who at first. While Alex is still grieving for her husband Fraser, she seemed a bit...what's the word?...standoffish maybe. While the rest of the women appeared to be completely wacky, flaky or just unconventional. The men were all just trying to flex their muscles as to who should take over the managerial position of the footall club in the wake of the scandal surrounding Neil coming to light. It's the boys who are left in the shadows of their completely nutty parents.

Slow moving from the off, THE PARENTS is a tad far fetched in places though some of the historical aspects were interesting in how they disposed of women suspected of being witches in the seventeenth century. It seems there was no coming out of it alive for them. Ultimately, while the story centres around the U14s football, it felt more like a "Footballer's Wives" gathering while the men just flexed their proverbial muscles.

Honestly, this book was a complete fail for me. And to be honest, I'm surprised some of the other reviewers didn't give up sooner. I commend them for lasting 50% or 60%, while I could only just manage 30%. And what's with the term "babs"? I know it's short for Barbara, but it came out of Patti's mouth as some kind of affectionate term for just about everyone! At first I thought it was a typo that was missed during proof-reading...but it appeared again and again and again...

I can't say that would recommend this book but at the same time I won't write off Claire Seeber altogether either. Not every book is going to appeal to everyone. And not every author can wow us with a sensational story. I know Ms Seeber is a brilliant thriller writer and I look forward to immersing myself in something a little more exciting than another version of "Desperate Housewives" meets "Footballer's Wives".

I would like to thank #ClaireSeeber, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheParents in exchange for an honest review.

A great read which highlights how the parent community - neighbourhood, schools and so on - can be so competitive and that can cause negative behaviour. If you're expecting a fast paced thriller, this isn't for you, but if you want to ponder as you read, and consider parenting in this way, it's a great book. It certainly kept me turning the pages.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

'The Parents': 2⭐

(Unpaid Review: thank you to @netgalley, @claireseeber and the publishers for allowing me to read this eArc copy in exchange for a review.)

Hmm, so, thrillers are not exactly my cup of tea but I do enjoy reading them from time to time, which means I'm very specific on my tastes.

This one, was a no for me. It lacked depth and suspense and the gossip between parents felt very childish, which is something I don't really like.

It’s hard to describe this book as it was flagged as a psychological thriller but us more of a drama.
There were far too many characters in the story and this made me lose interest a few times.
The main thing that brings them altogether is a boys football team and this featured very heavily in the story, which again made me lose interest.
I stuck with it and the last few chapters were good, but it really wasn’t one for me.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I liked the story and how it played out but for me there were far to many characters. It made it hard to keep track of, became overly complicated and eventually annoying. You shouldn’t have to take notes to be able to keep up

The Parents is a domestic almost thriller circling around the parents and their children in a small English village. The common denominator is the children are on a football team and boy, do they take it seriously. When a blogger/blogger starts spreading innuendos about everyone, the long held secrets begin to spill out. Halloween (not a major part of the English establishment at all) brings out the spookyness and myths and murder. A little too much football chitter hatter but a good twist at the end.

When I read the description of The Parents I was really looking forward to reading it but I really struggled with it. I found it difficult to get into and a little drawn out in places. It just did not grab me as I had hoped it would.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

It's difficult to know where to start with this review. The story centres around a group of football playing children and their parents. Secrecy and lies are abundant and pretty much everyone has something to hide.

Although the storyline was interesting, I felt there were so many characters it was difficult to keep track of who was who. I also felt that some characters could have been more fully developed, which would have enhanced my enjoyment and understanding.

There are some interesting twists in the story and I felt the dialogue and interactions between characters were realistic and well written. The supernatural/witchcraft element did add extra interest and this may appeal to people, especially around this time of year.

As I'm not a football fan and this topic did feature fairly heavily throughout, this isn't one of my favourite reads. However, I would read another of the author's books about a different subject.

Thanks to publishers Bookouture and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars

The Parents by Claire Seeber is a mystery novel, but felt more like a soap opera to me.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
When Alex lost her husband, she left America behind, and moved back to England with her 13-year old son Harry, and her 15-year old daughter Iris.  She moved into the small picture-perfect Primrose Cottage, within an equally picture-perfect village.  Harry immediately makes friends on the soccer field, and her daughter joins a band.  Alex, however, is struggling.   Iris is barely talking to her, and the insurance money from her husband's death has still not arrived.

As well, not everything is perfect in this small village, especially for the soccer team and their families.  Secrets are being exposed in a video blog that is changing the dynamics of the people involved.  The soccer coach is the first to be humiliated, and then the actress.  It just continues.

This picture-perfect village has a lot of secrets.


My Opinions:   
First, any novel that starts with a list of all the players and their families does not instill confidence in me.  If there are that many characters to keep track of and it isn't an epic fantasy or historical novel, I'm already put off.

Second, British authors shouldn't attempt to write about American things.... for example, I've never known a carport to have a garage door.  As well, the recurring words "babs" and "lover" for friends just didn't sit well with me.

The book is about families, and secrets, and lies.  Deception was abundant, and typical family squabbles were momentous.

The whole book read like a soap opera, with one family drama after the next.  However, after about 75%, I found I was finally interested in what would happen next.  Too late for real enjoyment though.  There was a rather major twist, but I had an inkling early on, so it was no real surprise.

Overall, the writing was okay, but the book just missed the mark  (well, mine anyway).

This was a interesting read and had good characters and story line. I felt this one kind of fell flat for me, I did not feel there was a wow factor at all. I found this predictable. I do feel there were a lot of twists and turns in this story but it was not as exciting as I hoped it would be

The Parents by Claire Steeber

I'm really sorry but I honestly had a heard time reading this book. I just couldn't completely get into it. A little too slow going for me.

Thank you Claire Steeber, Bookouture and NetGalley for the advance copy to read in return for my honest review!

The Parents is a book that has a great message and at the same time is full of twists and turns with characters that are full of secrets.

Someone is telling those secrets and nothing good ever comes out of that.

I liked the timing of Halloween for this book as it added to the atmosphere.

Although I found the book slow to pull me in once I had the characters straight I wanted to find out what happened.

I looked suspiciously at a few of them.

The Parents is well worth a read so add it to your TBR pile.

This was my first Claire Seeber book and now I am intrigued to read more of her books.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a book full of twists and turns.