An enjoyable light read. This is my first book by this author, and I enjoyed her writing style. Slightly unrealistic characters. Everyone is very together and understanding. Even the unsavoury characters recognize the errors of their ways and reform. Not real life, but an enjoyable romcom.

I liked this book. Easy to read, entertaining, with a bit of ‘lives of the rich and famous’. There were some real emotional conundrums, some light-hearted fun, and some heartbreak. The relationship near-misses and quirky support characters added colour and there were some nicely camouflaged home truths. I felt the angst, tension and hope were well paced. and a satisfying but maybe slightly rushed ending rounded off an enjoyable read.

Ash’s rating: 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Summed Up: Slow Burn Drama

- - -
Ok you had me at pretty cover and intriguing title. Let’s be honest,

Alright, you had me at the pretty cover and that intriguing title! I’ll admit it, that’s what hooks me every time on my book blind dates.. and it’s also sometimes what lets me down 🫠

With the title Would You Rather, I was ready for some sliding doors vibes and ‘what if?’ magic. But unfortunately that was not really to be.

While the story started off with some mystery, it quickly revolved around a secret life and whether or not the paths of the characters would cross. And honestly? It felt like a lot of pages just to get that one answer 🤔

There were a few side stories thrown in (family drama, new relationships), but nothing that really wowed me. Oh and spoiler alert ❗️adultery as a central theme? Yeah, not really my thing.

On the plus side, the writing was solid and the characters were well developed, but this chic-lit left me wanting a bit more punch.

Big thanks to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the sneak peek - look out for this one in December if you’re into slow burn dramas!

Prepare for a complete and utter deviation from my regularly scheduled programming - I told you I was going to try and give up the unholiest of the unholy shit and I have been as good as my word, ladies and gentlemen. This is some seriously closed door literature - nary a mention of panties dropped, much less any bloody minotaur milk (hold on. Bear with me. Trauma flashback… nausea has passed, I’m good).

It’s been seven (7!!) years but Magnificent Maggie is back and brilliant as ever.

I’ve been a fan of @maggiealderson since I was 17 (sixteen years… 😳) when I first discovered my perennial favourite, “Cents and Sensibility” - at which point I went and devoured her entire back catalogue.

One of my very few auto-buy authors, I will read ANYthing Maggie has to say, on any topic (I get giddy every time my inbox pings with an email from her Substack) - if she wants to write a 200k word thesis on boiling water I’ll pick it up with unparalleled enthusiasm. She has a magnificent way with words, oozing intelligence, wit, cool and glam… I’ve got a bit of a girl crush, can you tell?

“Would You Rather” follows Sophie who has been happily married to Matt for three decades when he wakes up one morning, announces he’s met someone else and is leaving her. He walks out their front door, gets hit by a bus and is killed instantly. What follows is an intriguing and utterly compelling look at grief, love, friendship and family dynamics.

Told from multiple perspectives, WYR’s short, snappy chapters keep the intricately woven plot moving along at a rapid fire pace and the full cast of characters were zany and lovable.

I loved watching everything fall into place and the way the story ended. Pure satisfaction.

Was it my favourite Maggie? No. Was I hooked on her every word? Eternally.

If you haven’t read any of her books before I always suggest starting with my favourite, but honestly if it’s got Maggie’s name on it, you can’t go wrong.

Food stylist Sophie Crommelin is excited about the next stage of her life. She and her famous artist husband, Matt, are leaving London and moving to the seaside town of Hastings. However, on the day their London house sale is finalised, Matt drops a bombshell: he is leaving Sophie for another woman. After telling Sophie their marriage of decades is over, he leaves her to go on a bike ride (as you do) and then dies in an accident. The would you rather of the title refers to Sophie's dilemma: would you rather be thought of as a grief-stricken widow or a wronged wife?

When I was younger I loved Maggie Alderson's rom com novels, so when I received an email from Netgalley saying a new Alderson book was available to request, I asked for that title faster that I have ever asked for a title before. It did not disappoint! I read this book in an afternoon on a rainy day while lying on the couch under a blanket - it was a very cosy experience.

But (and unfortunately there is a but) the coziness comes about because of the complete fantasy of the novel. Everyone is beautiful and rich and successful. After going through two incredibly traumatic events on the same day, Sophie is fine. She moves, renovates her kitchen, makes a bunch of new friends immediately and seems pretty okay with everything. She has not one but two new possible romantic partners, who know about each other but are fine with it because this book takes place in a fantasy land where all middle-aged men are in touch with their feelings and are able to articulate them well. No-one in this novel has an argument or throws a tantrum or yells at anyone else, although they really should have! This is not how humans behave.

So, I definitely recommend this book as a fun, escapist beach read but with the proviso that it also is one of the most unrealistic novels I have read for a while.

A really enjoyable read, my first of Maggie’s books. It won’t be my last.

A well written, engaging story with well developed and likeable characters. Told from several points of view, which added depth to the story.

We start with Sophie, as her husband tells her he is leaving her for his mistress and then he promptly dies in a freak accident. The mistress comes to his funeral and is asked to leave. Then we get to know Sophie’s son Beau.

The story developed over the chapters and came to a fulfilling end.

Throughly enjoyed and highly recommended..

I was initially intrigued by the blurb for this book, thinking I was going to be reading something juicy and gripping. A grieving widow out for revenge against the woman her husband was leaving her for just hours before his death.

But it kind of fell a bit flat.

That’s not to say it wasn’t enjoyable, I did enjoy this, but more for the characters rather than the story. I absolutely loved Olive, Agata, Tamar, Charlie and Beau were all characters I would enjoy spending time with.

Sophie and Juliette, I could take or leave as characters which is a shame since they are who the story mostly revolves around.

I found the ending a bit of a letdown, we build up to this moment of great revelation and then it just puffs away into nothing…

*Would You Rather* is the first book by Maggie Alderson that I’ve read, and while it was a pleasant enough introduction, it didn’t quite blow me away. I’m landing at a solid three out of five stars for this one.

The main characters, Sophie and her son Beau, were well fleshed out, which I appreciated. Sophie’s personal struggles and her relationship with Beau were central to the story, giving it some heart. That said, the supporting cast felt a bit overcrowded. There were so many secondary characters that I found myself wishing a few had been trimmed back to let the core story breathe a little more.

The plot, while not a full-on mystery, had enough intrigue to keep me turning the pages. Sophie’s (recently deceased) husband’s affair left some juicy unanswered questions. It wasn’t quite the edge-of-your-seat suspense, but it was enough to hold my interest.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collin’s for the ARC of this book 😊

I was very excited to receive this book as my first arc/preview; thanks so much to the author and publisher for this.

I enjoyed the overall plot to this book, it was clever. The absolute need to know the outcome kept me reading.

I didn’t enjoy the overall writing style, this could be due to the fact that i am not British (perhaps?), I found the main characters lacking the depth and emotion that I was really looking for in a plot like this. I would be devastated to have found myself in Sophie’s situation. Given this, and the overall language used by the characters, I personally found the main characters to be quite difficult to relate to. Had I not have received this book as a preview, I may not have finished it, but was determined to push on in order to provide an honest and complete review.

Very grateful for the opportunity to have previewed this story and I do hope that others find this to be a more enjoyable read than I did.

After reading the blurb I really wanted to like this novel but despite its rollicking pace and quirky characters I just couldn’t relate to any of them. I haven’t read a Maggie Anderson novel before as I am not a chick lit aficionado. However when the opportunity arose to read a preview copy via Netgalley I jumped at the chance as a change is as good as a holiday, right?
The writing was engaging, plot solid if if a bit over the top and characters navigated life’s highs and lows searching for resolution and happiness.
Maybe because my life is quiet and reserved I found everyone noisy, busy and far too extroverted. Happily the bed hopping, wild parties, adultery and betrayal settle into cosy relationships and understandings.
Thanks to Netgalley for the preview copy.

This was my first book of Maggie’s and I now look forward to reading more. From the beautiful opening scene at Christmas and throughout the book, Maggie shows her immense skill at setting the scene. This greatly helps her readers feel like they are truly present watching events unfold. This was the story about many complex, interesting and often artistic characters, although Sophie, Juliet and Sophie’s son shared most of the narration.

It is a story with many betrayals including the greatest which is Sophie’s husband cheating on her with Juliet right before his death. It is the story of a loving extended family, and the strength of friendships including old and new. Some of the friendships and relationships seemed to me to form and become very familiar very quickly; and the deceit was dealt with more smoothly than seemed likely but then this can be one of the advantages of living in a fictional world.

It was also a story about choices including whether Sophie should grieve as a widow, grieve as a wronged woman, or find a way to do both while still moving forwards and starting a fresh life for herself. It was also the story of how Juliet learnt to navigate Matt’s death and to decide how to tell Sophie about their relationship.

This was an enjoyable and immersive book, and I would love to read more about this family and their friends. Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for letting me read an advanced copy in exchange for a review. Due out in Australia on 4th December 2024.

When I was a much younger me, I loved Maggie Alderson's young woman novels - Pants on Fire, Mad About the Boy. But in between younger me and older me, I hadn't kept up with her writing.

So my first wonder was "have her characters aged, or is she still writing about younger women". I was very glad to realise that her characters have aged as we have, and then excited to dig into this new novel.

For food stylist Sophie, everything happens at once. Her husband tells her he's leaving, promptly gets hit by a car, and they've just signed a contract for a new house in a new city. Without enough information, and with no-one else knowing, grieving is difficult - she can't figure out whether to be distraught or furious! She makes the house move and attempts to start a new life (a confusing one, but a new one) in her new home.

This story is told from a few perspectives - Sophie, her son Beau (who is reeling from his father's death, but also from the consequences of his own behaviour) and Juliet (the woman Sophie's husband was going to leave for). All three of them hold a part of the story but don't know that the others know anything. Eventually, they each learn what they need to know to move forward (and we learn the back story).

It's a lovely story - of sadness and friendship and loyalty. It's full of well-detailed secondary characters too - I'd certainly like to hang out with Sophie and her new neighbours.

I really enjoyed this read. Well drawn, interesting characters. A very well written book. It was a short read, at least for me.

My heart broke for Sophie when Matt told her that he was leaving her after 30 years for another woman, just as they were about to move into a new home in Hastings. Their son Beau was a lovely character, albeit being a womaniser. Charlie, the wine guy, was definitely a good match for Sophie.

Sophie meeting Matt’s mistress at his funeral, who was wearing his leather jacket, was an interesting touch! Sophie sending in the troops to tell the mistress to sling her hook was excellent.

The story played out nicely. That Sophie nearly had an affair with her brother in law was a good twist. I liked the way that Beau cluelessly and haplessly went to work for his dad’s mistress, Juliet and unwittingly became close to his half sister. Juliet’s blackmailing employee was also a good addition to the story.

I would highly recommend this entertaining and sometimes sad read to others.

My thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It’s a while since I’ve read a Maggie Alderson book but I always enjoy them.

Would you rather be a grieving widow or a deserted wife? Sophie became both on the same day (no spoiler alert needed, this is how the book starts). Thereupon follows a story peopled with Maggie Alderson’s usual beautiful people, dealing with whatever life chooses to throw at them.

Without warning, Sophie is faced with the prospect of re-building her life by herself when she thought she and Matt were going to be starting something new together. In one day Sophie’s emotions are tossed about in a whirlwind: starting out with love and hope, then suddenly moving to rejection and hurt; to anger; then massive shock and grief; then back-tracking to anger, hurt, rejection, love, but bewilderment in place of hope.

Sophie’s good fortune is in her loving family and her many kind, caring, creative and artistic friends. Moral dilemmas are sensitively thought through; Sophie isn’t the only one left with conflicting emotions and dealing with the same question of whether it is better to stay silent or share what they know.

Would you Rather is filled with Maggie Alderson’s signature wit and style and her readers are going to love it.

Published by Harper Collins

Would You Rather is my first novel by this author and what a thoroughly enjoyable read.
The characters are delightful, the location is divine and the storyline is sweet. Although it tells the tale of Sophie who suddenly finds herself a widow, the grief is not overwhelming. Instead the tale is warm and lovely - written at a great pace. Neatly wrapped up at the end so you'll put it aside with a contented sigh. Great, light-hearted chick lit - perfect for holiday reading.

This is the first of Maggie's books that I've read and it certainly won't be the last. I found this book intriguing and the characters and story flowed well. Definitely gave me something to think about after I closed the last page. Thank you.

I had recently been looking at my bookshelves and saw my collection of Maggie Alderson books and wondered if she had anything new out. I was excited to see she did and jumped right in without even reading the synopsis. Would You Rather is the story of how Matt’s wife, mistress and older son cope with his untimely death and the half secrets they all know about him.

Told over the year after his death, the reader is drawn in by the prologue where we meet what seems like the perfect family. Suddenly the reader is at his funeral with his wife and mistress in attendance and we wonder how we got there. I was completely engaged the whole way through as Sophie, Juliette and Beau cope with their grief and their world’s all slowly orbit towards each other. I really enjoyed the three main characters. I expected to dislike Juliette, the mistress but she was also very relatable and things were not quite what they seemed. There were a also a lot of fun supporting characters- I was keen to attend a party with Charlie, the fizz guy, Olive, the potter who likes to sunbath naked and Agata, who needs control in her life and her her 70’s style home.

Set between London and Hastings, I could picture all the different locations perfectly. I enjoyed the behind the scenes looks into different creative worlds- food styling and jewelry making. Tackling grief so thoughtfully from different angles. I’ll always think of Sophie being overwhelmed by it at a concert. I felt myself on edge as I could see the three different worlds combine and was happy to see how everything played out. It was an absolute pleasure to be lost in these characters worlds for a whole. They all felt like family by the end.

I have read every one of Maggie Alderson's books so jumping back into her pages again was like a comforting hug.

The characters are well developed and the plot was believable. The start hooked me in straight away. The ending just sort of ended for me. I turned the page to read on and I was like "Ohh, that's it!" and went back and re-read that page. It was enjoyable, but I wanted a little more with the ending.

I rated this four stars

I loved the mystery of who the strange women was to the mmc and that his wife was able to find peace and love in the embrace of family and friends and was able to find love start again
I wanna thanks Harper Collins and netgalley for giving me the chance to read
I can't wait to get a physical copy this is re read for me

I loved this novel. The plot is intriguing and engaging and the characters are wonderfully drawn. Sophie’s husband Matt dies in an accident one hour after he has told her that he is leaving her for another woman, and one day after the sale of their family home and the purchase of a seaside home goes through. Along with her son she has no choice but to forge a new life. I was engaged from start to finish and highly recommend. Thanks to Harper Collin’s publishers Australia and Netgalley for an ARC of this novel.