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My Lover's Lover

The Sunday Times Bestseller from the Author of Hamnet

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My Lover's Lover

By: Maggie O'Farrell
Narrated by: Julia Watson
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From the Costa Award winning Maggie O'Farrell comes the Sunday Times Top Ten bestseller MY LOVER'S LOVER, an intense, unnerving and passionate story of betrayal, loss and love, with all the frisson and psychological intensity of Rebecca.

When Lily moves into Marcus's flat and plunges headlong into a relationship, she must contend not merely with the disapproval of flatmate Aidan, but with a more intangible, hostile presence. Could it be that Sinead, Marcus's ex, is trying to communicate with her? When Lily begins to 'see' Sinead, first about the flat, and then on the streets of London, she must question not merely her sanity, but whether the man she loves is someone she can, or indeed ought, to live with at all.

(P)2012 Headline Publishing Group Ltd©2002 Maggie O'Farrell Fiction Friendship Genre Fiction Gothic Horror Literary Fiction Women's Fiction
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Critic reviews

A quietly dramatic dissection of the way past loves can haunt the present
...an emotional whirlwind, all passionate yearnings, raw pain and messy truths; powerful in nailing the complications of love without missing it out the power of the emotions involved
This Rebecca-esque ghost story puts at its heart the gnawing insecurities that any act of intimacy soon invites
O'Farrell's writing has a crystalline precision of idiom - there isn't one image that fails to ignite recognition
O'Farrell has honourably equalled the success of her first novel, After You'd Gone, with a story that is certainly as absorbing - and just as beautifully written
A sensual, creepy tale of passion and jealousy - should cement her reputation
O'Farrell makes masterful use of the industrial setting - all echoing spaces and clanging doors - to create an atmosphere laden with suspense, but just as you think you've got the story figured out, a fresh twist keeps you turning the pages
A psychological drama with, at its core, the timeless theme of love betrayed... she is adept at evoking extreme emotions... shock, grief and loss spring from the page as intensely as they did in O'Farrell's first book
A story that is much more than a romance, exploring the dark avenues of obsession, and the lingering aftermath of a relationship... Award-winning novelist Maggie O'Farrell has created an unusual, suspenseful tale, laying bare the damage that lovers can do to one another. Her writing is exquisite, her images tangible... O'Farrell understands human nature in frightening depth and skilfully lays a trail of half-truths and mystery to ensnare and enthrall
An epic, domestic romance... a worthy sequel to AFTER YOU'D GONE
Part chiller, part love story, with its lurching twists and poetic bravura, this is VERTIGO for the WHAT LIES BENEATH generation
Even better than AFTER YOU'D GONE
As soon as I'd finished My Lover's Lover, Maggie O'Farrell's second novel, I rushed to my local bookshop to acquire her first - that is the drug-like strength of O'Farrell's storytelling. My Lover's Lover, as its title suggests, is a gripping and passionate double love story, which takes contemporary romantic fiction into wilder territory... Years ago, I was weaned off my Wharton habit because the drug ran out. What can possibly save me from total addiction to the young O'Farrell, who, one hopes, is at the start of a long and brilliant career?
'...emotionally acute...'

'...a novel full of spine-tingling intrigue. Read it and pass it on.
All stars
Most relevant
Lily livered Lily was the most annoying character, amongst all the other characters. I love all other Maggie O’Farrell books.

I couldn’t say

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well written and well read.... language is quite masterful but found to be an overwinded story which, in the end, was not so satisfying

evocative writing

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I've listened to a few of Maggie O'Farrel's books now and enjoyed them, especially Hamnet, but this was awful. I really disliked Marcus from the start, partly because of how the reader voiced him. it made him sound so arrogant. it gave me the impression he was in his 50's with a beer belly and that Lily was a timid, unintelligent young girl. I thought there wasn't enough description of them and that bits were missed out. I thought the story lacked substance and the characters were unlikeable. I didn't enjoy it at all

Not Great

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Maggie O'Farrell can write and I loved her book 'After You'd Gone. But this was a drama too far. Filled with detail that became endless and totally unnecessary. The story so over-blown with the Ghost-like appearances of Sinead and the expectant story of what exactly Marcus had done to her - I really wanted to slap them all. One has to like the characters and I thought they were all tiresome. The story teller trying to rush with breathy overtones didn't help either. Sorry - very disappointed.

Much Ado About Nothing

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I’m a massive MO’F fan but cannot say this is one of her best, in my opinion. Plot is a bit odd; characters are unappealing. Ending is super sudden and predictable. Didn’t much enjoy the narration either - found the pronunciation of some words (pl-ah-stic) quite grating.

Disappointed

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