About Last Night [Hardcover]

I read the reviews on the cover aswell as the blurb and prepared myself for something a bit more interesting than the usual chick-lit. Sadly I was disappointed.
I didn't particularly enjoy the writing style, maybe the author thought it would add depth to the characters but it didn't work for me. The characters seemed quite dull - Stephanie with her wonderful life that was a fraud as her devoted husband was playing away from home; scatty Pip who manages to get a contract with Selfridges making bunting - it was all so cath kidston/shabby chic/middle class i.e. dull as dishwasher. The affair girl (forgotten her name) seemed contrived and the male characters poorly developed. The story is straightforward really but it took forever to get there, with nothing else interesting happening on the sidelines.
There was too much description that at times was just irrelevant and I found myself skipping paragraphs.
It's the first time I've read anything by this author and the last unfortunately.
And just why did Julian have an affair? Oh yes he was bored - I can see why. And why did Steph have this thing with Subhash? Oh yes, she was bored too. So, two rich bored people who have a great life but want something else - I'm not rooting for them, are you?

Let me start by saying that if you aren't a fan of books heavy on the narrative, then this book won't be your cup of tea. There is barely any speech between the characters in the book, instead using a third person narrative to tell the tale and voice the thoughts of the characters. This was a quite effective tool, allowing the reader to see the bigger picture of the story yet also get up close and personal with the characters, but personally I would have preferred a little more speech and interaction in there, and this is why I've knocked a star off the rating of this one. I found it picked up pace a little more when characters spoke to each other, and was a little slow in the narrative parts but it was still enjoyable.

The book relies on the reader wanting to find out more about the mess going on in Stephanie's life, and her judgments and whether or not she makes the right ones, so from that perspective it's an interesting read. I did like the character of Stephanie - she is a woman trying to run the perfect home and make everything go smoothly with her children and the relationship with her husband Julian. But when she finds out something about Julian that makes her question everything, Stephanie does something out of character and calls on friend Pip for help, asking for her to cover for her. Pip was my favourite one in the book - she's easy to relate to, a single mother to a daughter, a talented textiles designer but unlucky in love, and suddenly very put upon by her best friend.

As I was reading, I couldn't help but think what I would do if I was in that situation, in both Steph's and Pip's shoes. The moral dilemmas are present throughout the book, and I didn't see a lot of the things that did occur in the book coming which was great, as sometimes these stories can become a tad predictable. Parks keeps throwing the book in one direction and veering off in another, and this had the effect of keeping me hooked as I wanted to find out what turn Steph and Pip would take next. There's a bit of guesswork along the way too, and it took me a while to make a link that was probably meant to be obvious from the start but suddenly jumped out at me, leaving me thinking "Oh right!" lol. I didn't expect the ending either, and it's fab to pick up a book and have something totally different happen that what you had expected from the start, so full credit to Parks for really delivering on that side. Another interesting point for me is that the time frame of the story is only 5 days, yet Parks crams a lot into that time and consequently, everything feels very "real time" as you're reading, much like the TV show 24 actually! This added an authenticity to it that I really enjoyed, and keeps you on edge as you know things have to start happening sooner rather than later!

It's a big chunk of a book, being that it's nearly 400 pages and in hardback format, but it certainly makes it a book you will want to curl up with of an evening. There are some great characters in here you'll be rooting for, a story that keeps you hooked because you NEED to find out how things will turn out and who will make what decision. As I previously mentioned, for me it was a little too heavy on the narrative and needed breaking up in parts a tad, but as that's my only fault for the whole book, I think that's pretty good going! I would definitely recommend this book, it was a joy to read and I love how Parks uncovers the story bit by bit, enticing you that bit more to keep reading! Fantastic.

I've read all 10 of Adele Parks' other books and loved them all, this one is spot on when it comes to keeping you interested and constantly wondering what you would do in either Steph or Pip's positions.
Dont attempt to make plans and think you will be able to pick up when you finished later on because you will surely fail. You will no doubt want to keep reading until the very last page.
Adele Parks is a fantastic author for chick-lit with attitude as many have described her, she always excels in keeping the reader interested and i highly recommend her other books, especially The Other Womans Shoes,Husbands and Still Thinking Of You. Oh and of course Tell Me Something.

5 stars all the way when it comes to Adele. :-D