If you haven’t heard me talk about Borrow Box on The Sunday Feeling then I’ve no idea where you have been hiding because it’s my go to app to listen to audio books. However because it is a free app that links directly to my local library, I usually have to reserve the books which means I scroll through and reserve a handful at a time. Last month I cam across ‘The Temp’ by Michelle Frances and it sounded exactly like a book I’d enjoy.
The synopsis on Goodreads
You have a successful career, a loving husband and a baby on the way . . . no-one can replace you, can they?Carrie is a successful TV producer with the perfect husband and the perfect life. But when she falls pregnant, everything threatens to fall apart.
Emma, the temp, is everything she could wish for as her cover: smart, willing and helpful.
But as she charms her way into Carrie’s life, winning over her husband and her colleagues one by one, Carrie suspects Emma is after more than just her job . . .
The Sunday Feeling’s Review
When I summarised The Temp in my monthly wrap up, I mentioned that it was probably one of my favourite audio books to date, and I really think I would have enjoyed it had I listened to it via audio or had a physical copy. I still stand by this, as I thought the premise sounded good (even though it defiantly sounded a little predictable) and the plot itself was even better than the synopsis made out.
News flash – I was totally wrong about it being predictable. I honestly thought I had it all figured out before I had even started, and at around a third of the way through I was still convinced I would be writing this review with a smug smile on my face.
Wow, how wrong was I!
I loved the unpredictability of The Temp and think Michelle done a fantastic job in completely throwing me off the scent. I had a soft spot for Emma throughout the book and picked up on the fact that she defiantly respected Carrie and her work so why would she want to ruin both her job and marriage? I also felt extreme dislike for Carrie’s husband Adrian from the start. As soon as they discovered they are expecting baby Rory Adrian showed no interest in the baby or his wife whatsoever. He was a very selfish unlikable character who I wanted to punch on several occasions.
Overall I have to give Michelle 4 stars for The Temp because it was enjoyable, addictive and had a great ending. I loved the domestic side of the story and the what will happen next moments. I wasn’t disappointed by the characters or plot in the slightest (and have a love/hate relationship with the ending), but for some reason didn’t feel it quite deserved a 5 star rating. I think this mainly comes down to the number of books I tend to read and a 5 star really has to stand out of the crowd for me, and it’s not one I think I can see myself recommending to absolutely everyone and their mother unfortunately.
I will however consider picking up some of Michelle’s debut novel The Girlfriend and possibly her upcoming noel The Daughter as they both sound intriguing.
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