The Affair

A shocking story of a schoolgirl and a scandal

By: Amanda Brooke

Narrated by: Avita Jay

Length: 13 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

A shocking story about a 15-year-old girl and the man who took advantage of her.

"You might as well know from the start, I'm not going to tell on him, and I don't care how much trouble I get in. It's not like it could get any worse than it already is. I can't. Don't ask me why, I just can't."

When Nina finds out that her 15-year-old daughter, Scarlett, is pregnant, her world falls apart.

Because Scarlet won't tell anyone who the father is. And Nina is scared that the answer will destroy everything.

As the suspects mount - from Scarlett's teacher to Nina's new husband of less than a year - Nina searches for the truth...no matter what the cost.

©2017 Amanda Valentine (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

Praise for Amanda Brooke: "An emotional journey and a great read!" (Fionnuala Kearney)
"Full of twists, this is a deeply emotional, poignant tale that will remain with you long after it ends." (Ella Harper)
"[A] touching sensitive story...an extraordinary, moving tale." ( The Bookseller)
"Enchanting, moving and hard to put down." ( Closer)
"Life affirming." ( Sunday Mirror)
"A haunting and heartbreaking story that stayed with me long after I'd finished." (Fern Britton)
"Magical and unputdownable." (Katie Fforde)
"An extraordinary debut novel" ( Daily Express)

Not Brooke's Best

I first discovered Amanda Brooke with her novel "Where I Found You" and recently followed it up with "The Child's Secret". I found both were stronger reads - either because of the choice of narrator or because the characters were more sympathetic.
With this book, I massively disliked almost all the characters. I couldn't understand why Nina was friends with Sarah, why she married a man her kids didn't know or accept, then accused him months later of impregnating her daughter.
Amanda Brooke has a knack for creating emotional and complicated characters, but in this book, these were all just navel-gazers who never reflected on their own motivations and justified themselves. They talked and talked and TALKED to each other without saying anything substantive, and the narrator frequently couldn't well-differentiate between characters, and some of those she could (Sarah, in particular) sounded like she had marbles in her mouth.
Perhaps I will read this in print, but this audiobook definitely didn't do it for me.
I'll check out Amanda's other books, though :)

Good story Good Narrator

This was a bitter sweet innocence lost story. I found myself empathizing with each of the main characters and in turn wanting to slap each of them.

The narration was good and added to the overall enjoyment.

The story switches back and forth in time into before and after. This wasn't necessary and detracted a little from the story revealing itself in a natural way.

Definitely worth a listen.

Whodunnit with a Twist(s)

The Affair is one of those stories that makes you want to scream at the characters, "open your eyes!" I had a love- hate relationship with this. The story is told from several alternating pints of view and centers around one 15year old girl's relentless need to keep a secret from her mother, having been suspected of an illicit affair with her English teacher. In the process, her stubbornness born of immaturity and obsession threatens the very core of her mother' sanity, her marriage, the teacher's young family, and her community. I strongly disliked the character of Scarlet and sympathized likewise little with her mother. The soft yet hidden toughness of the voice of the teacher's young wife lends a sense of truth and reality to an otherwise oft-unbelievable tale. I kept blaming the victim and that wasn't fun, but I'd be dying to know what other readers think! Overall, worth listening to, even though it seems long and is terribly frustrating at times, the end result brings you some relief and sense of fulfillment for the characters. Recommend with caution.

The Teacher Gets The 🍎

Amanda Brooks created a literary masterpiece that Avitia Jay narrated to perfection. This story is definitely worth the credits.Fans of Pretty Little Lairs...get this audiobook now! I was hooked and surprise at the true villian in the story as it unfolded...I didnt want to put it down. I listened none stop to the very end. Well done Ladies.
Official DeAnn DeVille Review: writer, narrator, philanthropist and Mom

HUH? Where did that come from?

As many authors do, this author presented the story from multiple perspectives. However one of those characters lied. That is not fair nor does it work for a story to be at all believable (hard to type that considering it is a novel, but you know what I mean...) Overall trite and trivial and I fast forwarded to get to the end because there was a lot of whining.

great book

I couldn't put it down. it keeps your interest from the beginning. it had a lot of twists and turns, do when you think you know. You really don't know.