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The Mistress's Revenge

by Tamar Cohen (Goodreads Author)

3.16 of 5 stars 3.16 · rating details · 587 ratings · 280 reviews

www.mistressrevenge.com

There’s a fine line between love and hate.

For five years, Sally and Clive have been lost in a passionate affair. Now he has dumped her to devote himself to his wife and family, and Sally is left in freefall.

It starts with a casual stroll past his house, and popping into the brasserie where his son works. Then Sally starts following Clive’s wife and

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Paperback, 288 pages

Published June 7th 2011 by Free Press (first published January 1st 2011)

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Jan 06, 2013 Kimberly rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, romance

I really wanted to like this book and had such high hopes after reading the product description, however, I found this to be quite disappointing overall. Written in first person in the form of Sally's journal, the novel initially caught my attention and drew me in but after awhile I found myself bored and frustrated with Sally's character. We're presented with Sally, a woman in her mid-forties who is quite literally going mad following a sudden end to an affair with a married man who apparently...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Roger Pettit rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"The Mistress's Revenge" is not the kind of book that I usually enjoy reading. It can best be described as "chick-lit" (I do hate that term), albeit with thriller-like overtones. However, I decided to give it a go. And I was pleasantly surprised. "The Mistress's Revenge" is a gripping and entertaining novel that had me avidly turning the pages to ascertain what happened next.

The plot, which centres on a middle-aged woman's failure to come to terms with the break-up of her affair with a married...more "The Mistress's Revenge" is not the kind of book that I usually enjoy reading. It can best be described as "chick-lit" (I do hate that term), albeit with thriller-like overtones. However, I decided to give it a go. And I was pleasantly surprised. "The Mistress's Revenge" is a gripping and entertaining novel that had me avidly turning the pages to ascertain what happened next.

The plot, which centres on a middle-aged woman's failure to come to terms with the break-up of her affair with a married man, bears more than a passing resemblance to that of the film "Fatal Attraction". Sally Islip is a 43-year old freelance journalist. She lives in modest surroundings in South London with her partner, Daniel, and their two children, Jamie and Tilly. For five years, she had an affair with successful and well-known record producer, Clive Gooding. Clive, who is married to Susan, and who has two grown-up children (who feature prominently in the story), is a philanderer. His relationship with Sally is but one of several extra-marital affairs that he has had. He and Susan live in rather more affluent style than Sally and Daniel, in St John's Wood (a very upmarket area of London). Having been dumped by Clive, Sally goes into emotional meltdown and her behaviour becomes increasingly erratic and obsessive. She is encouraged by her therapist, Helen Bunion, to write a journal that describes her febrile emotional state and sets out her heartbroken account of her affair with Clive and her present feelings towards him and his family. It is this journal that forms the basis of the story. It recounts in detail Sally's descent into depression and her inability to accept that her relationship with Clive is over. Sally neglects her own family and devotes all her energies into infiltrating herself into Clive's, with a view to winning him back. She strikes up a friendship with Susan and tries to ally herself with Clive's (and Susan's) two children. At the same time, she becomes increasingly dependent on prescribed tranquillisers and related medication and neglects the household finances, Daniel and her children.

"The Mistress's Revenge" is a rattling good story, well-told. The characterisation and the writing are of a very high standard. There are some piercing insights into the emotional turmoil that any relationship break-up can cause. As the story progresses, the reader cannot but feel almost every emotion that Sally is experiencing. That is how good the writing is. If I have a criticism, it is that the story is somewhat claustrophobic and one-dimensional. The action rarely strays beyond anything other than Sally's domestic and emotional circumstances and never ventures into areas that do not directly impact on her state of mind. There is very little humour to lighten the all-pervading intensity of a story that takes a little while to get going. But those are relatively minor weaknesses. "The Mistress's Revenge" is a very good novel that is well worth reading. 8/10. (less)

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Aug 15, 2011 Donna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-in-2011

Sally has a problem and her therapist thinks that "journaling" about is will help. Her problem is that after five years, Clive has ended their affair. He wants to give his marriage and family another try. But, Sally can't let it go. It didn't matter that her affair overlapped her relationship with Daniel, or that Clive was a married man with children. He left her, deserted her, and she needed resolution. She couldn't be the only one feeling this pain. So, Sally begins to ingratiate herself into...more

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Jun 17, 2011 Donna McBroom-Theriot rated it 5 of 5 stars

When a book begins the way this one did, you begin to feel the suspense on the very first page. By the end of the first page, (see quotes above) I could hear eerie music playing in my mind and the beating of my heart in my ears. I was starting to hear the voice of Glenn Close as Sally and Kirk Douglas as Clive. In fact, the more I read, the more I could hear the matter of fact voice of Glenn Close speaking to me. I found myself holding my breath as I was reading so I did not miss anything.
I am...more When a book begins the way this one did, you begin to feel the suspense on the very first page. By the end of the first page, (see quotes above) I could hear eerie music playing in my mind and the beating of my heart in my ears. I was starting to hear the voice of Glenn Close as Sally and Kirk Douglas as Clive. In fact, the more I read, the more I could hear the matter of fact voice of Glenn Close speaking to me. I found myself holding my breath as I was reading so I did not miss anything.
I am going to be overusing the word “wicked” in this review. This book was wicked, wicked, wicked! I only watched Fatal Attraction one time (believe me, that was enough for my VERY active imagination) and it scared me witless. This book did the same thing. It is scary to think of all the ways we can stalk a person today.It used to be if you were stalking someone, you would just follow him or her around and hope they didn’t turn around and see you. Now, we have Face book and Twitter, there are book review sites and blogs, the list is endless. Someone could stalk you and unless the peson reached out and threatened you, you may never find out.
I love to read memoirs and although this book is fiction, it could be a memoir. Sally tells her story in first person as though she were having a conversation with Clive. The story derives from the journals her therapist suggests she start to help her overcome her feelings and put the past to rest. Instead of propelling Sally down the path to recovery, the journals accelerate her voyage into depression and obsession. She becomes consumed with anger and love for Clive. She channels her obsession with him into friendship with his wife and daughter, involving herself in their lives as much as possible, while ignoring her own family.
Sally is so distracted by her obsession and grief that she is blind to the destruction and havoc she is wreaking on her own children and life-partner. Her selfishness is uncanny.
While we rarely hear of a woman breaking off an affair, men suddenly seem to have a need to clear their conscience and appear to have no problem ending an affair. Maybe it is the need to clear their lives of clutter to be free to engage in other affairs. This seems to be Clive’s pattern. The question of does the person breaking off the relationship ever take the time to think of how it will affect the other person who has invested so much of themselves? This book brings to light not only the “upside” if you will, but also the downside of affairs.
I loved that the characters and their spouses were friends. This little tidbit led to the enjoyment of making Clive squirm when forced to attend functions with Siiiillllllyyyyy Saaalllllyyyy, as Sally refers to herself throughout the book. It is eerie to follow Sally’s slip from reality as we see how far she goes to justify her actions to remain in Clive’s life.
It is frightening to see a normally clever and intelligent woman loose her grip on reality. It leaves you wondering if you would react in the same way if you were in her position. Would you lose your grip on reality like Sally does or are you stronger? The mind is a precarious thing and sometimes our actions astonish us.
The book’s ending was a complete surprise and I have to admit that I jumped to the end at one point. I am ashamed to admit I did that (I had finally broken the habit) but after doing so, I had to finish the book to see how the ending came about.
I have toyed with the idea of writing my memoir but I am not good at dialogue. This book has given me an idea of how to write it. Sally journals her thoughts and her stories and therefore does not need actual dialogue; and this is the way I write. I think it is time for me to finish this review and begin my own story. Thanks Tamar for not only a tantalizing book but for the writing lesson it revealed to me.
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Jun 13, 2011 April rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adultery-revenge-marriage

RATING: 3.5)THE MISTRESS'S REVENGE by Tamar Cohen is a fiction. This is a debut novel.It is a story about mistress,marriage,separation,adultery,married men,love hate,and revenge.
It is the story of Clive and his mistress,Sally, who have been having a five year long passionate affair. When Clive dumps Sally,she seeks revenge. After Clive dumps Sally,he received a prestigious music award,plans to renew his marriage vows.Sally feels Clive should suffer for not only dumping her,but for causing her pa...more

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Jun 12, 2011 Cheryl rated it 3 of 5 stars

Sally and Clive had an affair for five years. Sally can remember the night that Clive told her that the affair was over. She had arrived at the restaurant for dinner and she had barely one arm out of her sleeve when Clive informed her that he was giving his wife another chance. Things just go from bad to worse Sally writes Clive and than she becomes friends on facebook with Clive’s wife and daughter. As if that was not bad enough, Sally even goes to the coffee shop that Clive’s son works at. Soo...more

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Jul 30, 2011 Aileen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read mixed reviews on this book. The book starts with Sally seeing a
Therapist (Helen), the book is written in form of a Journal to Clive,
as the Therapist suggested it would improve Sally’s understanding
skills. Sally is the Narrator throughout the book.
Sally is 43 a mum of 2 with a partner Daniel. Sally has been having an
Affair for the past 5 years with Clive (who is married man with Wife
sally and 2 children) Susan and Daniel are close friends with Clive and
Sally. Sally’s world falls apar...more

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Jun 27, 2011 Pat rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who like drama

Recommended to Pat by: was an ARC giveaway

I recieved this book as an ARC giveaway from Goodreads/Simon & Schuster.
Starting the novel I knew I would have absolutely no sympathy for Sally. She has an affair with a married man with three children - while she was living for several years with her two children and their father. The couples were friends socially. I had a little difficulty getting into the flow of the "letter" style, but was comfortable after several pages.
Reading this novel was like watching a train you knew was going...more

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Jun 21, 2011 Kelley Ross rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: plain-romance, first-reads

I received this novel through the first-reads program.

About 30 pages in I flipped through the book, and I was a little disappointed to find that the entire novel was written as a diary. Later, I decided this writing style was a little different, but ultimately more effective for the particular story being told.

Sally is a strong narrator and an interesting study of the female mind. She seems to follow the classic symptoms of grief, which was an interesting yet subtle way for the author to treat...more

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Jul 09, 2012 Booksdingle rated it 3 of 5 stars

I couldn't put this book down which is a good thing, I definitely wanted to carry on reading and wondering what Sally was going to do next but I also found it emotionally draining mainly because there was no build up to the craziness or and no lulls, the author drops you straight into the action page 1 and it carries on through all of the 300+ pages. The authoress didn't do anything particularly noteworthys though, it wasn't anywhere near Fatal Attraction for action but it became more and more c...more

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Jul 04, 2012 Pam McIlroy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Pam by: Publicist

The psychology in The Mistress's Revenge by Tamar Cohen is well executed, as she takes you deep into the mind of a woman, Sally, whose whole sense of identity is wrapped up in who she would like to be, rather than who she is.

Sally has been having a passionate affair with Clive for five years. Now he has dumped her to return to his wife and family, leaving Sally devastated.

Sarcasm is used as a weapon by both characters in the destructive game of 'look what you made me do' that follows.

Sally's vo...more The psychology in The Mistress's Revenge by Tamar Cohen is well executed, as she takes you deep into the mind of a woman, Sally, whose whole sense of identity is wrapped up in who she would like to be, rather than who she is.

Sally has been having a passionate affair with Clive for five years. Now he has dumped her to return to his wife and family, leaving Sally devastated.

Sarcasm is used as a weapon by both characters in the destructive game of 'look what you made me do' that follows.

Sally's voice is written in the first person. It drips with venomous sarcasm tinged with a wry sense of humour, as she talks to Clive through a journal. This was a great technique to deepen the sense of Sally's obsession with Clive. He is constantly on her mind like a scab that won't heal because she compulsively keeps picking at it. Every decision Sally makes in her life, good or bad, is linked back to Clive. This enables Sally to justify each stage of the game as it is played out, while absolving her of all responsibility for the choices she makes.

Sally has no sense of identity. She is the kind of character that will adapt like a chameleon to the person that she most wants to be with. As Clive currently inhabits the world that Sally would like to be in, she adopts his erudite language and sense of superiority in her own voice. When Clive continues to reject her, Sally's frustrated rage pulsates through every page as she begins to stalk him and his family.

Meanwhile, Clive's low-self esteem is hidden under the guise of appearing superior to others. He is charming, erudite, and the master of misdirection and irresponsibility. His technique is to say one thing and mean another, in order to manipulate the outcome in order to satisfy his needs at the time. The more he does this, the more Sally questions herself, leading her to behave increasingly in an irrational manner. Nothing, not even her children, is more important to Sally than winning Clive's love.

At first Sally evokes laughter and sympathy in the reader, but as the story progresses this rapidly turns to frustration, anger and a growing sense of horrified disbelief. Helen, Sally's psychiatrist, is the voice of sanity throughout, a mirror that invites Sally to see herself as she really is before it's too late.

The Mistress's Revenge by Tamar Cohen will be challenging for some readers, as both Sally and Clive are deeply dislikeable as the novel progresses, but I think that's the point of it. This novel confronts the unthinkable, the darkness that lies at the heart of a game of control that simmers beneath the surface of this passionate affair. Being in Sally's mind is like being dragged down into dark pit where insecurity and rage writhe like snakes, watching and waiting for the right moment to strike. It truly is a disturbing portrayal of a woman who has lost control. (less)

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Jun 28, 2011 Jadaloves rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow…REALLY!? Just WOW! I totally and completely enjoyed this book and found myself immersed in it from the very first word. I must have hit the different book jackpot because The Mistress’s Revenge is also unique in that it is told completely through Sally’s journals. And her journal entries took on the form of letters to Clive Gooding, the man she was having a long term affair with.

From the beginning Sally pulls you into her head and takes you on a gripping and intense ride through her life as...more Wow…REALLY!? Just WOW! I totally and completely enjoyed this book and found myself immersed in it from the very first word. I must have hit the different book jackpot because The Mistress’s Revenge is also unique in that it is told completely through Sally’s journals. And her journal entries took on the form of letters to Clive Gooding, the man she was having a long term affair with.

From the beginning Sally pulls you into her head and takes you on a gripping and intense ride through her life as she slowly but surely becomes unhinged. Clive promises Sally the world, as people tend to do when having an affair, and renigs on everything after five years, saying his wife deserves another chance and he wants to make it work. Sally can’t fathom he means it and slowly begins to insert herself in his life in ways he never dreamed. At first it seems its just a game. A situation or circumstance to use to try and draw Clive back to her or have contact with him in anyway she can. Even if he only reaches out in exasperation, fear, or anger. But eventually Sally loses her already wavering grasp on reality and has convinced herself of certain things that couldn’t be further from the truth. Though she seems to have all her faculties, Sally is slowly unraveling.

She becomes delusional and beyond obsessed to the point where everyone and everything becomes a non-entity. She severely neglects her children and life mate, she no longer works, lets her bills pile up, and lets the misery wash over her like a wave. It was really quite sad and heart wrenching to read. On one hand you feel sorry for her, but on the other you’re like, this is the spoils of dating and falling for a married man. He was never really yours to begin with. She becomes completely self-absorbed and selfish. There were quite a few times I wanted slap her or shake her and scream for her to WAKE UP! It was like she got to know everything about Clive to eventually find that she never really knew him at all.

I never thought I’d be able to know all the characters so intimately through just the warped mind of Sally. But even though she becomes increasingly unstable, she’s actually still very intelligent, thoughtful, and observant. I got a good sense of each and every character, all told through the mind of one Sally Islip. The book was really beautifully written and excellently crafted and put together by Cohen. And it is written in such a way that you have to know what Sally will do next.

Even the ending is an intense surprise. I dare say it did not end the way I expected, or even the way the reader is sort of led to believe. There is a nice little twist that I think the readers will enjoy, and I especially love how everything comes full circle. This was an absolutely STUNNING debut novel for Cohen, and it is definitely worth a read. Go get your copy today!

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Aug 18, 2011 Shannon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, own

Most recently, I read The Mistress’s Revenge, a debut novel by Tamar Cohen. The book has a unique structure, in that it is not divided into chapters. Instead, it is written as a journal, from the point of view of the main character, Sally Islip.

Sally has been having a passionate affair with the older and married Clive Gooding for five years. He has made promises to her, and suddenly, decides that it is over, an action which sends Sally reeling, seeming to the verge of insanity.

While Clive says h...more

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Jul 04, 2011 Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

The Mistress's Revenge is written as a journal written by Sally who has just been dumped by the man she had been having an affair with for the last five years. Clive tells Sally he wants to try to work things out with his wife, Susan, and be there for his two adult children. Sally, who has a partner and two children of her own, cannot let go of Clive and so begins an obsession with Clive's family and the beginning of a debilitating depression.

This book is like nothing I have ever read before. Si...more

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Jun 25, 2011 Arlene rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I received this book through the Goodreads First Reads program. It's written in the form of a diary, written by Sally, who has just been dumped by her lover of 5 years, Clive. Clive has decided to concentrate on his marriage with Susan, and Sally is devastated.

I didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I have. Her use of metaphor is very entertaining, especially when describing the sex scenes. It's refreshing to read her less than flattering descriptions of her encounters. Her metaphors are...more

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Jun 14, 2011 Yvonne rated it 2 of 5 stars

Although both Sally and Clive have partners and children, they embark on a five-year elicit love affair. When Clive ends the relationship, Sally doesn’t want to let go. She becomes so obsessed, she allows her whole life to crumble.

I couldn’t help but wonder if this was going to be just another formulaic female stalker novel, à la Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction. Other than being told in the first person through Sally’s journal entries, would The Mistress’s Revenge have anything new to offer?

Th...more

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Jun 18, 2011 Mary (BookHounds) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, from-publisher-author, arc

Sally and Clive are having an affair and Clive suddenly breaks it off to reconcile with his wife. Written in the form of a journal, the story chronicles her stalking of Clive and his family while she falls deeper into a depression. Sally is not some single woman. she has a partner and children of her own, so she should have started devoting her time to them, but finds herself totally consumed with Clive's life. Not to say that she is a hateful or hurtful person, but it is easy to see how this wi...more

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Jul 01, 2011 Bruce rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

Overall, the story was pretty good. I would have given it a better rating if I shared anything with either the protagonist or antagonist, but both of them apparently live way outside my moral compass. The only sympathetic characters are Daniel, Susan, and Sally's children. If I met any of the others anywhere, after the first few minutes I would do everything within my power to never encounter them again.

Watching how her fixation on revenge built over time in her journals, her manipulation of peo...more

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Jun 16, 2011 Meg - A Bookish Affair rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, fiction

Anyone who has had a bad break-up or knows someone that has had a bad break-up (and who doesn't?) knows what a broken heart looks like. After a torrid love affair, Sally finds herself alone and hurting. She increasingly falls into a self-destructive pattern of remaining obsessed with her married lover, Clive. Sally knew his family before the affair and after the affair, takes comfort in noting the moves and activities of Clive's family even going so far to talk to Clive's wife, Susan, about Susa...more

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Jun 14, 2011 Book Him Danno rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-sent-by-author-publisher-for, 2011

I started this book and then immediately did not like the way it was written. It reminded me of how someone talks when they do not want to be interrupted or answered: they just want you to listen to their woes. Their talking is annoying and self satisfying only, that is the kind of individual that I would not choose to be friends with for any length of time. But, as I read further the writing annoyed me less and less. I realized it was letters she was writing, but come on it was annoying.

*Spoile...more

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Apr 23, 2011 Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

With a title like The Mistress's Revenge, I really wasn't sure what to expect - the title reminds me of the pile of Mills and Boons that my Mum would have stacked by her bed when I was growing up. Please, don't be put off by the title!! This is as far away from mushy romance as you can get.
The story is narrated by Sally - it's a rambling narrative and she is speaking directly to Clive, her ex-lover. Sally and Clive have been having an affair for five years, he's married and a TV presenter, she l...more With a title like The Mistress's Revenge, I really wasn't sure what to expect - the title reminds me of the pile of Mills and Boons that my Mum would have stacked by her bed when I was growing up. Please, don't be put off by the title!! This is as far away from mushy romance as you can get.
The story is narrated by Sally - it's a rambling narrative and she is speaking directly to Clive, her ex-lover. Sally and Clive have been having an affair for five years, he's married and a TV presenter, she lives with her long-term partner Daniel and their two children.
At first I found the style and the content very difficult to get into, I just couldn't connect with Sally at all and just got annoyed by her incessant pestering of Clive, her obsession with him and her neglect of her family. Gradually though I felt myself being pulled into her life and by the middle of the book I was hooked and just couldn't stop reading.
Sally's whole life begins to fall apart around her, she watches Clive and his family via the Internet, friending his wife and daughter on Facebook and 'accidentally' bumping into his son. There is an air of desperation around Sally - she can't see a life without Clive and can't understand why he no longer wants anything to do with her - didn't he tell her he loved her? Didn't they spend many many hours in nondescript hotel rooms?
As Sally becomes more obsessed with Clive, she spends less and less time caring for her family, her children are abandoned, her partner has no idea what is happening to her, her work dries up and she becomes more and more dependent on tablets just to get her through each day.
Sally watches Clive and his wife Susan renew their wedding vows, she manages to get an invitation to his daughter's baby shower, she just can't stay away from them.
This is an extraordinary novel, unique in style and a compelling read - Sally and Clive are both pretty obnoxious characters at times, but even so I needed to know how this sad and sordid relationship was going to end. And it's the end of the novel that bring that 'jaw-dropping' moment - just when you think you've worked it all out, it all turns upside down - shocking and unexpected and a fabulous finale.
Tamar Cohen has produced a quirky, original novel and I'm hoping that this is just the start of a successful career as a fiction author for her.(less)

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Jul 05, 2011 Katie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

I won this through the Advanced Readers. This one was a tough for me to get through. I really like the ending, but I found the book to be a little slow. It wasn't really the page turner I was expecting. I found it a little slow and kinda painful because I like to emerse myself in the main character, but this one I really couldn't. I have never had that kind of obsessive love and it was painful for me to feel it through the main character. I wanted there to be SOOOO much more Revenge than just wh...more

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Jun 22, 2011 Wendy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I won this book through the Good Reads First Reads contest.

As I was heading out the door to a dentist appointment this morning, I decided to grab this to read while I was in the waiting room. Little did I know that I would end up spending my entire reading this book since I couldn't put it down once I was drawn into the demented world of a scorned woman as she begins to insinuate herself into her ex-lover's life.

Sally, though she has her mate Daniel and two children, is willing to give up ever...more I won this book through the Good Reads First Reads contest.

As I was heading out the door to a dentist appointment this morning, I decided to grab this to read while I was in the waiting room. Little did I know that I would end up spending my entire reading this book since I couldn't put it down once I was drawn into the demented world of a scorned woman as she begins to insinuate herself into her ex-lover's life.

Sally, though she has her mate Daniel and two children, is willing to give up everything she has just to have Clive in her life. For the last 5 years, her and Clive have been having an affair right underneath everyone's noses. But when Clive ends the affair, claiming he could not continue to hurt Susan (his wife), Sally refuses to let him cut her out of his life, even though her therapist tries to get Sally to sever those ties.

As part of her therapy, Sally begins journaling her thoughts, and her journal is written as if she is speaking to "Clive", just like old times, except instead of emailing him these thoughts, she is writing them in a journal. As she writes, we, as readers, can see her spiraling out of control as she starts insinuating herself into the lifes of his wife Susan, then his daughter, then his son, all in an attempt to get some sort of reaction out of Clive. The blurb calls this the Fatal Attraction of the Facebook era, and that is probably the closest comparrison that I could come up with to explain what type of story this is. It really isn't a "romance", its more of an 'after the romance', it really isn't a 'thriller' where there is tons of intense action - but definately a psychological thriller.

I gave this a 4 out of 5 rating. While I loved the premise for the book and the storyline kept me turning the pages over and over again, I was somewhat confused at the end and kept wondering if I missed something as it just seems to jump, but doesn't really explain all that much about what exactly happened - so I feel as if there is something there that I missed. (less)

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Jun 03, 2011 Tara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

This book was shocking, thrilling and just plain crazy. I stayed up until 4am reading because I HAD to know how it ended. I'ts been quite awhile since that's happened (You know I love my sleep!).

The story is told in journal entry format. Sally starts a journal at the suggestion of her therapist. The journal entries are basically letters to Clive. Sally and her partner Daniel, have been casual friends of Clive (Sally's lover) and Susan (his wife), for quite a few years. After Sally & Clive's...more This book was shocking, thrilling and just plain crazy. I stayed up until 4am reading because I HAD to know how it ended. I'ts been quite awhile since that's happened (You know I love my sleep!).

The story is told in journal entry format. Sally starts a journal at the suggestion of her therapist. The journal entries are basically letters to Clive. Sally and her partner Daniel, have been casual friends of Clive (Sally's lover) and Susan (his wife), for quite a few years. After Sally & Clive's breakup, Sally is quick to befriend Susan and opportunistically insert herself into (read stalk) his family.

As the book progresses and Sally completely unwinds the journal entries get more maniacal and desperate (ahhhh Love it!). She embodies the phrase "descent into madness" perfectly. I felt every emotion right along with Sally and felt that I was being dragged through her hellish situation. I really enjoyed the first person voice in this novel, I think that it would have been a completely different book without it.

There were only two minor complaints I had with the book. First of all, It was set in England (I've read a lot of English authors and usually have no problems with the translation of their slang), but sometimes the words and settings she chose weren't the easiest to decipher. So the ideas in a few of the paragraphs were a little....muddy for me. Secondly, Sally's extreme lack of any type of care, love or even concern towards her kids made me nauseous. Yes, I literally felt sick for her children. She would obsessively sit in her room and check her email over and over and over and over, completely forgetting about her children.

The ENDING! Ahhh! The ending! Clive is such....scum. I didn't really understand this ending, Is it partly true? Is it not? Loosely based on reality? Someone tell me! The twist at the end left me shocked! I was actually very pleased with most of the ending, (not to be cliche) but you'll never guess what happens.

This book was a relationship thriller (Is that a genre? It should be!). Someone please point me in the direction of more of her books, or books just like this! I couldn't put it down!

*Also for the YA/ Clean readers this is an adult book. There is a some sex and lots and lots of prescription drugs,drinking and bad parenting in this book.

Judge a Book By It's Cover: I would have chosen a different title for this book, it makes it sound like a cheesy romance novel, when it's ANYTHING but that. But the cover is gorgeous. I love the dried roses.(less)

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Oct 09, 2011 K4tie rated it 2 of 5 stars

The depiction of what it is like to lose ones mind centered on a traumatic event was spot on. The main character was very present but the supporting characters were lacking. Especially Daniel, eventually his character gets some backbone and is written as I would expect an enraged spouse would act, but it seems much too delayed to me. Throughout the book I wanted to yell at him for not being more present or involved in the disaster that was fast becoming his life. To his credit he was supposed to...more

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Jun 14, 2011 Dan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Sally’s life begins to unravel as her long-term affair with Clive ends. Clive is married and Sally is not a young girl but a 40 year-old mother of two and a partner of her own. As a suggestion from of her therapist, Sally begins to write in a diary; her letters to Clive. What we learn is that Sally is obsessed and her mental state begins to unravel.

I thought when I picked up this book that this would be a current version of “A Fatal Attraction” but it is more cerebral as we read what is Sally’s...more

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Jun 24, 2011 Jan Norton rated it 1 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 27, 2012 Rosanne rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have to admit I was totally surprised by the compelling novel, The Mistress's Revenge. Once I started; I was unable to put the book down until I had devoured the very last word. Bravo Tamar Cohen on a wonderfully written contemporary thriller.

The back cover referred to the story as an updated Fatal Attraction and indeed it was. The story is told through writing in a journal that is being kept by Sally Islip. She is writing the journal as a form of therapy to overcome the end of her five year a...more

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Sep 27, 2012 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow,I feel exhausted!
The fascinating book is a journal written by the spurned mistress as a form of therapy; a cathartic out-pouring to her former lover in an attempt to purge herself of her feelings of rejection following the end of their five-year affair. The end has been forced on her. She has been 'dumped/chucked' ( why does no one say that anymore?) a unilateral decision and not hers...
It is a disturbing, hard-going read, though there is plenty of bitter irony and black-humour, clawed and...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Louise Graham rated it 4 of 5 stars

I decided to buy a few books the other day as I hadn’t done that for a while and this was one of the books that took my fancy. I had seem some discussion about it on twitter and was interested in it.

The whole book is written in a journal style. Whilst set out in a standard look, each page is written from Sally explaining her thoughts, actions and understandings to Clive. (The man she was having the ‘affair’ with). It took me a while to like this writing style as it is very unusual.

The story is e...more

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“Can an absence of action be construed as a negative action?” — 6 people liked it

“In the end though, if I've learned anything form this at all, it's that life goes on, and we must move on too.
Separately.” — 4 people liked it

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