BOOK REVIEW: ANATOMY OF A SCANDAL BY SARAH VAUGHAN

Anatomy of A Scandal by Sarah Vaughan

Published January 23, 2018

Hardcover, 400 pages

MY GOODREADS RATING 2/5 STARS

(Thanks to Bookishfirst.com & Atria Books, I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

An astonishingly incisive and suspenseful novel about a scandal amongst Britain’s privileged elite and the women caught up in its wake.

Sophie’s husband James is a loving father, a handsome man, a charismatic and successful public figure. And yet he stands accused of a terrible crime. Sophie is convinced he is innocent and desperate to protect her precious family from the lies that threaten to rip them apart.

Kate is the lawyer hired to prosecute the case: an experienced professional who knows that the law is all about winning the argument. And yet Kate seeks the truth at all times. She is certain James is guilty and is determined he will pay for his crimes.

Who is right about James? Sophie or Kate? And is either of them informed by anything more than instinct and personal experience? Despite her privileged upbringing, Sophie is well aware that her beautiful life is not inviolable. She has known it since she and James were first lovers, at Oxford, and she witnessed how easily pleasure could tip into tragedy.

Most people would prefer not to try to understand what passes between a man and a woman when they are alone: alone in bed, alone in an embrace, alone in an elevator… Or alone in the moonlit courtyard of an Oxford college, where a girl once stood before a boy, heart pounding with excitement, then fear. Sophie never understood why her tutorial partner Holly left Oxford so abruptly. What would she think, if she knew the truth?

MY THOUGHTS:

At times I almost felt like I was reading different books because there were so many layers to the story.  I felt like each chapter was trying so hard to end on a major cliff hanger that made you want to read on, but none particularly hit me that way. When I thought something big was finally going to happen I feel like I was let down with more slow-paced background information. I found myself getting bored with parts and drifting or zoning out while reading some and having to go back and reread parts.

Because you were being introduced to key players in the story, the book was extremely slow paced in the begging. I did enjoy the fact that the story was told in multiple points of view. I didn’t see myself connecting with any characters even though they were greatly depicted.

If you enjoy a slow fact based book, with a great court case this one will definitely be for you. I prefer books to be fast paced or at least hold my attention and was disappointed that this one was neither in my opinion. I will say that I think this book is being released at a great time. A man in power is being accused of rape and inappropriate behavior is one we can all relate to seeing.