Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty

From Goodreads

Yvonne Carmichael has worked hard to achieve the life she always wanted: a high-flying career in genetics, a beautiful home, a good relationship with her husband and their two grown-up children.

Then one day she meets a stranger at the Houses of Parliament and, on impulse, begins a passionate affair with him - a decision that will put everything she values at risk.

At first she believes she can keep the relationship separate from the rest of her life, but she can't control what happens next. All of her careful plans spiral into greater deceit and, eventually, a life-changing act of violence.

Apple Tree Yard is a psychological thriller about one woman's adultery and an insightful examination of the values we live by and the choices we make, from an acclaimed writer at the height of her powers.  

My thoughts

This was a recent read for my Local Library Reading Group. I saw the TV drama of this when it was aired starring Emma Watson a few years ago.

I gave this a 3 stars or 6/10. It was an easy unchallenging read, that was met with mixed thoughts from the Reading Group.

Yvonne Carmichael appears to have it all. A successful woman in the field of genetics, she is often seen offering advice and working around the Houses of Parliament. During one of those days she meets a stranger and what ensues is an affair between the two of them, that will have grave repercussions for them both.

I found this an easy read, with enough twists and turns to keep the reader interested in the lives of Yvonne and her lover. I must admit that at times I felt sorry for her husband and family, she did what she could to protect them from some of the fall out of her affair. Ultimately, she had no one but herself to blame for what happened to her.