The Rival by Charlotte Duckworth - Blog Tour


The Rival by Charlotte Duckworth
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Source: Quercus Books
Rating: 4'5/5
Amazon

About The Book
NOW:
Living in her home in the countryside HELENA is a career woman without a job and a mother without a baby. She blames ASHLEY for destroying her life. But is what happened really Ashley's fault?
THEN:
When Helena hires Ashley to work with her, she's startled but impressed by her fierce ambition. They form a dream team and Helena is proud -maybe this is the protégé she's always wanted to have? But soon Helena realises that nothing will stand in the way of Ashley's drive to get to the top. And when Helena discovers she is pregnant, she quickly realises how vulnerable her position is, with devastating consequences.


My Thoughts
This is one of those books that the story is told between two characters, the one you like and the one you hate, but you can't stop reading every page till the end to discover what happens.
The Rival is not simply a story of rivalry between two strong women and their obsession with work, success and jealousy between each other, but an enlightening way to show how women instead of fighting together for their rights at work they like to fight against each other... It tries to show the reader too how maternity can affect the life of their parents in every way; specially a mother in a high position job it could make her redundant simply for being pregnant.
Let me say that I've read this book in one stand, I was hooked since the first page. The story is told between the past and the present of Helena and Ashley, since the first moment they met till their fateful ending. The story is not only addictive but emotional, of course I didn't like Ashley from the first page, too bold and without any regrets to do whatever it takes to have a success in the job. But we see some bits of her past, trying to explain how her job and success is so important for her.
Helena is not an easy character neither, she is a good boss but she really doesn't want to be a mother until she discovers she is pregnant. I can understand her change of mind or how she feel surpassed with all the changes, the worries and distress affects her life. Yes, having a baby is something precious, but not everyone is ready or willing to have one, and we always should respect their decisions and thoughts even if we don't totally agree with them.
There's a note of the author at the end of the book that really touched me, because for me all the pregnancy was like being in a train without a driver and knowing where it will go, no matter what everyone tells you every pregnancy is different, and of course every baby is different too. The only way to be a good mother/father is to try our best, we will fail again and again, but loving our little ones and being with them in the good moments and the bad is the only way to be a good parent.
This had been an emotive read for me, with a twist in the end and addictive since the first page. The Rival is a quick read that will show us how an obsession can change your life.
Ready to discover The Rival?

About The Author
Charlotte Duckworth has spent the past fifteen years working as an interiors and lifestyle journalist, writing for a wide range of consumer magazines and websites. She lives in Surrey with her partner and their young daughter.

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