THE ADULTERY CLUB
Tess Stimson
Bantam
ISBN: 978-0-553-59140-8
February 2008
Contemporary Romance

Right from the beginning, I knew what I was getting into with this book; with a title like THE ADULTERY CLUB, it is hard not to. That being the case, I tried VERY hard not to let my own personal prejudices on this topic cloud my judgment while reviewing this book. I will let it be known now, at the beginning of this review, that I do not condone cheating in a relationship. I have not been a victim of this, so it is not personal in that way, but it is one of those moral codes that is just ingrained in me.

That being said, Nicholas and Malinche Lyon are a happily married couple with three young girls. Nicholas is a divorce attorney and Malinche is a stay at home mom who writes popular cook books. Now in their forties, they are happy, at least until temptation crosses Nicholas’s path. Sara Kaplan is a new employee in his law firm and she is immediately attracted to this mature lawyer. One thing leads to another and both Nicholas and Malinche end up being unfaithful. Sara loves Nicholas and ultimately Malinche does too, while Nicholas never really stops loving his wife. Can they get beyond this?

What makes this book interesting is the thought process that the reader has to undergo. The book is written chapter by chapter in the point of view of the three main protagonists, each chapter in another view point. I am not a fan of this style of writing, but for this book it works, since we get to see inside everyone’s head. This gives the readers a more personal look at the infidelities, love and motivations of the characters.

The writing itself is done well, and is the main reason the book is rated as it is. I have never bought into the “cheating is ok” mentality and can be forgiven. We all make mistakes, but that is one very big one to work around. THE ADULTERY CLUB gets into those issues and explores them in quite some depth. It does not skim over the difficult points nor does Ms. Stimson use the adultery as a literary device to move the plot on. It IS the plot.

Reviewed by Sarah Silversmith
Rating 4