LAURIE PETROU
Art, ambition and desire collide when a struggling academic becomes entangled in the life and marriage of her literary idol.
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By day, Dr Ruth Morgan lectures on ‘AI: the new frontier of storytelling’ at East Toronto University. By night, she toils away at a collection of short stories, fantasising about a literary career to rival that of the iconic Shelby Rayburn, internationally renowned and widely hailed as the voice of Ruth’s generation of women.
When Shelby and her husband, Oscar, make an appearance at an annual faculty party, Ruth can’t believe her luck. The trio immediately hit it off, and an intoxicating intimacy develops between them, underwritten by a simmering sexual tension. Everything changes when Shelby makes Ruth an offer she can’t refuse—one that she can’t tell anyone about, including Oscar. As boundaries blur and secret alliances form, the dynamic becomes riddled with distrust and threatens to implode. Ruth and Shelby need each other, but each has their own agenda when it comes to friendship, love and literary stardom.
Deepening her exploration of female friendships, art and fame, award-winning author Laurie Petrou returns with a campus novel that asks what it means to be a creator in an age where notions of authorship, relationships and notoriety seem dangerously undefinable.
SAMPLE REVIEWS
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'Dark, fascinating, and utterly fearless, The Rayburn Affair reminded me of Julia May Jonas's Vladimir in the best possible way. This bold novel offers an unflinching look at desire, betrayal and ambition in the literary world - I was unsettled, enthralled and completely transfixed. Laurie Petrou writes with razor-sharp insight and lyrical power, marking her as one of our most daring contemporary voices'
- Marissa Stapley, New York Times-bestselling author of Lucky and The Lightning Bottles
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'A dark, sexy tale of infatuation, envy and creative life set within the cloistered walls of an elite university. The Rayburn Affair has richly drawn characters, simmering tension and a perfect denouement'
- Robyn Harding, Internationally bestselling author of Strangers in the Villa
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'An exceptionally evocative and seductive story about the dangerous allure of intimate connection and slippery security of power. Set within the hallowed halls of academia, this extraordinary novel explores how the clawing desire for validation can strip us of all reason, leading us to make desperate choices with devastating consequences. Raw, real and riveting, The Rayburn Affair should be on everyone's must-read list'
- Samantha M. Bailey, USA TODAY and #1 international bestselling author of Hello, Juliet
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