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Debbie McGowan

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Hiding Behind The Couch Paperback – February 13, 2023

by Debbie McGowan (Author)

24

Book 1 of 3: Hiding Behind The Couch

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The Circle.
Nine friends from high school.
Nine friends for life.

They had been in their final years of school when it happened. There was a party. Shaunna didn’t know who he was; she could only vaguely remember where she’d been and what she’d been up to, and tried to let the memory slip away with the hangover. Four weeks later, she was certain that night was going to be with her forever.

Josh Sandison has spent his lifetime trying to keep his friends together, never forgiving himself for being the one to push George away. Now in their thirties, they reunite in a bid to help Shaunna’s daughter establish her father’s identity.

But there are secrets and lies that have been lived too long, with the power to destroy friendships for good.

* * * * *

“...compelling characters, conflicted, flawed, complicated.”
“...like eating fine Belgian chocolate for the first time after only ever eating Smartprice chocolate.”
“Debbie McGowan has the ability to take average, everyday happenings and people and make them honestly fun, engaging and absorbing enough to not want to put the book down.”
“McGowan has a knack for writing, like the BBC has a way for putting out good television.”

Book 1 of 3

Hiding Behind The Couch
Print length

382 pages
Language

English
Publication date

February 13, 2023
Dimensions

5.25 x 0.96 x 8 inches
ISBN-10

1786451255
ISBN-13

978-1786451255
See all details

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Debbie McGowan is an award-winning author of contemporary fiction that celebrates life, love and relationships in all their diversity. Since the publication in 2004 of her debut novel, Champagne-based on a stage show co-written and co-produced with her husband-she has published a further thirty-five works (twenty novels, fifteen short stories and novellas). She is the author of two ongoing series: Hiding Behind The Couch (a literary 'soap opera' centring on the lives of nine long-term friends) and Checking Him Out (LGBTQ romance). Debbie has been a finalist in both the Rainbow Awards and the Bisexual Book Awards, and in 2016, she won the Lambda Literary Award (Lammy) for her novel, When Skies Have Fallen: a British historical romance spanning twenty-three years, from the end of WWII to the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1967. Through her independent publishing company, Debbie gives voices to other authors whose work would be deemed unprofitable by mainstream publishing houses.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Beaten Track Publishing (February 13, 2023)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 382 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1786451255
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1786451255
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.07 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 0.96 x 8 inches

Customer Reviews:
24

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Debbie McGowan

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Debbie McGowan is an award-winning author of contemporary fiction that celebrates life, love and relationships in all their diversity. Since the publication in 2004 of her debut novel, Champagne—based on a stage show co-written and co-produced with her husband—she has published many further works—novels, short stories and novellas—including two ongoing series: Hiding Behind The Couch (a literary ‘soap opera’ centring on the lives of nine long-term friends) and Checking Him Out (LGBTQ romance). Debbie has been a finalist in both the Rainbow Awards and the Bisexual Book Awards, and in 2016, she won the Lambda Literary Award (Lammy) for her novel, When Skies Have Fallen: a British historical romance spanning twenty-three years, from the end of WWII to the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1967. Through her independent publishing company, Debbie gives voices to other authors whose work would be deemed unprofitable by mainstream publishing houses.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5

24 global ratings

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David Manuel

A Very Engaging Literary Novel

Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2013

Verified Purchase

There are novels that have you racing through the pages to get to the exciting climax. Then there are novels with a narrator so compelling you hear the voice in your head as you're trying to fall asleep. And, of course, there are quieter books about people who become more and more familiar to you as you read, drawing you into their lives until you feel less like you're reading a book and more like someone's updating you on the news of your friends. That's how I felt reading Debbie McGowan's Hiding Behind the Couch.

McGowan weaves a tapestry from the lives of nine friends. Suspense hangs over the novel that will keep you engaged, but this book is primarily about the characters who shape the events as much as they are shaped by them. And they're compelling characters, conflicted, flawed, complicated. At times, the sheer number of characters and the complexities of their intertwined lives is difficult to keep up with--like life itself, to be honest--but the writing draws you in until you really must know how these folks are going to ride out their troubles; whether they will succeed in staying friends or not. And the achievement, as with all good literature, is that you want them to succeed because the author has drawn you into their lives.

I highly recommend this literary novel. I look forward to reading the next installment in the series.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

HayMickViking

Cozy and enjoyable

Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2013

Verified Purchase

I received this on loan from my cousin and was delighted. Hiding Behind The Couch is a perfect read for a cozy winter day or soft evening. You can disappear into this book and make friends with the characters and share their story. Read this during a rainining couple of days early this month. This story reminds me of my favorite movies about friendship and relationships. Looking forward to the sequel next!

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Rea200289

A Masterpiece - by any other name

Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2012

To put this in the most blunt of terms, Hiding Behind the Couch is like eating fine Belgian chocolate for the first time after only ever eating Asda Smartprice chocolate.

In the last 4 months, I have read no less than 44 novels, most of which I have enjoyed at least a little. Reading Hiding Behind the Couch has been an eye opening experience and a rare treat; such a rich and indulgent vocabulary that flows so easily across the page is the rarest of precious literary finds.

I wouldn't say the novel has a protagonist, it focuses equally on approximately 9 characters, with a sprinkling of 'extras'. So many characters SHOULD be confusing to the reader, but each is like a colourful thread, woven into a beautiful tapestry which is a story encompassing so many lives and their interconnections; I did not ONCE find myself confused as to who was who or what was happening. The ideas are so clearly formulated and the characters intertwined so cleverly that it feels more as if you are watching the events unfold in front of you than reading them on paper (or screen, in my case).

The premise is very simple, but the twists and turns based on the ups and downs of interpersonal relationships make this novel a compelling page turner, something quite unlike what I had expected from the blurb. I read this compulsively, from start to finish, sometimes with my heart in my stomach, sometimes sitting forward in my seat, willing my eyes to read with more speed as the roller coaster that was the final few chapters unfolded before me - I couldn't reach the conclusion fast enough and found myself devastated when I reached it; I wanted to keep reading the lives of these wonderfully crafted characters indefinitely.

This e-book is an absolute bargain price for the literary gold within - please read it for yourself, don't just take my word for it!!

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Jeanie M

Very Confusing

Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2023

Verified Purchase

The character development was a disappointment. There were so many characters that I was confused about who was with who. I almost stopped reading but went on to the end. i should have cut my losses and given up before the halfway point. The ending was so disappointing. I had thought it would be good and I'd be happy that I didn't give up on it. I didn't have any empathy for any of the charactrs. This book left me cold.

Helpful

RickB

There's No Hiding the Excellence Behind this Book

Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2014

What I like most about this book is the way McGowan uses the third-person narrative as if it's a character in itself. The group of friends in this novel are so close that they practically create a living entity in and of themselves. For this reason alone, I give this book five stars. Writing something like this is not easy.

Additionally, this read reminded me of watching one of my favorite television shows, Coupling. The characters in Hiding Behind the Couch jump off the page (or your Kindle, in my regard), and make you just want to read more. McGowan has a knack for writing, like the BBC has a way for putting out good television.

Highly recommended.

Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2013

Debbie McGowan is a writer's writer. It is pure fun to read her ability to take average, everyday happenings and people/characters and make them honestly fun, engaging and absorbing enough to not want to put the book down! I can't do this book justice review wise because everything I have to say has been said much better by previous reviewers! If you love good writing and are a connoisseur of quality in writing, and of beautiful prose and the effort to really bring a story to life, and if you enjoy stories populated by beautifully fleshed out characters, characters so real they could jump off the page, I can't give this book enough praise or recommendation. It is part 1 of a trilogy. Part 2 is NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT and part 3 is THE HARDER THEY FALL (upcoming release this spring). I can't wait to read the rest of this story and the adventures of Shauna and Josh and their family of friends.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Rea200289

A masterpiece, by any other name....

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 2, 2012

Verified Purchase

To put this in the most blunt of terms, Hiding Behind the Couch is like eating fine Belgian chocolate for the first time after only ever eating Asda Smartprice chocolate.

In the last 4 months, I have read no less than 44 novels, most of which I have enjoyed at least a little. Reading Hiding Behind the Couch has been an eye opening experience and a rare treat; such a rich and indulgent vocabulary that flows so easily across the page is the rarest of precious literary finds.

I wouldn't say the novel has a protagonist, it focuses equally on approximately 9 characters, with a sprinkling of 'extras'. So many characters SHOULD be confusing to the reader, but each is like a colourful thread, woven into a beautiful tapestry which is a story encompassing so many lives and their interconnections; I did not ONCE find myself confused as to who was who or what was happening. The ideas are so clearly formulated and the characters intertwined so cleverly that it feels more as if you are watching the events unfold in front of you than reading them on paper (or screen, in my case).

The premise is very simple, but the twists and turns based on the ups and downs of interpersonal relationships make this novel a compelling page turner, something quite unlike what I had expected from the blurb. I read this compulsively, from start to finish, sometimes with my heart in my stomach, sometimes sitting forward in my seat, willing my eyes to read with more speed as the roller coaster that was the final few chapters unfolded before me - I couldn't reach the conclusion fast enough and found myself devastated when I reached it; I wanted to keep reading the lives of these wonderfully crafted characters indefinitely.

This e-book is an absolute bargain price for the literary gold within - please read it for yourself, don't just take my word for it!

2 people found this helpful

Rosemary K

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 17, 2015

Verified Purchase

excellent

One person found this helpful

Fitzy

Not very well hidden behind the couch

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 3, 2013

Verified Purchase

The 3 star rating is for the storyline itself which forced me to concentrate and gradually work out 'who was who' in relation to each other and then I was hooked on the 'great mystery' but I have to say that the end 'revelations' were a bit of a 'damp squib'

One person found this helpful

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Hiding Behind The Couch Paperback – February 13, 2023

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Debbie McGowan

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