Dark Dark twisty thriller a book full of well written characters bad people.A book that story unfolds taking us to the past revealing how these relationships developed turned into what they led up to the actions the behavior.This isa taut thriller highly recommend.Netgalley #harperuk.

Thank you to NetGalley, Little, Brown Book Group UK and Caroline England for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

From the moment I began reading I was hooked. Betray Her is a story of friendship, love, secrets, lies and betrayal that exudes nail-biting tension and foreboding throughout.

Jo and Kate have been best friends ever since their first day at St Lukes twenty years ago despite their very different backgrounds. Jo has always felt like the working class girl from a Barnsley Estate who didn’t deserve her place amongst the rich girls at boarding school. Two years ago she lost her husband suddenly leaving her mourning not only him but their dream of having a child. Kate was raised with a silver spoon in her mouth and waited on hand and foot. She has lived a charmed life. She is enjoys a blissful marriage with her rich and successful husband, has a beautiful little girl, and is the epitome of the perfect wife and mother.

Told in the present day with flashbacks to the friends’ time at St Lukes and the years since, we learn that all is not quite as it seems. From the start there are hints that their time at the all-girls boarding school was far from happy and that they never discuss it. Gradually, we learn the truth of those tumultuous years, along with other heart stopping revelations that unveil their closely guarded secrets and change their lives forever.

This was the first book I’d read by Caroline England and she has found herself a new fan. I was on the edge of my seat from the first page right up until the breathtaking finale. The story was fantastically written in such an authentic voice that I vacillated between who I rooted for and who I deemed the villain many times, and was never quite sure what would happen next. The detailed descriptions had me feeling like I was right there alongside the narrator feeling and seeing everything she did. A tantalising book that I would highly recommend.

There's nothing wrong with Betray Her but I didn't find much right with it either. Dubbed as a dark psychological thriller I can say it's not dark, it's not psychological and it could be considered a thriller....but not a thrilling one. I figured it would get better and continued reading but nothing happens until the last chapter.
I can't recommend this book, I found it painful to finish.

This book is a slow burn of a read, but please don't think that takes anything away from it. In fact it adds incredibly to the tension and by the end my head was spinning from all the twists.
Beautifully written, Betray Her is the tale of two friends Jo and Kate, who first met when they were eight and at boarding school and have remained friends throughout the many twists and turns and dramas of their adult lives.
The scenes set at the boarding school were among my favourites. Caroline England's writing is so evocative, her description of the school, its rituals and routines, not to mention its many characters was first rate - so much so that I could almost smell the musty halls and feel the chill from the cold walls.
The majority of the action takes place in the present, however, as Jo starts to realise that not all is well in Kate's seemingly perfect life. Jo has her own woes having lost her husband and soul mate to a heart attack two years earlier.
But there is so much more bubbling under the surface of this novel and when it comes to the surface this book transforms from a gripping domestic read to a truly chilling domestic noir read.
Caroline England writes so authentically that the reader can't help but change loyalty numerous times during the read and there are some truly jaw-dropping moments.
A really first class read, I'd highly recommend it.

Jo and Kate met at St Luke's boarding school at the age of 8. Jo, who comes from a nouveau riche family is somewhat taken by the wealthier upper middle class Kate who is friendly and open. Their friendship continues into adult life but is it all that it seems? The story goes between the past and the present. In the present we find Jo, alone and bereft. Her husband Richard died suddenly at the age of 36 and she can't quite get over this or the fact that time is running out for her to have the baby she is desperate for. She is envious of Kate and Tom (the golden couple) who have a beautiful little girl Alice. Kate's relationship with Tom is a little strained but then he suddenly makes her an offer which leaves her stunned, In the strands set in the past we learn more about their schooldays and the secrets from that time one of which Jo has conveniently (and unbelievably) forgotten.

I'm afraid I didn't like this book. Jo, the protagonist is an unsympathetic unlikable character who is self absorbed. Kate is equally horrible in a manipulative controlling way. I found neither of them particularly convincing. The end is just nonsensical with Jo behaving in a way which is out of character. She may not be a nice person but...

So, would I recommend this book? Not really although there will be people out there who will enjoy it. Me, I've read too much that is too similar and I'm fed up with toxic friendships. Thankfully my friends are much nicer than Jo and Kate.

I was expecting so much more from this book. I had read a view reviews left by other people before I started it and they all seemed full of praise.

However, I felt that this book just did not live up to the hype. The story is a very slow burn, but Jo is just one of the most annoying characters in the world. She is stupidly blind in regards to what is happening around her and is solely focused on her own well being.
Now, I normally don't mind an unlikable main character, I actually really enjoy them if they are written well. But Jo was just insufferable.
I felt that most of the story was all over the place, there seemed to be a huge disconnect between what the author wanted to convey, and what actually happened.

The twist at the end was while predictable, also out of character for Jo.

I had to force myself to continue reading on for the most part, and I did not fully enjoy the book as much as I was expecting too.

2 stars.

Another fantastic novel from Caroline England. A brilliant, twisty drama. I loved it. The book was extremely well written and I particularly enjoyed the alternating past and present. We could really understand the relationship between the two main protagonists through learning about their shared past. An absolute whirlwind of a story with jealousy, secrets and lies. The book was dark and weird at times but that made it all the better.

I received in advance for you just copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow – this book was a very slow burn but about halfway in the drama eat up and that last half is a crazy crash until it finally goes off the rails. These people are scary, and not in the horror movie sense of the word. This will definitely have you sleeping with one eye open when your childhood best friend is in the room