Member Reviews
Jo and Kate met at boarding school when they were only 8. Despite their very different backgrounds they became firm friends.
Fast forward 30 years and they're still very different people but still very close. But things aren't always how they appear as peeling back the layers that the two of them had built up during their friendship starts to expose the cracks that have probably been there all along. But these cracks widen and threaten to expose truths that have remained hidden for many years.
It's hard to say much more about the book as the author has chosen to give little away in the blurb for it. I can however say that although it is a bit of a slow burn initially, it does ramp up the pace as more of the truth comes out - mostly told in flashback from Jo's point of view.
It contains all the elements that you would expect from a book of this genre. We have secrets and lies aplenty and more than a smidgen of duplicitous behaviour. The characters are well crafted and develop well as the story progresses. Jo and Kate are chalk and cheese but they form a strong bond. But, like most people, truths are being withheld and masks are worn which means that maybe they aren't so tight as they think they are. This is reflected in the way that the characters progress as the plot unravels. This also made it hard to root for one over the other occasionally along the way as there were times when certain behaviour was explained by incidents in the past so it wasn't always black and white. There are undercurrents of a whole load of emotions throughout - sadly I can't expand on them here as I think it could inject spoilers and I don't do them!
All in all, a very character driven book that intrigued me throughout and left me mostly satisfied at its conclusion. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
This was a tough one for me to get through. It follows Jo and her friend Kate who have had a complicated relationship since they met at 8 years old. Now, they are in their 40s and we have lots of flashbacks to their time at school.
I can't get too into the plot without giving anything away but I honestly found it a bit boring and a little too slow for me. The ending was really good and I just wish we had a little more of that excitement throughout the rest of the book.
This book follows the story of Jo and Kate over the lifetime of their friendship from the age of 8.
It’s starts slow and does take a while to get into however the. I was gripped.
It has twists and turns which i didn’t see coming.
Well written and enjoyable.
I almost gave up on this book, because the story was lacking for me in the beginning, but was completely and utterly obsessed as I got further in it. Like her last book there’s many characters, but once you get into that and learn each from each, it gets to be unputdownable! I thought that it offered many shocks, twists, turns, and chills!
Will definitely make sure i highly recommend and buzz up!
I’m between 2.5 stars and 3 stars because I got mixed feelings.
The writing it’s great but it starts so slow and i wanted to give up so many times that I thought this is going to be a DNF book for me. Well, i’m glad I didn’t because after 35-40 % in , the story finally starts to pick up step by step and we get more action.
A story between two childhood friends with events from then and now, a mix of characters that I for one, unfortunately couldn’t connect with any of them and an overall experience that left me with many doubts as if I liked it or not.
I think it could have been much more and better because the writing is great and I hope to read more in the future by the author.
Thanks to the publisher, author and NetGalley for my review copy.
After reading the blurb for this book I could not wait to start reading. A psychological thriller one of my favourite genres. For me this was more like a slow paced thriller. It took me quite a while to get into in my opinion a very slow burner. Why is it we covet what others have, human nature? Now what happens if you are determined, no matter the cost to achieve what you want???. A tale of two young women both from different backgrounds one rich and one from the nouveaux riche. The story spans from school days at boarding school till twenty years later and that fateful day. For me an okay read but I am other readers will enjoy it more just not for me
It took me a good 20% to get in to this book and then I found it intriguing and interesting. Then I struggled through the last third of the book and found I didn't care about any of the characters and what happened to them . I did finish it but it was a relief when I got to the end
Unfortunately I couldn't get into this book. It was well written, but it was a very slow burn to start and did not hook me in. It did pick up from halfway and finished better.
Unfortunately this book was not for me. I found it very slow and full of paragraph filling non necessary info at the start. It could have been pared down to be more exciting. I like to be grabbed by a book from the outset and unfortunately this book didn't do that for me.
Thank you to the author and Netgalley for the opportunity to read it and wishing the author every success.
This was a slow start and I wasn't sure about the book but then it took off. A fantastic read when the pace picked up. A story of two friends Jo and Kate with secrets, jealousy, bullying, love and resentment. Set in their school days 30 years ago and today. A powerful read with some great twists and surprises you do not see coming.
A slow start, but glad I kept at it as I enjoyed it very much in the end.
Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you so much to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Jo and Kate first met at public boarding school at the age if eight, forming a friendship that would last into adulthood. They initially bond when faced with hardship, bullying and missing home, but their friendship soon become based around boys, marriage and babies.
This was such a good read! The main character, Jo, was so likeable and real, that I felt `on side` with her all the way. I liked how the alternating scenes from past and present revealed layers of questions and answers, twists and turns throughout.
Much more `feel good` and almost light hearted in places than the thrillers I read. I think that this would be enjoyed by fans of 'Girl on the Train' and 'Gone Girl', but also by those who grew up enjoying 'Malory Towers'!
I look forward to reading more from this author.
"Best friends forever.
That's the pact you made.
You'd do anything for her.
(And you have)
She has it all.
If you could take it for yourself . . . would you?"
I must admit that it took me a little longer to get into this book than i expected, but that (i think) is down to me being in a bit of a reading slump :( but now i seem to be over it! Once i hot about 40% i couldn't stop reading and read the rest in one sitting. I felt that the characters were believable and I felt awkward towards Kate's character from the offset. The plot line was good but i did work out what was going to happen / was happening quite early on, but this didn't make the book off putting at all as i still enjoyed it!
I would recommend this to anybody who likes crime / thrillers.
Personally it didn’t get interesting for me until I was half way through. I enjoyed the ending and felt it made the book come together. I’m glad I persevered with it. It has a lot of great reviews on Amazon so certainly worth a read. I would like to read another of her novels.
This book was slow to start and never really picked up pace.
The book was written well and could have been so much better
This book spends time on a friendship spanning more than 30 years. Having a friend like that, I could relate to the friendship bonds that were formed and strengthened over the years. It is a slow burner, but still a solid read.
Really enjoyed this novel. The writing flowed and the characters were depicted very well. Couldn't wait to find out what happens next.
Many thanks to Caroline England and Brown Books for the opportunity to read and review this book. Betray Her was a good read if a little outlandish. Based on a complex friendship between Kate and Jo the book takes us back and forth over the lifetime of their friendship. Starting in boarding school to the present day when the women are now in their forties. Both in love with the same man, their friendship is based on love hate and jealousy. I enjoyed the book but didn't like the characters much
Thank you #NetGalley for an advance copy of Betray Her in exchange for my honest opinion.
This book just wasn't for me. The problem might be that I read too many thrillers and it's getting more difficult that I get surprised and hooked by them.
The book started with the scene where the two main characters, Jo and Kate meet each other. I wasn't interested in their childhood but it was a good starting point as to how these two people became friends.
Then, the book jumped to the present. 30 years later but it all started in a weird way. I was quite lost. I didn't know who was talking. I didn't understand everything that was being said. I found the writing style difficult and at some point confusing. I tried my best and kept reading but I wasn't enjoying it much.
Other thing that strike me as odd at the beginning was how careless were Kate and his husband with Jo. They asked her very hard and straight questions in nore than one ocassion and I was like: WTF? Why do they have to be so raw with her? And they are her friends...?
Also, why were they obsessed with her getting a new boyfriend? Why didn't they accept her situation? Why did they push her?
Then I got to understand all those questions but instead of agreeing with them I just kind of despised them! What a tale of jealousy, lies, "friendship" and hurting.
I could not like any of the characters. Not a single one and that made me detached myself fro the story. I just didn't care about them.
There are twists and turns but as I wasn't immerse in the story, they didn't shock me.
It's a shame as I was very excited about this book but, unfortunately, I didn't enjoy it.
I was gripped from the very first page! Caroline England’s second novel is expertly crafted to shock the reader as many times as possible and I found myself gasping several times as all the clues left in the novel fell into place. Brilliant read, 5 stars