This ARC was courtesy of netgalley - all thoughts and opinions are mine and unbiased
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I've read the author's previous 2 books so was thrilled to be able to read an advanced copy

This is VERY different to the first 2 books and I really enjoyed it.

Firstly, the cover is fabulous so congratulations to the person who came up with it

The book uses the split time premise which I liked. It deals with loss and mental health issues - so felt very real to me

The book doesn't have many characters in it so allows the reader to really focus on their stories. Its beautifully written and the character development was really well done.

A great read - would highly recomment

Right, first off I didn't finish this and to be honest I doubt I ever will but this does not mean a bad rating / review.

I identify too strongly with Rose. I've never known my biological mother and everything, EVERYTHING Rose said / thought / did was like re-living painful moments of my own past and I just wasn't strong enough to keep reading.

This book is beautifully written with strong, believable characters and a plot that is unnerving.

A completely new and different read from Jessie Burton, author of The Miniaturist and The Muse. I have to confess I found it so different from the previous novels that it took me a while to get into – however, the perseverance was well worth it as by the end I was totally invested in the characters, their stories and what might happen next.

The central character to the story is Constance Holden, reclusive novelist, now facing old age with arthritic hands hindering her writing. Enter Rose Simmons, who enters her employ as help ‘Laura Brown’, secretly seeking answers about her own estranged mother’s relationship with Constance.

Powerful, enigmatic women populate this story; it’s feisty, heart-breaking and explores the many physical, emotional and mental hurdles that women face throughout their lives.

I enjoyed it, particularly the second half.

You might remember Jessie Burton as the author of the phenomenally successful 2014 book The Miniaturist. It has been a long wait for this, her third book, but one that was well worth it.

The story begins in London in 1980. On Hampstead Heath a young woman called Elise Morceau meets Constance Holden. Connie is a successful writer, a confident and vivacious woman and Elise quickly finds herself entranced by her. When Connie’s latest book is being made into a big budget film she takes Elise with her to the glitz and glamour of the Hollywood hills. A life of pool parties, surfing and people pretending to be something that they are not.

Elise finds herself struggling in this environment as Connie is more and more involved with the movie and the leading lady. When she overhears a conversation one night she makes a decision that will devastate many lives.

Thirty years later Rose discovers that Connie Holden was the last person to see her mother alive. Now a recluse who dropped out of sight right at the height of her fame and popularity Connie is a difficult person to find and approach. As Rose finds an underhand route into Connie’s life she is determined to find out what really happened to Elise and to secure a confession as to what really happened.

This is a really unusual story with the threads of Elise’s life alternating with chapters from Rose searching for answers. It is an utterly engrossing book and a story that I kept thinking about for a couple of days after I finished it. The three main characters are all wonderfully complex creative women each with their own idiosyncrasies and foibles. It was a book that I didn’t want to end and will be one that I want to re-read knowing how the story turns out. Be prepared to shed a tear as you journey through the lives of these fascinating women.

Supplied by Pan Macmillan in exchange for an honest review.

UK publication date Sep 19 2019. 464 pages.

The Confession by Jessie Burton.
Well written and developed plot that hooked me into the dual storylines. It’s one of those books that has kept me thinking long after I’d finished it. Reflecting on what helps develop our sense of who we are and what we want to do with our lives- and of course also what impedes that. Really Connie is a very disturbing character. Her charisma & ministrations seem to draw women to her but she remains in control and totally selfish, by her own admission. I liked her yet was quite angry with her and what I saw as her modus operandi. I couldn’t help but think this would be a brilliant book for a book club analysis. Great job Jessie! Definitely recommend.

I was sent a copy of The Confession by Jessie Burton to read and review by NetGalley.
This is the third novel from Jessie Burton and I thought it had a slight change in style. It still contained a link to the arts and was character led but I found it had more the feel of a psychological study of a woman’s psyche. I felt that it was slightly repetitive in places and it didn’t have the rather magical quality of The Miniaturist or the intensity of The Muse, however, having said that I did still enjoy the book. It is well written, as you would expect, and I think that there is a lot of sound exploration of what we choose to do and why. Not my favourite but still well worth a read.

I requested this because I loved The Miniaturist and this didn't nearly come up to that level for me, though it may just be that I preferred the historical setting. It may also be that I don't have enough empathy for the mental health issues experienced by both Elise and Rose, and that's on me. But I felt both women were whiny and demanding. Spoilers follow.

Rose had a loving father and stable upbringing, never knowing her mother, but behaves as if she has had a tragic life and is suffering from PTSD, when millions lose adored mothers and manage not to become at best creepy stalkers and at worst, psychopaths. Elise seemed to be someone who was probably bipolar, and I felt more sympathetic towards her, but still found it hard to see what drew Connie, Matt, Shara and Yolanda to her. She never appeared to GIVE anyone anything - no sparkling wit or compassion - she just seemed to see everything through a lens of what they could give her: 'I want to leave here', 'Draw me', 'Cheat on your wife with me', 'Let me live with you and look after my baby for me'. Same with Rose really. Why would the loving and proactive Kelly be her best friend, when all Rose seemed to do was slump misterably opposite her in cafés, judge her for being an influencer, withhold personal information? Also Zoe - why did she aadmire Rose when she never seemed to show any actual personality, kindness, warmth, humour? Even the restrained and cool Connie grows to love Rose in a matter of days despite her apparently doing nothing to earn that love beyond what is surely the business of any paid carer.
I need to like characters to like a book. Or hate them. I just felt that the main protagonists in this novel were kind of drippy. Three stars because Burton's writing is deft and controlled and I always enjoy lovely prose.

Rose is now in her thirties, has a dead end job and a floundering relationship. She has never known her mother Elise Morceau who disappeared when she was a baby. Her father gives her a novel to read and tells her the now famous writer used to know her mother and may have information about what happened to her. Rose is intrigued and manages to become a companion to the enigmatic author Constance Holden. Rose manages to start piecing together her mother’s past but does not expect to develop the rapport she starts to feel with Connie.
I enjoyed this novel and the development of the relationship between the characters. However for me the ending was unsatisfactory but you will have to read it to find out why.

The Confession follows the story of Elise, Constance, and Rosie over more than 30 years and two generations. They are three very different women with a strong connection between them. Set in the 1980’s Elise and Constance meet for the first time and start to build an unbreakable bond. Thirty years later and we are introduced to Rosie, who never knew her mother growing up. This huge space in her life was filled with questions and made up stories of where her Mum might be, and what made her leave and never come back. Rosie’s Dad has always done the very best for his daughter, but one thing he can’t tell her is what happened to her Mum. He is frustratingly unclear about what happened, but he is obviously hurt and trying to protect Rosie from what might turn into a painful and irreversible truth. What if the worst did happen? Is it better to not know? Or better to confront the truth regardless of the consequences?

This dual timeline works perfectly to bring the three women and the impending confession to life. There are very few periphery characters, allowing the reader to focus in on the intricacies of the relationships between them. I was particularly drawn in by Connie, the secrets she held, the complexity of her life and her strong character. Personally I enjoyed the journey more than the reveal which is always a great compliment for a book like this.

Following the women in their 20s and 30s, The Confession unravels unhurriedly to reveal the truth behind why Rosie’s mother left. All three women experience challenging decisions they will need to live with. The devastating consequences of one of these decisions changed all of their lives forever. The loss of a mother is experienced all over again when the truth finally comes out leaving the characters and the reader feeling bereft.

This story of three women - Elise, Connie, and Rose - is set in both the 1980s and the present, and includes a little bit of mystery like Burton’s other novels. I really enjoyed it, and read it very quickly. I particularly liked that the 1980s sections, following Connie and (even more so) Elise were written in third person, whereas Rose’s present day narrative was in first person. This really helped with keeping the timelines separate, something I sometimes struggle with in novels with multiple points of view, and so the only time I flicked back to check a detail was to make sure Rose’s father was who I thought he was. If you liked The Miniaturist and The Muse you’ll like this basically.

I must admit that the cover of this book drew me to it at the start. This is not a good way to pick your next read. I think this will be a 'marmite' book, you will love it or hate it. Sadly I am one of the latter and I have to admit that I gave up before the half way mark and only skipped through the rest. This is not a book for me. I didn't warm to the characters and I found the story confusing from the start. Sorry but not my cup of tea.

I didn't fancy reading Jessie's previous books, as I didn't like the sound of the 'magical' element. When I heard what this book was about, it definitely sounded more my thing. I wasn't disappointed. I also quite like stories where we go back and forth in time to learn more about the characters. I liked being on tenterhooks to find out what happened to Elise. A good mystery exploring parentage, relationships and friendship.

A disappointing read.

I was interested in this given the mystery and so many good reviews.

The story runs two timelines in parallel- in the present day Rose is trying to find out about her mother (Elise) who left when she was a baby, focusing around her interactions with Constance, Elise's ex-partner and allegedly the last person known to have seen her. The past timeline features Elise and Connie's relationship and how this unravels as they move to LA when Connie's book is made into a movie.

I didn't like anything about the book - overall I found it slow and boring.
The setting in the fake and vacuous LA movie world seemed really unoriginal.
The characters seemed like caricatures - the strong and determined author, the beautiful lost lover, the selfish and aimless 30-something stuck in a dead end job who feels they haven't met their full potential...

They didn't hold my attention and I felt the drawn out emotional exploration completely overdone. I didn't find the connections authentic or believable.

Rosie is in her mid-30s, in a dead end relationship and job, after a visit with her father, she is given some information to help in the search for her mother who disappeared when Rose was a baby.

She sets off on a journey to find Constance who was her mother's lover over 30 years ago.

Rosie's mother Elise and Constance, went to Hollywood to see one of Connie's books made into a blockbuster. Elise doesn't settle but Connie is in her element and the relationship starts falling apart.

Move on to 2017 and Rose tracks Connie down, she is supposed to have been the last person to have seen Elise.

The book is told in a dual timeline which took me a while to get to grips with, but I persevered. I am not sure there is a huge story here, but more the way in which the book is written which is 'the hook', I did find the book a little slow at times, and wasn't totally enamoured with the characters. I also didn't like the lack of an ending, sorry I like my books neat and tidy!

On the whole an engaging read but won't be for everyone.

This is the most emotionally engaging book I’ve read for a long time, chock full with strong female characters, not all particularly likeable, told in parallel timelines between the 1980s and the present day. I did like Rose and hoped throughout that she would come through and find resolution to her lifelong yearning for her mother. That she finds a mother figure of sorts in Connie came as a surprise and meant that I began to forgive Connie for her earlier cruelties and selfishness.

I found it a little slow in the middle and began to wish for the inevitable to just get on and happen, but overall I was riveted. These women’s stories cover a wide range of female experience in a thoughtful, non-judgemental way, self-determination being common to them all, how to live as truly to oneself as possible and whether that is possible without inflicting damage on others. The ending was not as I predicted but I thought it fitting, not too neat and tidy, leaving some tantalising loose ends for the reader to mull over after the last page. Highly recommended.

One winter's afternoon on Hampstead Heath in 1980, Elise Morceau meets Constance Holden and quickly falls under her spell. Connie is bold and alluring, a successful writer whose novel is being turned into a major Hollywood film. Elise follows Connie to LA, a city of strange dreams and swimming pools and late-night gatherings of glamorous people. But whilst Connie thrives on the heat and electricity of this new world where everyone is reaching for the stars and no one is telling the truth, Elise finds herself floundering. When she overhears a conversation at a party that turns everything on its head, Elise makes an impulsive decision that will change her life forever. Three decades later, Rose Simmons is seeking answers about her mother, who disappeared when she was a baby. Having learned that the last person to see her was Constance Holden, a reclusive novelist who withdrew from public life at the peak of her fame, Rose is drawn to the door of Connie's imposing house in search of a confession.

What a return to form this is for Burton, I loved reading this and immersing myself in the world of Rose and Elise. The plot is actually quite simple, but incredibly effective. We flit between the past where we follow Elise as she meets Connie and the eventual consequences of their life together, and the present day as Rose tries to find her mother and learns more about herself than she ever thought imaginable. As I said the plot is simple but beautifully written and put together, Burton's words flow off the page and I adored the world she has created.

To start with I enjoyed reading the past chapters more but as the book progressed I found myself enjoying the present chapters more, to me this is a sign of a great story-teller, the reader shifts with the book and I enjoyed how my thought process changed during the read. The plot is actually quite an emotional one, and one that is all about family and the secrets people keep. As I said Rose goes on a journey of discovery in 'The Confession' and Burton got me thinking about myself as well, this really does feel like a powerful novel.

The characters in this are very well developed and likeable. I enjoyed getting to know them and following their journey, it feels like a cliché to say a journey but this really does feel like a journey. Rose in particular was a fantastic character and I enjoyed the choices that Burton makes for her and it was interesting to see it was not always the easiest route that was chosen.

'The Confession' is an immersive, powerful read about family, motherhood and learning who you are. This is absolutely a return to form for Burton and I adored her characters and story-telling.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an advance copy.

I enjoyed The Miniaturist and The Muse but I absolutely LOVED The Confession! It’s a beautifully written and compelling story of three strong women, all very human (with flaws) who sometimes make the wrong decisions but ultimately live their lives the best they can. It’s about love, friendship, secrets, relationships - such a page turner. I finished it late into the night and didn’t want it to end. The writing is so good and I enjoyed both locations - 1980s Los Angeles and present day London - equally. I was with Rose every step of the way trying to find out more about her mother, Elise. Connie was the most fascinating character - attractive, confident, sometimes cruel but I couldn’t help liking her. I felt sorry for Elise in LA without a role and can understand what she did....anyway, I don’t want to give anything away. This is a fabulous book! Highly recommended!

Elise Morceau meets Constance Holden one afternoon on Hampstead Heath in 1980 and falls under her spell. Thirty years later Rose Simmonds who has spent her whole life wondering where her mother went when she left her as a baby in New York is told by her father that the last person to see her was Constance Holden.

What follows is an engrossing tale of life, love, secrets, motherhood, broken hearts and yearning, told through two timelines and locations. 1980’s Los Angeles and 2018 London.

I found myself drawn into this tale from the beginning and did not want to put the book down. The characters were well described and frustrating at times but I found myself engaged in their stories and wanting to know the outcome.

Having the two timelines appealed to me and added to the intrigue. I would definitely recommend this book.

I loved everything about this book, it just got better and better the further on I read as I got more and more involved with the characters.

The book holds the story of Rosie, a 30-something woman who never knew her mother, who is looking for a change in her life, an understanding of who she is herself and who she want to become.

Her search takes a few unusual turns and through her journey the book examines what it means to be a woman today and in the recent past, with the story being split into two different time zones of today and the 1980s.

What does it mean to be a mother, sister, lover, daughter and how do you learn to live the life you want to live? All these questions are explored, and the relationships between the characters are frustrating, touching and tender in many different ways.

The book deals beautifully with the minutiae of everyday life and makes it meaningful, and there are only a couple of places where this wears thin, as with Rosie's repeated mention of Connie's poor mug collection, which jarred a bit in the rest of the story,

I most loved the portrayal of Connie, who isn't a sympathetic character to start with but the story of her struggles with worsening health and ability to care for herself were very moving. And who wouldn't want to keep drinking the champagne?

Many thanks to the Publisher ,the Author and NetGalley for my preview copy in return or an honest review.

The Confession is an compelling story told between two timelines 1980's and present day .All her life Rose has wanted to know what happened to her Mother who disappeared when she was a baby ..In the 1980's Elise falls for an older woman Connie who is an Author and she goes with her to LA .Rose now in her mid thirties decides to try and find Connie and ask her if she can help with where her Mother might be .I really enjoyed this book and found it quite an emotional read .Many thanks to the Publisher ,the Author and NetGalley for my preview copy in return or an honest review .