I liked 'The Miniaturist' and 'The Muse,' but I have to admit that I finished both of these books feeling a bit unsatisfied by the outcomes. Thankfully, that is not something which can be said about 'The Confession,' which is Jessie Burton's most accomplished novel yet. While seemingly a mystery about a daughter searching for answers as to why her mother abandoned her as a baby, it's also a story about love, loss and what it takes to be a mother. There are no trite answers here and in the hands of a lesser novelist, this could have become overly saccharine and trite. However, Burton handles these topics deftly, showing many different aspects of motherhood - both good and bad.

It's difficult to like almost all of the characters in 'The Confession,' yet this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Rose, a woman searching for the mother who abandoned her as a baby in New York in 1983, is aimless and seems incapable of making a decision which benefits herself and sticking to it. Connie, her mother's ex lover, comes across as selfish and - at times - actively cruel. The men in the book are absolutely useless - spineless, pampered and incapable of seeing how their actions hurt others (although in this case of Rose's father, it could be argued that this comes from a place of love.) I found the character of Elise, Rose's mother and Connie's ex lover, a difficult one to get a handle on and I feel she would have benefitted from a little more character development. While a point is made of how young she is and how her actions are often as a result of youth and inexperience, she often seems selfish and grumpy for no good reason, yet utterly incapable of articulating this to anyone. Her constant bottling in of her emotions is what leads to the drastic decisions which are made and the ripple effects of which are still felt years later.

The build up to the titular 'confession' is actually better than the confession itself which, when it comes, has long been guessed at. But this isn't to detract anything away from the story which is understated and very readable (even if, at times, the plotting could be a bit tighter,) I also loved the descriptions of all of Connie's books and hope that Burton writes her own versions of them for readers, particularly 'The Mercurial' which sounds like it would make an incredible read.

This is Burton's most confident and personal novel. One of the main characters is an author and another is born in the same year as Burton so it appears she's contemplating her own life and purpose in this book.

Through Connie the author, Burton explores how much of herself a writer puts in her stories and what motivates and inspires a novelist.

Rose, the 30-something woman who feels lost and untethered from her life, is a foil for Burton's message about not having to have it all together in adulthood.

The plot is strong and the confession of the title is revealed with pace and intrigue. As ever, Burton's writing is a joy to read and her descriptive prose moves seamlessly between the two time periods of the book.

The Confession is a really powerful, well-written novel that maintains the standard excepted from Burton.

The Confession is a historical fiction novel built on one of my favourite tropes of that genre: alternating between points of view from different eras, which will eventually come together to resolve a mystery, so I loved its storyline. It is a compelling narrative about family, love, loss, relationships, motherhood and embracing who you are, which I really enjoyed. Be warned that there is a trigger warning for abortion in this book, so be careful if it’s something that triggers you.

I know historical fiction can be a bit daunting for some readers, as it means going to a different time and place, it can be complicated to read, but I feel like historically speaking, The Confession was easy to get through. The historical setting is immersive and easy to picture, as it was set in 1980s Hollywood, which doesn’t feel that far away, so it could appeal to readers who aren’t used to reading historical fiction.

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The Confession is mainly about three women: Elise, Connie and Rose, and their paths through life, which I really enjoyed reading about, though the characters weren’t always likeable. On one hand, my favourite to read about was Rose, a 35 years old woman, whose storyline was set in 2017. Her story was about self-discovery, as she is aching to know the truth about her mom who left her when she was littl, since she believes it will fill a void inside her. She was a relatable character and I could see a lot of myself in her, as she hadn’t figured herself out just yet.

On another hand, the book followed Elise, whose storyline was set in the 1980s, and I really didn’t like her, but was still curious about her story. While she was really flawed and I felt like her characterization wasn’t always as in-depth as Rose’s, the author managed to keep me interested in her story and secrets. To be honest, I didn’t always get her, I don’t really know what drove her nor what she wanted in life, so that was a shame.

Last but not least, this novel was about Constance, a writer whose book is about to be adapted into a movie in L.A. in the 1980s and a secluded writer in 2017. Connie wasn’t a very likeable character either, she was cold and heartless at times, but she was so authentic and she shone through way more than Elise did. I also adored reading about her as she was older, as well as reading about her writing.the-confession-aesthetic

The Confession‘s main romance is about Elise and Connie, which I loved reading about, though they definitely didn’t have an healthy relationship. I loved that it was about two women falling in love with each other in the 1980s, but it wasn’t about them realizing they loved women, nor coming out. They already knew they were queer, it wasn’t made a big deal and it went from there. I love reading about coming out stories, they’re so important, but love stories about queer people without this storyline are really important as well.

Just like in The Muse, Jessie Burton’s writing style was engaging and beautiful, making me highlight so many quotes and always being excited to get back to it. Every time I picked up The Confession, I couldn’t stop reading it, especially in the second half, when we were starting to get answers and so many chapters ended on cliffhangers. The novel finished on an open-ending, which I thought was fitting to the story, though I felt like the last chapter was unnecessary, as I don’t think it added much to the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed this, though not as much as Jessie Burton’s previous novel, The Muse. Most of the characters feel authentic and while they aren’t always likeable, the author kept me interested in them. I really enjoyed this story overall and I’m looking forward to reading more of Jessie Burton’s works in the future.

Rated 3.5/5 stars

I’d heard very good things about this book, so having enjoyed ‘The Miniaturist”was really looking forward to it. It took a while to get into, no doubt due to the double narrative perspective. However, it was a wonderful slow burner than was immensely rewarding. It ruminated on a really interesting variety of female issues, and is definitely one of those books that stays with you for some time afterwards. The open ended nature of several of the narrative strands very much encourages this. I’m so glad I read this book, it was a real cut above.

What does it mean to be successful?

In her new novel, The Confession, Jessie Burton, knows exactly who her readers are and taps into their insecurities, fears, hopes and dreams intuitively. What defines success? What brings meaning to life? Is it pursing a career, or motherhood? Perhaps striving for both? And what does your life amount to when you have neither?

Burton's third novel focuses on these questions, posed around two main characters, their narratives more than thirty years apart, as they both search for meaning and understanding at different stages of their lives.

At 23 years old, Elise Morceau becomes enamoured with older novelist Connie Holden, and leaves her London life behind to follow Connie to LA. Thirty years later, Rosie Simmons, is looking for her mother, and arrives at Connie's door. How this story unfolds is a deeply emotional foray into motherhood, romantic and family relationships, selfhood and how we choose to live our lives.

Burton is masterful at identifying what concerns her readers, and her careful crafting of characters will appeal to a wide range of her audience, from the young and willful Elise, to the utterly lost Rosie who is undergoing an existential crisis at an age when people are expected to have their lives in order. Even the much older Connie, reflecting back on her life and its mistakes, shows us that there is no age in which anyone is completely secure in their identity or life choices. Burton holds a special kind of wisdom well beyond her years and in writing this book she shows us that it's okay not to know, or not to be sure what your path is. That you cannot measure success or selfhood, by high flying careers, motherhood or Instagram subscribers, and that everyone's experiences are different and incomparable.

As well being almost philosophical in nature, Burton constructs a compelling narrative around what happens to Elise Morceau, as well as a clever, literary in joke through novelist Connie. Burton's writing style is immersive, painting as vivid a picture of wintery London as of a busy and vibrant LA, and she draws you into the story, teasing you with possibilities and resolutions. Although possibly understated, likely cast into the realms of 'women's fiction', this novel is one of the most moving and emotional of the year, and will certainly be one of the most memorable.

Jessie Burton has excelled herself with this latest offering. I was hooked from the beginning with Elise & Rose’s stories & read this in *almost* one sitting. This is a glorious piece of work that I’ll be recommending to everyone I know.

I nearly stopped reading The Confession as I became confused but really glad I persevered, it was an excellent read. Based around the determination of Rose to understand her background it charts the relationship between her parents and her Mother’s lover who subsequently takes on the role of confident to Rose.
Tenderness, deceit, humour and honesty come through in this book which I strongly recommend.

The Confession is such an enchanting story. The writing is beautiful and evocative, the characters are flawed and complex. I was instantly hooked into the stories of Connie, Elise and Rose. They were not always likeable, and they certainly made some bad decisions, but I was always immersed in the moment with them. They felt so undeniably real.

A wonderfully immersive story about queer women. What more could you want?

What a book! Now I have loved each of Jessie Burton's books more than the one before and this one was not disappointing. It was a joy to read. I enjoyed the switch between time periods and the characters were realistic. Really enjoyed it, bravo Burton!

Elise takes a different name to become closer to Connie, the woman who was the last person to see her mother. This tangled tale of failed relationships asks many questions – what do we want from life? –how do we manage without hurting others>- what is the role of a woman?
To be honest I found the story hard going, I could not find anything likeable in the characters, they all had faults trying to be someone or something else, not satisfied with what they already had.
The air of mystery throughout the book compelled me to read on and discover ……..no spoiler.

Review goodreads and amazon

A beautifully written story intertwining the lives of three women across two generations. The story kept me intrigues right to the end as the tales of these women’s lives unwind. A story of family, love and finding yourself.

The Confession by Jessie Burton is an elegantly written and impeccably constructed narrative divided into two timelines. In the 1980's we meet Elise, a young woman who is swept up by the enigmatic Constance, a woman she meets on Hampstead Heath on an otherwise bleak winter's afternoon. Constance is a successful novelist on the brink of huge fame as her first novel is about to be filmed in Hollywood. Rich, glamorous , self assured and selfish, to Elise she is irresistible , and so Elise follows her to L.A.. Meanwhile in the current day we meet Rose, Elsie's daughter. Rose is unsettled in all aspects of her life, working in a coffee shop to make ends meet, and living with her fiance Joe but unsure of the future of their relationship. She has always wondered about her mother, who walked out when Rose was just a baby and has never been heard from since. Her father has always remained tight lipped about what happened but eventually reveals to Rose that her mother knew Constance, and that they had been lovers. Desperate to find out the truth about her mother, Rose engineers a way to meet the now reclusive Constance without revealing who she really is, and takes a job as her assistant in the hope that she will be able to learn what really happened. The thing is , is it sometimes better to let sleeping dogs lie, or is it better to find out the truth no matter how much it hurts?
While I have come to expect beautiful prose from this author, and there was certainly plenty of it to be found in this book, what I loved most were the wonderfully realised characters. It is very easy to empathise with Rose, a woman struggling to figure out her future while hoping that the answers she seeks are in the past. Some of her actions are certainly questionable, but they are also understandable in the context of the story being told., and in the end she realises an important truth. " I had to stop looking at myself and finding myself wanting. I had to stop facilitating other people's lives at the expense of mine"
Constance is a mesmerising and magnetic character, and it is very easy to understand her allure to both mother and daughter, in different ways. For Rose she is in some ways a maternal figure, or at the very least a link to the mother she never knew, but also a determined, independent, smart and kind friend, Elise may not have experienced the kindness of the more mature Constance, but she certainly saw the charm , allure and intelligence of the woman.
The pacing of the book is perfectly controlled to draw the reader in, as the truth of what happened between Constance and Elise is revealed in one time line, while in the other the risk of the truth being revealed to Constance is yet one more thing that Rose is struggling to deal with. I found myself completely immersed in the story, so was a little surprised at the slightly abrupt way it ended, and if I had to find a flaw in this excellent book, this would be it. but it is a very minor gripe about a very good book.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

This was a really hard book for me to review because I recognise the quality of the story and the writing, but I just really didn't enjoy it. It tells the story of Rose, a 30 something woman in a bit of a life rut, who undertakes a search for her mother who left when she was a baby. This search takes her into the house of Connie, a reclusive novelist with a haunted past. Firstly, the good points. This is a very well constructed book. Told in duel perspectives, we follow Rose in the present day and also follow her mother, Elise in the early 80's. Burton knows exactly when to switch perspective to keep the tension high within the narrative. Also, line by line, the prose is excellent. Descriptions are crisp and clear without ever becoming too flowery and each character is immaculately drawn in all of their, often highly unpleasant, detail. Everyone in the narrative is deeply flawed and this is discussed with an honesty that is often raw and uncomfortable to deal with. For me personally, I found some of the content pretty objectionable, particularly some of the discussion around motherhood and the way in which women are portrayed in the narrative. There were points when I was incredibly angry at the tone chosen as I felt that the women came off as very unsympathetic, which I felt was too obvious. This did lessen towards the end of the novel and I must confess that the mystery aspect did keep my interest throughout, but for a lot of this book, I was just frustrated and disappointed. With all that being said, this is a really well written story that explores relationships in all of their beauty and ugliness and there are many many people who will love it - it just didn't work for me.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Let’s start with the headline. This book is an awesome read. Beautiful writing combined with a completely immersive story arc, The Confession just blew me away with the quality of the writing and the strength of the characterisation. Once I had started to read, I literally could not stop until I got to the end.

A dual timeline narrative, The Confession is a captivating, bold story about relationships, love, motherhood and what it is to be a creative artist.

We begin in 1980. Elise is a young woman living a fairly aimless life. She works in a café and does some modelling work for art students. She finds it easy to stay unmoving for hours on end. Her life is like this, static, going nowhere fast. On a walk one day on Hampstead Heath, she meets Connie, a woman whose personality dominates everything, including Elise. Connie is a novelist and she is currently enjoying a period of high profile esteem.

Connie is older than Elise, by Elise is captivated by this powerful, forceful woman and it is not long before she is under her spell and the two begin a relationship that is all-encompassing. It is not long before Elise is living with Connie and basking in the adoration that is typical of consuming passion.

At the height of her fame, Connie’s most recent book is to be made into a movie and Connie and Elise travel to L.A. where the film is to be made. Once they are there, though, Elise begins to realise that her role as Connie’s consort is one that somehow diminishes her and as Connie’s focus shifts to the new movie crowd that she is moving with, Elise feels increasingly pushed to the edge of Connie’s world.

In London, in 2017, Rose Simmons is living with Joe, a man whose ambitions are limited but who, nevertheless is incapable of realising them. She is drifting along, believing herself to be in love, but is yet strangely unsatisfied with life, though she refuses to acknowledge it. Rose was brought up by her father, who now lives in France, but is haunted by the fact that she never knew her mother, and her father has never talked about her, or what happened to her, and that has left Rose with a whole host of questions to which there are seemingly no answers.

Finally, she manages to pin her father down to divulging something about her mother and Elise learns about Connie Holden and that Connie was the last person to see her mother. Connie is now in her 70’s and living a reclusive life. Armed only with Connie’s two published novels, Rose blags her way into Connie’s life, adopting a new name and taking on a position as Connie’s aide. For Connie, now riddled with arthritis needs help to complete her new manuscript, her first book for decades.

Rose finds, as she makes herself indispensable to the fractious and overwhelmingly selfish Connie, that she is coming to like and admire her, even as she struggles to find out more about her mother, without knowing how to reveal her own deception and tell Connie the truth about who she is and why she is there.

Burton slowly peels back the layers of deception that have pervaded these women’s lives and the reader watches open-mouthed as we learn what transpired between Connie and Elise, and at the same time, see Rose’s life changing as she discovers her own sense of self, as she falls a little under Connie’s spell.

The lives of these three women are inextricably intertwined and it is their personalities, foibles and ultimately their betrayals that define their lives.

Burton’s writing is wholly immersive and her characters are true and bold. The nature of mothers and children; childlessness and love are all explored through these lives and the consequences of a series of betrayals are emotional and revealing.

Connie is a brilliant character; driven by her creativity to the exclusion of everything and everyone, she is incapable of setting aside time to pledge herself to anything but her art; her relationships are all predicated on that behaviour. Both Elise and Rose have more submissive personalities that initially play well into Connie’s life, but which ultimately cannot withstand her single mindedness.

For Elise, the revelations that the hole in her life creates are devastating; for Rose they reveal a character that becomes more fully formed as she discovers her own sense of self through an examination of her life and motivation.

Verdict: The Confession is a devastating narrative about friendships, secrets, love and what it means to be a successful woman on your own terms. As such it is complex, coruscating, enveloping and completely mesmerising. I loved it.

Another amazing novel from Jessie Burton, I was hooked again, this keeps you guessing right until the very end, a truly gripping read and so well written. Another classic.


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

The Confession is the first of Jessie Burton’s novel with a contemporary setting, and for the most part I enjoyed it as much as the others. The central character is Rose, a thirty-something Londoner who is drifting between low paid jobs and a lacklustre relationship, all the while searching for something more meaningful in life. Rose’s had been told that her mother died when she was a baby, something which contributed to her restlessness and lack of identity, so when her father finally tells her the truth about her mother and her disappearance, Rose embarks on a journey to find out who she really is.

Juxtaposed with Rose’s story is that of Elise, set in the 1980s when she embarks on a relationship with a woman called Connie, a successful novelist whose latest book is being turned into a Hollywood film. The couple are immersed into a glamourous and decadent Hollywood lifestyle which only serves to deepen the cracks in their fragile relationship. Fast forward 30 years and Connie is a recluse, having never written another novel. Crippled with arthritis she advertises for an assistant to help her with daily tasks and the writing of her long-awaited third novel. Enter Rose who is determined to dig deep into Connie’s past and find out what happened to her mother.

As usual with Jessie Burton’s novels the characters are engaging and believable. I particularly empathised with Rose’s search for a more meaningful life and her exasperation with her boyfriend and his family, and the relationship that develops between Rose and prickly Connie is very poignant. I did find Elise a little bit exasperating at times though, and found that for the most part my sympathies were with Connie.

As others have said, the ending is a little abrupt and inconclusive, however overall I really enjoyed the book.

A very thought provoking book which keeps the reader on the edge of their seat until the very last page,.
It deals with a women’s obsession with finding her mother who abandoned her when a baby and the lengths she will go to to find out the truth. But what she finds is not what she expected.

Another compelling and engaging novel from Jessie Burton, who has become an automatic read for me. My personal favourite is still The Muse but each book goes to different places and probes different complex relationships and emotions in very interesting and nuanced ways. The writing is beautiful but there are times when the plot felt a little predictable and I sometimes found Rose a little flat as a character, with some of her more dubious decisions and reasoning. Constance, however, was really intelligently and beautifully rendered, with all her flaws and depths layered brilliantly and delightful to uncover.

Definitely worth reading and I would never hesitate to pick up a Jessie Burton book.

Having loved Jessie’s previous books, The Muse, and The Miniaturist, I couldn’t wait to get stuck into this one....


A wonderful, gripping read which was thought provoking and moving.. I completely lost myself in this book and will be recommending to my friends also.

Thank you to the author, netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read in return for an honest review

Having previously reviewed Jessie Burton’s two previous novels, The Miniaturist and The Muse, I couldn’t wait to read this book. Different from her the previous books, The Confession has a more contemporary setting and feel. Jessie really brings Hollywood of the 1980’s to life, the glamour, money, the shoulder pads and white blazers Miami Vice style. One phrase really summed up the Hollywood of that period, and still applies today was ‘elastic beauty’, the aim of retaining youth. The sun, sea, sand and parties are a stark contrast to the life Constance and Elise led in London. It was interesting to read how this glamour effected Constance and Elise who had very different experiences; one falls under the spell whilst the other sees how fake it all is and makes a decision that changes her life forever.

The three main female characters are all very different in character. Rose is thirty four, and has spent most of her life seeking information about her mother, her father not telling her much. She seems like a half person, lost and just drifting through life with no real purpose. She is in a relationship with Joe that is going nowhere, she has an English degree but has no ambition to do anything with it and works in a cafe. After finding out Constance is a connection to her mother she takes a chance and starts to grow, gain confidence and learn more about herself and accept who she is. Constance is the glue that binds the 1980’s and present day plot. In the 80’s she is a successful writer, enjoying her fame and soaking up the glamour of LA. in the present she is a recluse and has not written a book in over thirty years. I have noticed in Jessie Burton’s books there is always a relationship between an older, more confident women befriending or mentoring a younger, more naive and self conscious woman. In this book that older woman is Constance and both Elise and Rose are the younger women who fall under her spell. The characters are all multi faceted and drawn with reality and depth that make them fascinating to read about.

The Confession is a moving and powerful read that looks at the many guises woman take, and the importance of knowing who you are and taking control of your own life. There are many issues raised in this book that women face on a day to day basis and how they shape the person you become. Beautifully written, this is a compelling and intelligent read that I completely lost myself in. This is another masterful and sublime read from Jessie Burton.