Long before I began blogging I was a fan of Lesley Pearse’s books and I have reviewed several since my blog was established in 2015. You’ll find those reviews here. Consequently, I was delighted when Courtney Jefferies at ed Public Relations invited me to review for the blog tour for Lesley’s latest book Betrayal. It’s my pleasure to share that review today.

Published by Penguin’s Michael Joseph on 6th July 2023, Betrayal is available for purchase through the links here.

Betrayal

Eve should never have married Don Hathaway. Yes, he gave her two beautiful children – Olly and Tabitha – but he is a bully.

Worse than that, he hurts her.

But, after one drunken rage too many, she has the courage to leave him. Eve is warned that it’s a difficult path, yet she needs to give her children hope for the future.

Don, however, is bitter. And getting away entirely from him proves impossible.

Until the day, Eve tries to teach him a lesson – and it all goes horribly wrong.

Eve loves her children but now she carries a terrible burden that she dares not share. Has she betrayed her and her children’s futures?

Betrayal is Lesley Pearse’s brilliant new page-turner.

My Review of Betrayal

Eve’s in trouble!

Betrayal starts in a dramatic manner that takes the reader by surprise. Indeed, there’s a sense of threat that permeates the whole story so that the book has an edginess to it that I really enjoyed. 

The plot moves along at a cracking pace and events have a disturbing ring of truth for so many women’s lives in them. Lesley Pearse doesn’t shy away from difficult topics like the domestic abuse Eve suffers and I think it is this level of understanding about women’s lives in particular that makes her such an engaging writer. It is actually quite hard to say too much about themes as that would add spoilers for the reader, but obviously betrayal in many forms is present, the most important one perhaps being the way we dupe and betray ourselves – but I’ll leave you to read the book to discover more.

I loved the visual quality to Betrayal. Whether it’s because Eve has an eye for interior design, but I found the writing painterly and vivid, creating strong images in my mind’s eye. This makes some of the most brutal and most tender scenes all the more impactful and I think some readers will be profoundly affected by the quality of the writing.

As I have come to expect from Lesley Pearse, she gets right to the heart of complex female characters and I thoroughly appreciated the range here. Aside from Eve and her daughter Tabby, others like Dawn, Sylvia and Marianne are layered and important. I thought the violence of Don and George’s loathsome behaviour was perfectly balanced by Olly’s sensitivity and Tom’s down-to-Earth nature. What I enjoyed most, however, was Eve’s development over the plot. She couldn’t have been better named as she represents a universality of experience that women have had since the first woman herself. She does not begin in adversity and simply end up in success, but Lesley Pearse puts her through all manner of trials and achievements that make Eve feel vivid and real. 

Betrayal’s themes make it a disturbing read at times, but Lesley Pearse handles them with clarity and sensitivity making it a compelling read. I very much enjoyed it.

About Lesley Pearse

Lesley Pearse was three years old when her mother died. With her father in the Royal Marines, Lesley and her older brother spent three years in orphanages before her father remarried and Lesley and her older brother were brought home again. They were joined by two other children who were later adopted by her father and stepmother, and a continuing stream of foster children. The impact of constant change and uncertainty in Lesley’s early years is reflected in the recurring themes in her books: how emotional damage inflicted on children impacts the rest of their lives. Lesley had an extra-ordinary childhood and skilfully marries the pain and unhappiness of her early experiences with a unique gift for storytelling.

Lesley left home at 15 and headed to London where she worked her way through many jobs – from corsetry sales in Cooks of St. Pauls (featured in Dead to Me), to musician’s muse (her second husband was a musician managed by Don Arden), to bunny girl to nanny; from gift shop owner to dressmaker – finally finding her true vocation when she became a published author age 49. Since then, Lesley has become an internationally bestselling author, with over 10 million copies of her books sold worldwide.

A true storyteller and a master of gripping storylines, there is no set formula for a Lesley Pearse novel although strong heroines and difficult circumstances are pervasive. Whether historical adventures such as Gypsy or Never Look Back or the passionately emotive Trust Me, Lesley is inspired by stories of courage and adversity and often gives voice to women lost in history. She is passionate about her research and her stories have taken her far and wide; from Alaska to the Crimea. Lesley now lives in Torquay, Devon where she loves to spend time walking on the beach with her grandchildren. A fantastic speaker and committed and passionate fundraiser for the NSPCC, Lesley is a much sought-after guest at literary lunches, library events and festivals up and down the country.

You can follow Lesley on Twitter @LesleyPearse, and find her on Facebook.

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