What do you think?
Rate this book
The Great Betrayal
How deeply can the past be buried?
By all appearances, the Cavanaughs of West Palm have an ideal marriage and family life—the perfect home with few complications.
But castles built on sand are eventually washed away by the sea...
★☆★ Meet the Players ★☆★
Leslie Cavanaugh—she’s not the woman she claims to be. Once Leslie Phillips, she's hiding a painful secret that's about to shake her family to its core.
Luke Cavanaugh—Leslie’s second husband, but he looks eerily like her first. An award-winning architect, Luke’s got designs on getting to the bottom of his wife’s past...in more ways than one.
Kathryn Cavanaugh—Luke and Leslie’s only daughter. In competition for her mother’s affection, Kate risks much more than the family’s good name with exploits of all the wrong places...
Dawn Chadwick—Leslie’s only friend and sister in widowhood. What would Leslie have done without Dawn all these years And what would Luke?
Grace Cunningham—abandoned at birth...and she's pissed about it. What makes a mother abandon her child, not once, but twice in a lifetime?
Meanwhile, a mysterious couple secretly rendezvous in a Palm Beach bungalow...
In this steamy saga of lost love, marriage and motherhood, hidden secrets and shocking truths collide as Leslie Cavanaugh’s past rocks the present with the most intimate betrayal of all!
THE GREAT BETRAYAL will keep you up all night!
By all appearances, the Cavanaughs of West Palm have an ideal marriage and family life—the perfect home with few complications.
But castles built on sand are eventually washed away by the sea...
★☆★ Meet the Players ★☆★
Leslie Cavanaugh—she’s not the woman she claims to be. Once Leslie Phillips, she's hiding a painful secret that's about to shake her family to its core.
Luke Cavanaugh—Leslie’s second husband, but he looks eerily like her first. An award-winning architect, Luke’s got designs on getting to the bottom of his wife’s past...in more ways than one.
Kathryn Cavanaugh—Luke and Leslie’s only daughter. In competition for her mother’s affection, Kate risks much more than the family’s good name with exploits of all the wrong places...
Dawn Chadwick—Leslie’s only friend and sister in widowhood. What would Leslie have done without Dawn all these years And what would Luke?
Grace Cunningham—abandoned at birth...and she's pissed about it. What makes a mother abandon her child, not once, but twice in a lifetime?
Meanwhile, a mysterious couple secretly rendezvous in a Palm Beach bungalow...
In this steamy saga of lost love, marriage and motherhood, hidden secrets and shocking truths collide as Leslie Cavanaugh’s past rocks the present with the most intimate betrayal of all!
THE GREAT BETRAYAL will keep you up all night!
ebook
First published November 13, 2009
40 people are currently reading
270 people want to read
About the author
Millenia Black
7 books344 followersBestselling author of the sizzling family dramas The Great Pretender, The Great Betrayal and the all new Favorite Things Trilogy! Book Three—When the Bee Stings—is on sale now!
Join My Facebook Group
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Join My Facebook Group Facebook Twitter PinterestRatings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
January 31, 2012
I can't believe there are people alive who gave this book 5 stars. The author had no skill and the book had no soul. I hated it.
September 20, 2012
I am sorry, but I couldn't get into the characters or the whole story. I knew what was going to happen early on, and didn't want to read about it. Reminded me somewhat of Woody Allen and Mia Farrow's daughter.
February 27, 2013
It was good but not as great as "The Great Pretender". I feel like the writing style changed a bit. Not sure what happened, but I'd recommend "The Great Pretender" over this selection.
December 25, 2022
I’m left feeling he fucked her daughter as revenge…and none of you angsty bitches mentioned that he popped the daughter’s cherry….he’s just irredeemable. He literally raped his wife in anger in his POV when he found out about the daughter and that he looked like her dead husband. She tells her friend he was trying to punish her for the truth. He won’t discuss any of this with her (rape/child/dead husband) he just moves out with no contact.
She was distant and wrong in the handling of her past, she was a terrible mother to both of her daughters. Not gonna lie. She was 18 when her hubby died and she gave birth. She was also a foster kid. I think that speaks volumes about her ability to disassociate. Cuz that’s what it is. She can’t make emotional connections, handle death or grief, she’s a runner.
But as a too young to be a widow, and an only child who lost both parents young to a stroke and suicide within weeks of each other…I don’t agree with her behavior, but I can empathize. And I can understand doing fucked up shit in response to grief…and then not knowing how to come back from those actions.
But he just comes off vindictive and abusive as hell. He admits fucking the daughter was a bit of payback WTF?!? He literally never makes an effort to accept his wife’s past or forgive her after saying he did. She TRIED to make their marriage work, he lived in victimhood. Why not try therapy, mother-fucker??? Oh, excuse me, daughter-fucker. I can’t even figure out how and when he started fucking the daughter this is so discombobulated.
Then there’s the daughter who fucks her mother’s husband who is a dead-ringer for her dead birth father…
And let’s not forget the H/h daughter. In a bizarre way he chose his wife’s first daughter over his own. The VERY thing she accuses her mother of. He was too busy fucking the older daughter and hating his wife to realize the bullshit going on in his own daughter’s life.
Don’t get me started on the ending. NONE OF THIS ENTIRE BULLSHIT IS EVER DEALT WITH. PERIOD.
The writing was a terrible and I skimmed tons because of it. No one is redeemable so 1 star all the way, baby.
The worst part…someone with some decent writing chops could have made this fucking spectacular.
She was distant and wrong in the handling of her past, she was a terrible mother to both of her daughters. Not gonna lie. She was 18 when her hubby died and she gave birth. She was also a foster kid. I think that speaks volumes about her ability to disassociate. Cuz that’s what it is. She can’t make emotional connections, handle death or grief, she’s a runner.
But as a too young to be a widow, and an only child who lost both parents young to a stroke and suicide within weeks of each other…I don’t agree with her behavior, but I can empathize. And I can understand doing fucked up shit in response to grief…and then not knowing how to come back from those actions.
But he just comes off vindictive and abusive as hell. He admits fucking the daughter was a bit of payback WTF?!? He literally never makes an effort to accept his wife’s past or forgive her after saying he did. She TRIED to make their marriage work, he lived in victimhood. Why not try therapy, mother-fucker??? Oh, excuse me, daughter-fucker. I can’t even figure out how and when he started fucking the daughter this is so discombobulated.
Then there’s the daughter who fucks her mother’s husband who is a dead-ringer for her dead birth father…
And let’s not forget the H/h daughter. In a bizarre way he chose his wife’s first daughter over his own. The VERY thing she accuses her mother of. He was too busy fucking the older daughter and hating his wife to realize the bullshit going on in his own daughter’s life.
Don’t get me started on the ending. NONE OF THIS ENTIRE BULLSHIT IS EVER DEALT WITH. PERIOD.
The writing was a terrible and I skimmed tons because of it. No one is redeemable so 1 star all the way, baby.
The worst part…someone with some decent writing chops could have made this fucking spectacular.
April 27, 2017
Before I begin my review, I would like to mention that I listened to the audiobook version of “The Great Betrayal”. I would like to praise the amazing vocal talent of JD Jackson. He is extraordinary! His silky smooth voice and excellent narration, made the book even more enjoyable for me.
Words cannot describe how much I LOVED “The Great Betrayal”, and how affected I was by it. I was talking about it at dinner with my parents, and with my best friend on Skype. I think everyone in my life is sick and tired of me talking about it but I just couldn’t help myself. I was enthralled from the prologue right up until the epilogue, and to be honest… I still want more.
This is one of the hardest reviews for me to write because I do not like to give spoilers, and I am going to try to remain true to that.
“The Great Betrayal” is a story about relationships, mistakes, and the complexity of human emotions. With Grief, Bitterness, Jealousy, and Love most significantly being explored. All of the characters are complex and deeply DEEPLY flawed. The characters that I was affected by the most were Leslie, Grace, and Luke.
Leslie.
I have noticed that there are readers who don’t like Leslie and couldn’t forgive her for what she had done. She might be perceived as selfish and weak. I am not going to argue with that. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and I definitely see that point of view. I do not believe Leslie did anything with malicious intent. She was a very young woman who was drowning in an unimaginable amount of pain, and because of that pain she made a decision - a decision once made, she felt she couldn’t unmake it. That decision, her shame, and then her silence set her on a path that led to heartbreak and even more loss. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her, and I sympathized with her greatly. Were there times I wanted to slap her and shake some sense into her? Yes, of course! I know there are crimes that are difficult to forgive, but I felt like no one even tried to. They just wanted to punish Leslie constantly, and I don’t believe she deserved the endless torment she received. And it was endless! I don’t think she’s the villain of this story. (I’m not sure there really is one..)
Unless you count…
Grace.
I do NOT have the same feeling for Grace that I did for Leslie. Unlike Leslie, Grace did do something with malicious intent so I can’t help but perceive her differently. I feel sorry for her pain, BUT she did not have the same kind of upbringing that Leslie had. Grace had a loving and supportive family and a wonderful childhood. I am not saying she didn’t earn the right to be hurt by the actions of certain people — but her life wasn’t a bad one. So what she did was so uncalled for. So nasty. So hurtful. So wrong… I just…. couldn’t reconcile myself with Grace and what she did at all. She was so angry and I felt it was misdirected. Does she deserve forgiveness? I think so, although I don’t know if I could.
Out of all the characters in the novel, the one who fascinated, touched, frustrated, and saddened me the most - was
Luke.
*sigh* As disgusted as I was by what he had done, I did understand the psychology behind it.
He had every right to feel angry, and betrayed - but he just wouldn’t allow himself to heal. He was trapped in his own cycle of destruction, moving round and round going nowhere. He festered in his own pain, insecurity and irrational jealousy. Although I am sure he believed he was a victim in this story, he did take part in creating his own hell. Luke couldn’t let go. Wouldn’t try to understand. Wouldn’t move on. And worst of all, wouldn’t forgive. Yet at the same time, he wouldn’t walk away. Love wouldn’t allow him to. And that was probably the most tragic element to Luke’s predicament. Although Love wouldn’t allow him to walk away, it wasn’t strong enough for him to forgive either.
So does Luke deserve forgiveness for what he did? *sigh* He had never been able to give it when it was asked of him, and what he did was far, far worse.
I, like, other readers had a suspicion of what The Great Betrayal would be, and it turned out to be what I had suspected. How it was all uncovered and the emotional turmoil from the discovery had me spellbound. I was literally glued to my seat, I couldn’t move and had to find out how the story was going to conclude. The only downside of the novel, for me, was the ending. All of the characters had seemed to have some kind of resolution, with the exception of Leslie. Her ending was very unclear. Therefore the story feels a bit unfinished.
It’s been 10+ years since “The Great Betrayal” was published. I, personally, would love to see what happened to these characters 10 years later. Catherine would be in her mid-twenties, did the mistake of her past haunt her into adulthood? What about Grace, she’d be in her 30’s… how did she come to grip with her own sins? What about Dawn? Luke? And Leslie? Oh Ms. Black, if you ever consider writing a novella or full-length novel as a followup to this amazing story — I, for one, would love to read it!
There are books that stay with you weeks, months, and even years after you read them. “The Great Betrayal” is definitely one of those books for me. It had me riveted from beginning to end. I would especially recommend it for bookclubs. There is plenty of material there to spark serious discussion and debate.
Words cannot describe how much I LOVED “The Great Betrayal”, and how affected I was by it. I was talking about it at dinner with my parents, and with my best friend on Skype. I think everyone in my life is sick and tired of me talking about it but I just couldn’t help myself. I was enthralled from the prologue right up until the epilogue, and to be honest… I still want more.
This is one of the hardest reviews for me to write because I do not like to give spoilers, and I am going to try to remain true to that.
“The Great Betrayal” is a story about relationships, mistakes, and the complexity of human emotions. With Grief, Bitterness, Jealousy, and Love most significantly being explored. All of the characters are complex and deeply DEEPLY flawed. The characters that I was affected by the most were Leslie, Grace, and Luke.
Leslie.
I have noticed that there are readers who don’t like Leslie and couldn’t forgive her for what she had done. She might be perceived as selfish and weak. I am not going to argue with that. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and I definitely see that point of view. I do not believe Leslie did anything with malicious intent. She was a very young woman who was drowning in an unimaginable amount of pain, and because of that pain she made a decision - a decision once made, she felt she couldn’t unmake it. That decision, her shame, and then her silence set her on a path that led to heartbreak and even more loss. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her, and I sympathized with her greatly. Were there times I wanted to slap her and shake some sense into her? Yes, of course! I know there are crimes that are difficult to forgive, but I felt like no one even tried to. They just wanted to punish Leslie constantly, and I don’t believe she deserved the endless torment she received. And it was endless! I don’t think she’s the villain of this story. (I’m not sure there really is one..)
Unless you count…
Grace.
I do NOT have the same feeling for Grace that I did for Leslie. Unlike Leslie, Grace did do something with malicious intent so I can’t help but perceive her differently. I feel sorry for her pain, BUT she did not have the same kind of upbringing that Leslie had. Grace had a loving and supportive family and a wonderful childhood. I am not saying she didn’t earn the right to be hurt by the actions of certain people — but her life wasn’t a bad one. So what she did was so uncalled for. So nasty. So hurtful. So wrong… I just…. couldn’t reconcile myself with Grace and what she did at all. She was so angry and I felt it was misdirected. Does she deserve forgiveness? I think so, although I don’t know if I could.
Out of all the characters in the novel, the one who fascinated, touched, frustrated, and saddened me the most - was
Luke.
*sigh* As disgusted as I was by what he had done, I did understand the psychology behind it.
He had every right to feel angry, and betrayed - but he just wouldn’t allow himself to heal. He was trapped in his own cycle of destruction, moving round and round going nowhere. He festered in his own pain, insecurity and irrational jealousy. Although I am sure he believed he was a victim in this story, he did take part in creating his own hell. Luke couldn’t let go. Wouldn’t try to understand. Wouldn’t move on. And worst of all, wouldn’t forgive. Yet at the same time, he wouldn’t walk away. Love wouldn’t allow him to. And that was probably the most tragic element to Luke’s predicament. Although Love wouldn’t allow him to walk away, it wasn’t strong enough for him to forgive either.
So does Luke deserve forgiveness for what he did? *sigh* He had never been able to give it when it was asked of him, and what he did was far, far worse.
I, like, other readers had a suspicion of what The Great Betrayal would be, and it turned out to be what I had suspected. How it was all uncovered and the emotional turmoil from the discovery had me spellbound. I was literally glued to my seat, I couldn’t move and had to find out how the story was going to conclude. The only downside of the novel, for me, was the ending. All of the characters had seemed to have some kind of resolution, with the exception of Leslie. Her ending was very unclear. Therefore the story feels a bit unfinished.
It’s been 10+ years since “The Great Betrayal” was published. I, personally, would love to see what happened to these characters 10 years later. Catherine would be in her mid-twenties, did the mistake of her past haunt her into adulthood? What about Grace, she’d be in her 30’s… how did she come to grip with her own sins? What about Dawn? Luke? And Leslie? Oh Ms. Black, if you ever consider writing a novella or full-length novel as a followup to this amazing story — I, for one, would love to read it!
There are books that stay with you weeks, months, and even years after you read them. “The Great Betrayal” is definitely one of those books for me. It had me riveted from beginning to end. I would especially recommend it for bookclubs. There is plenty of material there to spark serious discussion and debate.
December 1, 2008
I love how women in American books always seem to be stunningly gorgeous. What is up with that?
Anyway, this is a good trashy read for people who enjoy those gossipy salacious moments in others' lives. It truly felt a bit voyeuristic.
Black's writing is unfortunately a bit weird and melodramatic at times, very amateurish.
The book could have been even better...I felt like there were lots of psychological layers left unexplored, and it could have been a book with more depth.
Anyway, this is a good trashy read for people who enjoy those gossipy salacious moments in others' lives. It truly felt a bit voyeuristic.
Black's writing is unfortunately a bit weird and melodramatic at times, very amateurish.
The book could have been even better...I felt like there were lots of psychological layers left unexplored, and it could have been a book with more depth.
October 12, 2007
Awesome book! Read it in a day. She's a new author worth checking out!
March 19, 2018
Great opening that made me anxious. Once I was into it I stayed interested with the characters and where things were going.
June 20, 2023
Absolutely terrible. Don't waste your time. I read this book two pages at a time while pooping and it was *still* was barely readable. Don't get me wrong - reading it two pages at a time only improved on the plot.
I'm in a unique position because my mother did a similar thing to Leslie with one significant detail changed - the baby was taken from her instead of her abandoning it. So I can tell you from experience that these characters are garbage and their motivations are ridiculous and not at all rooted in reality in any respect. Specifically, the part after Leslie reconnects with the baby she abandoned who is now grown up. I could go on in more detail as to how awful this book is but it would be a true waste of my time.
At the back of the book there was an interview with the author. They said they wrote 75% of the book with no end in mind and boy, does it show.
I'm in a unique position because my mother did a similar thing to Leslie with one significant detail changed - the baby was taken from her instead of her abandoning it. So I can tell you from experience that these characters are garbage and their motivations are ridiculous and not at all rooted in reality in any respect. Specifically, the part after Leslie reconnects with the baby she abandoned who is now grown up. I could go on in more detail as to how awful this book is but it would be a true waste of my time.
At the back of the book there was an interview with the author. They said they wrote 75% of the book with no end in mind and boy, does it show.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2011
This is Millenia’s second book – and is a really good read.
Leslie Cavanaugh is a successful business woman, married to a gorgeous man called Luke, and they have a daughter Kathryn. They have a wonderful life – but Leslie has a secret – and she has been deceiving her family, as well as herself. When the secret is discovered, the Cavanaugh’s world comes apart. As the family learns to deal with the past – Luke and Kathryn start to cover up their own secrets. But only one will commit the ultimate great betrayal.
This book is very well written. It successfully evokes intense emotional pain and conveys to the reader how differently people all react to trauma. Each of the characters are very real and the four main characters each have their own misfortune to face – and some of the events that happen are quite shocking. Millenia has been able to bring all the threads together, travelling between the past and the present skilfully – to produce a can’t put down until you’re finished novel.
Leslie Cavanaugh is a successful business woman, married to a gorgeous man called Luke, and they have a daughter Kathryn. They have a wonderful life – but Leslie has a secret – and she has been deceiving her family, as well as herself. When the secret is discovered, the Cavanaugh’s world comes apart. As the family learns to deal with the past – Luke and Kathryn start to cover up their own secrets. But only one will commit the ultimate great betrayal.
This book is very well written. It successfully evokes intense emotional pain and conveys to the reader how differently people all react to trauma. Each of the characters are very real and the four main characters each have their own misfortune to face – and some of the events that happen are quite shocking. Millenia has been able to bring all the threads together, travelling between the past and the present skilfully – to produce a can’t put down until you’re finished novel.
October 26, 2015
Title: Teeter-tottering
“The Great Betrayal” by Millenia Black
Reviewed by T’s Blogging
08/02/2015
6:43 p.m.
Millenia Black’s, “The great Betrayal” is filled with love, lost, and of course disloyalty on so many levels. As the life and secrets of Leslie Cavanaugh unfolds, readers are thrown into this romantic love story that will have their cheeks turning crimson red; until her life spirals out of control and Leslie makes decisions that turn her world upside down.
Readers will become conflicted as they attempt to uncover who’d actually betrayed who, and that my friends makes this book oh so good. While I was definitely upset with the ending, I can tell you this, “The unknown will have you questioning your own ideas.”
I give “The Great Betrayal” 4 ¾ out of 5 stars.
Happy Listening
T’s Blogging
www.mcwpub.blogspot.com
“The Great Betrayal” by Millenia Black
Reviewed by T’s Blogging
08/02/2015
6:43 p.m.
Millenia Black’s, “The great Betrayal” is filled with love, lost, and of course disloyalty on so many levels. As the life and secrets of Leslie Cavanaugh unfolds, readers are thrown into this romantic love story that will have their cheeks turning crimson red; until her life spirals out of control and Leslie makes decisions that turn her world upside down.
Readers will become conflicted as they attempt to uncover who’d actually betrayed who, and that my friends makes this book oh so good. While I was definitely upset with the ending, I can tell you this, “The unknown will have you questioning your own ideas.”
I give “The Great Betrayal” 4 ¾ out of 5 stars.
Happy Listening
T’s Blogging
www.mcwpub.blogspot.com
October 1, 2011
After reading The Great Pretender, I couldn't wait to get my hands on The Great Betrayal. I enjoyed the twists and turns of this book. But I kind of felt chatted at the end. I figured out the 'betrayal' half way through yet I still held out hope I was wrong. Ms. black does great job of building suspense throughout the novel, which made me want to finish the book. The ending was rather disappointing though. Overall, I liked it.
November 1, 2012
To me this book was somewhat like a "train wreck"...it was very depressing and I just had to keep reading with hope. It did skip all over the place as far as storyline AND timeline and was difficult to follow sometimes b/c of that (had to flip back sometimes to see when some of the past chapters took place)...Too many crises for one story...wanted SOOOOO much to love it b/c I did connect slightly to the characters. Bummer...
October 9, 2012
I've never read a book with so many unexpected twists & turns! Yes, it was a trainwreck, but an awesomely written trainwreck. I couldn't put the book down- it engulfed me. I found that my mood leaned towards being depressed whilst reading this. There was so much grief, hurt, anger, confusion, denial, & sadness. One thing that could've been left out of the book was Kathryn's turn into pornography- it wasn't realistically incorporated into the story. Damn, I loved this book!
December 28, 2012
This was one of my favorite reads of the year. The drama just kept on going and going and just when there wasn't any more room for more drama, here come some more! I cannot say enough good things about this book. It kept me up VERY late at night because I could not put it down. I had to keep reading to see what happened next. This was a fast read for me and a real page turner! Can't wait to read more by this amazing author!!!
November 16, 2012
When I was reading this book,I kept asking myself Gosh when are these people going to give Leslie a break.I mean they is only so many ways to punish someone for the wrong things they did in the past but to hold a grudge that much.This book had so many unexpected things happening,there was a moment I even thought that Dawn and Luke were having an affair anyway It was a great read.
December 29, 2016
The Great Betrayal is one of those books you can't put down until the end. I had to know how things would turn out for Leslie, she was seriously troubled from the tragedy that happened right at the beginning. That loss was like a cloud hanging over the rest of the novel and the twist at the end is CRAZY but totally plausible.
Great read!
Great read!
Read
August 13, 2022I HAVE NOT READ THIS! I don't know if I have the fortitude....still building up the courage I suppose!😂😂😂
Word is that ending is nebulous,left open ended and there was little grovel or remorse on part of cheating H (2 year affair)who knew she was wife's daughter!😂😂😂😂😂
Word is that ending is nebulous,left open ended and there was little grovel or remorse on part of cheating H (2 year affair)who knew she was wife's daughter!😂😂😂😂😂
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 8, 2009
Poor, poor writing. The storyline kept me reading unfortunately but I would not recommend this book.
January 31, 2014
Didn't see that coming
April 11, 2024
I just want to know what became of Leslie? That's all.
April 2, 2016
Bonus Book - December 2006
January 17, 2015
This author is truly a gifted storyteller.
January 22, 2023
Well written. Held my interest.
This isn't what I'd call a romance.
There's a lot to unwrap here...
Heroine previously married, had child she abandoned for in-laws to raise when husband dies suddenly. She's very young and comes from foster care. Very traumatized with little to no support system. I did sympathize with her to a point.
Heroine still too hung up on dead husband to give her whole heart to current husband. Abandoned daughter makes contact with heroine, when Hero finds out the heroine kept this secret he goes off the rails. He looks like husband #1 and comes to the conclusion he is the stand in; not loved for himself. He becomes cruel and bitter enough to sleep with heroine's daughter from first marriage.
First daughter seeks vengeance for abandonment so sleeps with step-father.
Both MC so wrapped up in themselves they fail to notice 13 year old daughter lured into kiddie porn.
I know.
Now we come to my my issue with this book. This could have been epic if the author had cut the backstory to two or three chapters and focused on the fallout from the EPIC whacktasticness of the affair between husband and stepdaughter. I mean holy shit c'mon.
Weird best friend informing on heroine to hero. Motivation never explained. Lots of page time for character whose only purpose seems to be throwing the reader off the scent of what's really going on. It's a setup that didn't really work for me.
Ending abrupt and I've been left hanging. I love a truly fucked up story but I need that HEA like I need heroin... if I did heroin. I did not get my fix
Still a good solid soap opera of a read if your into that sort of thing.
This isn't what I'd call a romance.
There's a lot to unwrap here...
Heroine previously married, had child she abandoned for in-laws to raise when husband dies suddenly. She's very young and comes from foster care. Very traumatized with little to no support system. I did sympathize with her to a point.
Heroine still too hung up on dead husband to give her whole heart to current husband. Abandoned daughter makes contact with heroine, when Hero finds out the heroine kept this secret he goes off the rails. He looks like husband #1 and comes to the conclusion he is the stand in; not loved for himself. He becomes cruel and bitter enough to sleep with heroine's daughter from first marriage.
First daughter seeks vengeance for abandonment so sleeps with step-father.
Both MC so wrapped up in themselves they fail to notice 13 year old daughter lured into kiddie porn.
I know.
Now we come to my my issue with this book. This could have been epic if the author had cut the backstory to two or three chapters and focused on the fallout from the EPIC whacktasticness of the affair between husband and stepdaughter. I mean holy shit c'mon.
Weird best friend informing on heroine to hero. Motivation never explained. Lots of page time for character whose only purpose seems to be throwing the reader off the scent of what's really going on. It's a setup that didn't really work for me.
Ending abrupt and I've been left hanging. I love a truly fucked up story but I need that HEA like I need heroin... if I did heroin. I did not get my fix
Still a good solid soap opera of a read if your into that sort of thing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 18, 2020
👎
This story was an uncomfortable read. I didn’t like any characters maybe the daughter. They all seemed to need psychiatric help.
Then the reader has to decide on what happens. No decided ending.
This story was an uncomfortable read. I didn’t like any characters maybe the daughter. They all seemed to need psychiatric help.
Then the reader has to decide on what happens. No decided ending.
April 30, 2019
Sorry, not my favorite book. Had to force myself to finish because that's what I do! Found it depressing in some places and often confusing.
added-it
April 10, 2022🎁 FREE on Amazon today (4/10/2022)! 🎁
November 20, 2023
Trash. This was supposed to be a black author with black characters & it was NOT. It was predictable & the ending was pointless. Wasted my time.
February 17, 2017
Enjoyed the book! It had some twists and turns, but it kept me interested!
August 15, 2016
Honestly didn't want it to end!!!
This book takes you on a woman's journey of a life lost, but not just one life but two. I believe she died that day as well. I don't want to give to much away. It's really hard when reviewing a book to not scream out all the details that you found exciting or sad. The very best thing I can do or say is please go and check out this book you'll not be disappointed. To the author please please make a part 2.
This book takes you on a woman's journey of a life lost, but not just one life but two. I believe she died that day as well. I don't want to give to much away. It's really hard when reviewing a book to not scream out all the details that you found exciting or sad. The very best thing I can do or say is please go and check out this book you'll not be disappointed. To the author please please make a part 2.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews